staff absence

[Guest]

How do other settings handle staff absence for looking after their own children. Have a part time staff member who has constant time off due to her child's sickness this is alongside her own sick days.It is becoming difficult to get cover at often short notice other staff have started to complain. Supervision meetings are due I will have to address this just wondered if anyone has a word of wisdom or too.

[louby loo]

I shall watch this with interest.

 

Currently as long as the cild is not infectious I have suggested they bring them in ( it would only be 3hours max) we have an area our children can't access which they can use. Not ideal, however it has cut down the days off for staff member.

We do run 'over ratio' which at least means we don't have to panic, but it does still put a strain on the rest of team as it means some planned activities cancelled etc.

[Rea]

We've always been lucky staffs children have tended to be of the robust kind, but staff know they won't get paid for time off unless its their own illness or a child with a hospital appointment which we know can be difficult to get at suitable times

[Guest]

In the past we have done that for another staff member but we only take from age 2yrs and the child is a baby. I think that my real problem is they are taking advantage and using this as an excuse hence other staff complaints. When other staff are off they often return the sessions covered by the stand in so the stand in gets time off back it works quite well. However the staff member in question struggles with childcare costs etc so is unable to do this so a little bit of friction is building up. There are other minor issues that are linked to sleepless nights with a baby, I have sympathy with these problems but when all is said and done she does have a job to do in a team that at present are carrying her.

Any help would be great this forum usually has the answers.

[Rea]

Could she reduce her hours, either per day or days per week until the baby is a bit older? She might be glad of the suggestion.

[Guest]

She only does 4 half days staff talked to her about how hard it may be when she came back after maternity leave (I was still on sick leave) she is struggling . She essentially comes to work to get a break from the baby I can understand this and we have accommodated this by being lenient when she is late or not done her files . The situation cant go on she is not attending any in house training let alone any other and has said she cant wait till the baby gets bigger to get a better career job. She is a member of our team we pay her wages she needs to do her job I just new it was going to turn out like this I feel really bad about the whole situation. I have no wish to push her or stress her further but we are too small a team to carry her she has been back at work 4 months so should have settled or got into a routine by now. Help!

thanks Rea and louby lou your advice is appreciated

[Rea]

I think you've made up your mind! Maybe at her supervision you tell her how you see things like you have here, you know her best and will know how she'll react. She might not realise how much disruption she's causing if shr only world part time, just be careful that if you dont push her, you don't help her to jump.