Workers in poorly-paid jobs are being punished for taking time off work to be with their sick children, according to a study by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Over 1,000 low-income parents with a combined household income of £28,000 or less were surveyed as part of the study, according to The Guardian.
Many of the respondents had irregular work hours and some were only told about shifts at short notice.
One mum who works in retail made revealed that she’d been threatened with disciplinary action after a medical emergency.
“My baby stopped breathing and I had to go to hospital – I got threatened with a disciplinary,” she said.
Over half of young mums and dads feel they know little or nothing about legal rights that would help them balance work with childcare pic.twitter.com/WJ2OB3z1cE
— TradesUnionCongress (@The_TUC) September 2, 2017
While another mother received a call asking when she would be back at work after her son was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties. “Some managers have no sympathy,” the social care worker said.
Dad Michael shared a particularly shocking and upsetting story. His daughter was admitted to hospital with bronchitis at just four weeks old.
When Michael informed his manager of the situation, he was told to come in for his shift and that he could see his daughter “afterwards”.
When Michael asked for time off, he was told he could take unpaid leave or use his annual leave. Unpaid leave was not an option as he had to provide for his family.
47 percent of those surveyed said they struggled to balance their work hours with parenting, while 42 percent added that they felt penalised at work if they asked for flexible hours to spend time with their children. Some even feared they would lose their jobs.
"When my baby daughter was sick, and in hospital, my manager told me to come into work and see her after my shift finished" - Michael pic.twitter.com/1fMFSuY1yy
— TradesUnionCongress (@The_TUC) September 1, 2017
One of the most alarming findings was that many parents were unaware of their right to 18 weeks parental leave if they had held their job for a year or more.
29 percent of those surveyed had used annual leave days when their child was sick instead of asking for additional time off.
The culture of irregular hours is also creating serious problems for parents. One in four respondents said their shifts had been changed at short notice, making childcare arrangements very difficult.
Zero-hours contracts also make it difficult for parents to request flexible working hours as they are not guaranteed a set amount of hours or shifts on a weekly basis.
Many bosses expect parents to forget about their kids as soon as they start work. But together, we can change that: https://t.co/qA70MEdQEW pic.twitter.com/yOZDYARwRt
— TradesUnionCongress (@The_TUC) September 1, 2017
The TUC is calling for all workers to have the right to be notified of their shifts one month in advance.
They have started a petition for all working parents – including those on zero-hours contracts – to have the same parents’ rights. To sign the petition, click here.
Have you or your partner struggled to get time off work when your child is sick mums? Let us know.
