Mums lose pay to care for sick children

Mums take an average of five days off work a year to care for sick children and if they are not paid for days off that equates to around £400 a year, according to a new survey.

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The survey of 2,000 working parents by heating experts Help-link.co.uk shows that mums are more likely to take days off for sick children than dads.

Although parents have the right to take reasonable time off work to care for a dependent in an emergency, 83% of participants said they did not feel supported by their boss during these times. Employers may pay for such leave, but it is not something they have to do.

Differences in support

Around a quarter of working parents use the right each year, but support varies according to sector. Only 17% of mums who work in Business and Consulting, for instance, said they felt supported. However, mums who work in the creative arts and design industry receive the most support, with 37% saying their boss lets them go without any question.

Snow days

Another cause of absence is snow days – on average children in the UK have two days off school for extreme weather conditions, meaning parents often have to stay at home to look after them. Some 34% of women said they are allowed to work from home in such cases, but 66% do not have this option. Some 91% of respondents said they felt their employer was not supportive in such cases.

The survey also found that over a quarter [26%] of working mums hate their manager and 23% don’t get paid sick days when they themselves get ill.