Most working parents have a plan for after-school care, or camp during the summer, but what do you do when you have to miss work to take care of a sick child, or other family member? The reality is that children attending school or daycare aren’t even allowed at school if they are sick, with good reason; you don’t want more children getting sick because one child attends class while contagious. This can put parents in a tough situation. You want to help your child get better, but you also have a responsibility to your job. There are people who depend on you, and when you are out, your team has to pick up your slack.
To try to make it easier on everyone, here are a few things you can do:
• Give your boss or team as much notice as possible. If you know the night before that you don’t think you’re going to make it into the office, send a quick email or make a call to let them know. If you’re in a position that needs to be filled, it is easier to find a temp first thing in the morning. Your boss will appreciate the head start to cover for your absence.
• Maintain communication. Even if you can’t be in the office, be sure to set an “out of office” message on your email and check your messages frequently. You can forward anything that cannot wait for your return. Most tasks can wait until the next day, but if a partner can help with an urgent matter that is always best!
• Have a plan in place. Do you know who will cover for you while you are out? Make sure you have organized notes for your backup so they can pick up where you left off. Also, get to know your company’s policy for sick days. Everyone gets sick occasionally so you should know how to request to use sick pay, or how to communicate that you would like to make up the time on another day. Many companies will allow you to work extra hours during the week to make up time lost.
• Most importantly, help your child get better! The faster your child gets better, the sooner you can get back to the office.
Remember, everyone gets sick once in a while and you will have to take the day off. By planning ahead and making sure your job will be done while you are out, your boss and your team will know that they can count on you!
-Stephanie Bruha, Operations Manager at Kavaliro