Pay working parents for extra childcare
Ministers have been urged to reimburse parents who work through the lockdown because of the huge impact extra childcare is having on their lives and jobs. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has calculated that dual-earning families are sharing an extra eight hours’ childcare a day caused by the closure of schools and restrictions on other activities. The IFS says that for some families it would mean that work and childcare could take up the entire day.
PARENTS who continue working through the lockdown should be reimbursed by the Government for the huge impact extra childcare is having on their lives and jobs, says a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
In a study published today, the IFS has calculated that dual-earning families are sharing an extra eight hours’ childcare a day caused by the closure of schools and restrictions on other activities that their children would usually do without them during the day.
This is pushing up the time parents have to spend either working or looking after their child from 25 to 32 hours of their joint waking hours, according to analysis of comprehensive records of families’ use of time.
The IFS says that for some families with more than one child, as well as for a single parent with a job, it would mean that work and childcare could take up the entire day.
“Parents adjusting to working from home, especially those in dual-earner couples or who do not live with another adult, will not be able to reconcile their new responsibilities for childcare and home learning with the demands of their work without significant flexibility on when they work,” said the IFS.
For many parents this flexibility would not be possible. “In this context, the Chancellor should consider extending 80 per cent wage replacement to employees who reduce their working hours during the pandemic to accommodate childcare,” the IFS said.
“School closures and restrictions on leaving the house will directly impact around half of children’s waking hours. On average, parents are likely to struggle to fill the gap.”
Before the pandemic, the IFS found that parents spent about 60 per cent of their non-sleeping time either working or with their children. Now, the amount of a child’s time spent with their parents in or outside the house has risen from 21 to 80 per cent, meaning for some parents, work and childcare “could take up virtually the entire day”.
One option might be for one parent to concentrate on childcare by furloughing and receiving 80 per cent of salary, assuming their employer was eligible and agreed to it.
However, that could increase the gender imbalance by which women work on average 5.6 hours a day and spend 1.2 hours alone with their child, while men work nearly eight hours and do just 20 minutes’ childcare alone.
More than nine million workers are expected to be furloughed under the job retention scheme (JRS), according to analysis by the Resolution Foundation think tank.
The cost to the taxpayer over three months is estimated at £30billion to £40billion, with the British Chambers of Commerce suggesting nearly a fifth of smaller firms plan to furlough all staff and 50 per cent most of them.
Christine Farquharson, an IFS senior research economist, said: “Working
‘The Chancellor should consider reimbursing lost earnings for parents who choose to work fewer hours’
parents will need flexibility on when – not just where – they do their work.
“Parents who give up work completely during the lockdown are already eligible to have 80 per cent of their earnings paid by the Treasury.
“But the Chancellor should consider extending the programme to reimburse lost earnings for parents who choose to work fewer hours. This could be a costly giveaway, but it would give families the flexibility to make the best choice for themselves.”
A Treasury spokesman said: “The Chancellor has outlined an unprecedented package of measures to protect millions of people’s jobs and incomes.
“People who are unable to work because they’re caring for a child or a vulnerable family member or friend should speak to their employer about whether they plan to place their staff on furlough.”