wtf am I meant to do?

I'd tell her a few things and get sacked 😂

I’m sorry but surely it cannot be put on you like that, nope😂

Call ACAS and they’ll talk you through your employment rights - you have many!!

Them being understaffed isn’t your problem, your child comes first

if you don’t have anyone to watch your child, you do not need to bend over backwards for your boss, it is her job to have enough staff not yours! you’re paid when you show up and do your job and if you need the weekend off to care for your child that always comes first!

literally what I did! Told them I’m not coming in until I find childcare and received my termination letter the next day. Oh well🤷🏽‍♀️ I wasn’t missing out on the first year with my baby for some job that will replace me in a heartbeat.

@Mae, you can sue for wrongful termination. My husband was in a situation trying to work with someone who was struggling with childcare. You have the right to take care of your family.

Find another job hun. Family comes first. Your workplace should not be making you feel this way. It's not YOUR fault they can't manage their staff numbers for demand.
Always remember, if you died today, you'd be replaced tomorrow. They are a business. Not your family. Not your friends.

If this isn't regularly scheduled time for you to work, them being understaffed is their problem. Their failure to plan is not your emergency

I think it depends - are you supposed to work this weekend or only because they are understaffed ?

Had you taken extra hours or are you on a zero hour contract? Either way it's on her and not you, your children come first.
How long have you worked there for because as long as its 2 or more years you have sine extra protection

Being unstaffed isn’t your problem. Your child always comes first. They have other employees that can cover

I think this really depends on your job and if it's your normal hours (in which case it IS your responsibility to ensure you have childcare in order to work) or if it's an extra shift, or you are zero hours (in which case you have every right to say no without disciplinary) but without knowing those details it's hard to say. However, I would always put my child first and you'd hope your work place is understanding of that.

I was a manager and honestly it’s not your issue it’s managements, sure we reily on other colleagues to do overtime but if they told us in advance they can’t come in, it is what it is

This is my first time being a mom and my son was sick and I’m a sole parent, he said we can discuss your job title later. I said go for it mate legally you can’t do nothing. And I just came back from maternity & 2 months later I’m taking an off day for my son..he didn’t do nothing

@Teri Eve in the UK there's a lot more laws around workplace stuff, termination for a one time call out can be seen as a wrongful dismissal. If she's had written warnings before then yeah might be able to be terminated for this but not if its a first time/ no warnings already.

Tell her to give that ultimatum to another member of staff instead because you won’t be there

I work in a workmen’s club and I’ve never called in sick, the only time I did was 2 weeks ago as I couldn’t get a babysitter yet again I’ve worked there 2 years so far this will be my third Christmas coming up. They know my situation as I’ve explained plenty of times that I struggle to get childcare on a Friday and Saturday evening. I’m on a 0 hours contract also so our rota is given to us weekly on a Thursday night by the way so I have literally 48 hours to find someone to look after my son if I’m working on either night and the only reason I knew I was working this weekend is because I know the person who has a massive party going on witn loads of people coming and there’s another party in the other room so she needs the staff in. I hadn’t worked weekends for months when I came back from maternity leave and now because all of a sudden we’ve lost 3 members of staff due to one being sick and the other 2 finding new jobs she’s putting it on me and making me work the weekends

If you are on a zero hours contract you have zero obligation to work. Unless it’s in writing you could literally say half hour before your shift you aren’t coming in

@Rhiannon you've been there over 2 years, so you have some protection even though it's 0 hours. If they tried to sack you for this you can get them done for unfair dismissal.
But yeah, as they can cut your shift at any point, you can also call out for a shift at any point. And even if your contract states an amount of time, we'll you've given them multiple days notice so you're in the right completely.
Have you only told them in person? I'd send an email or text just so you've got proof that you gave them plenty of notice in case they try to put it down as a no call/no show
I'm 0 hours and 7 years in, it's nice to have that little bit of protection in the situation.

Tell them to hire more staff.