Employee with 4-year-old daughter is only parent on team, boss protests when he can’t attend mandatory Saturday meetings because of childcare: ‘That’s a you problem’

Should employees always be penalized for prioritizing family responsibilities over work?

Jobs and kids are known to be a pretty incompatible mix, but that doesn’t change the fact that most parents need to be able to work to afford their kids in the first place. Childcare is an issue that most moms and dads have to grapple with at some point, whether they have a job or not, but it is undeniably a more pressing issue when they are working. It isn’t always going to be bring your kid to work day.

While most would argue that family has to take priority over a job, not all companies are going to see it that way. They want to make sure that they are getting the best deal possible on every employee they have, and that usually means that they have to make themselves available whenever their employer wants them.

When there is an appropriate babysitter in place, this isn’t always so much of a problem. If working hours change, though, it’s very possible that a parent may not be able to accommodate both that and their children at the same time. This is the endless issue for involved parents who also want to do well at their jobs.