My partner is having a few problems at work (NHS) regards working hours etc ,A member of staff brought a copy of a newspaper into work where the below article was basically used to open a can of worms, “us childless women are carrying the can for you lazy part timers” type gossip scenario ,well I think it was more of a “dig” really but very odd.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2380473/Why-SHOULD-childless-women-like-longer-hours-cover-working-mothers.html

She was quite upset by it and I’m a bit stuck as what to say?

You could start by suggesting not reading the daily mail

Nips off to read the mail article

Piemonster

It was actually in our local paper called the Chronicle but as it’s a small area of South Yorkshire it must mean if your from round here and you have appeared in the Mail you must be famous!! That was the only reference I could find to the article and what the woman was saying. Unfortunately we don’t /can’t read the Mail because we are working class scum!!

I didn’t read the article but a quick glance suggests to me that it’s not the result of some sort of survey or research but the subjective opinion of a Daily Mail columnist.

.

I’m a bit stuck as what to say?

How about………..”it’s in the Daily Mail and it’s bollocks” ? 💡

Hmmm. My understanding is that people who only work part-time only get part time wages – so WTF is the problem?

Oh, hang on, Daily Mail?

In that case I would suggest that your partner recommends that her colleagues buy proper toilet paper. It is much softer, and therefore will make them less miserable.

My wife would certainly identify with some of the minor points raised – not getting first dibs on holiday selection, having to cover for other working mums and dads who take time off to care for their kids at short notice but its not really a problem, more just something to occasionally moan about.

We’ll just take the piss when we have kids so it all balances out in the end.

It is true though, to an extent, some parents really take the piss in their expectations of everyone else to pick up the slack for their personal lives.

In my experience some childless women work extra hours purley so they can lord it over the “lazy part timers”, in the same way its usually working fathers who are always working extra hours (for free!?) so they can say how hard life is.

If you dont work for a company that supports you, work the system like everyone else. Dont expect the rest to listen while you roll over and whinge.

If you dont work for a company that supports you, work the system like everyone else.

So you think everyone should just start having sprogs so that they can work the system?

those that dont have kids are getting a free ride………

let me explain

when your kids growup they will be paying tax and NI ti support the childless ones in their dottage, NHS, pensions etc

its just how it works

or just say it was in the daily fail therefore it must be bollox

Some people work full time. Some don’t. Sometimes there’s a child involved. Genuinely bewildered that this is a thing. I only work full time because I want the money, if I could afford to I’d work less hours and have more fun and still have no kids.

Based on the teams I’ve managed and colleagues I’ve worked with – the amount of hours someone works is often not related to the amount of work produced…

And this applies to men and women.

not getting first dibs on holiday selection

The difference is that those with kids can only take their holidays during school-holidays, unlike the childless who can go whenever. But the reason that those with kids usually got first dibs is that IME they are more organised, and asked first. Or like me, booked my main holidays (summer and Christmas) on the first day of the holiday year.

those that dont have kids are getting a free ride………

let me explain

when your kids growup they will be paying tax and NI ti support the childless ones in their dottage, NHS, pensions etc

its just how it works

LOL please tell me you are trolling, 😯

We could go back to the days when mothers do not return to work at all. Childless women would have to find something else to bitch about at work. I am sure they will find something.

some parents really take the piss in their expectations of everyone else to pick up the slack for their personal lives.

Its not really your social life when your child is ill or the school holidays are on.

Does anyone really think it is odd that parents prioritise their kids ahead of work or that this is somehow wrong?

Frankly I think it’s pretty outrageous that Women can vote, let alone work.

Yours incredulous with Edwardian rage, from Cambridge.

I can well believe the article..

I’m a mum by proxy (stay at home dad) and I am absolutely **** banjaxed most of the time, mentally, physically and emotionally..

I can barely wipe my own arse these days without getting confused and and exhausted and bursting into tears

This has deteriorated into another ‘us and them’ conflict. Some people are lazy, some people enjoy working hard. Some people have children, some people don’t have children.

I wouldn’t get too hung up on what a Daily Mail columnist on an over-generous salary, who needs to dream up something to write about, has to say about anything.

Perhaps she was annoyed at the unpaid overtime she had to put in to complete the article.

My dad was in hospital in South Yorkshire last week. I did wonder what the staff were doing instead of giving him his prescribed medication, despite him asking for it repeatedly.

We were both upset by it, and I’m not stuck as to what to say.

MrSmith – Member

its just how it works
LOL please tell me you are trolling,

please explain how Im wrong?

Before my kids started school they were at nursery 2 days a week only and I had them when I was off or stayed up if I was on nights when my wife was working. Still went to work and worked as hard as I’ve ever did. Could be a killer staying pretty much awake solid for 72hrs+ or at at least with a few hours asleep a day but I managed. I’d not want to go there again though as it wrecked my social life as all I wanted to do when off with no kids was sleep.

My dad was in hospital in South Yorkshire last week. I did wonder what the staff were doing instead of giving him his prescribed medication, despite him asking for it repeatedly.

We were both upset by it, and I’m not stuck as to what to say.

She’s mentioned this at work in a discussion with her line manager as there are also staff who never seem to do a lot, she works in dentistry not a hospital.

I’m of the opinion she should just find another job in private practice.

Fair dos.

please explain how Im wrong?

Seriously? Can you not look beyond the end of your nose and at the bigger picture?

In a persons lifetime they will generate a certain amount of tax from income,vat, duty etc, they will also potentially incur costs from healthcare, education and social services (let’s gloss over general rerunning of the country/defence/infrastructure etc) the government averages out the cost and balances the books (let’s also gloss over the fact that there is hardly ever a surplus and there is a huge deficit/money printing)

Having children or not has nothing to do with it. You could be a single entrepreneur generating several million in revenue for the government and die a quick natural death or be a workshy fat cretin spawning several equally workshy cretins and costing the U.K a sum in lost revenue (from theft,black market etc) and state benefits paying zero income tax and just a bit of alcohol and tobacco duty.

Your kids may end up taking from the state and the single person paying for their ill health, it’s not as simple as you like to think.

perhaps it is not that working mothers (of fathers) don’t work enough, but that childless women (and everyone else) work too hard.

but thats not how it works is it

governments spend what they dont have, your tax and NI payments arent avergaed out and put in a pot until you get old

its the next generation that pays for the upkeep of the current one, inflation wouldve eroded their contributions anyway

with people having fewer kids later in life we have an ageing population (fcking up the NHS) and leaving us dependent on immigrants

if as you suggest that people are infact a net drain on the economy because of the costs they incur the state in childhood then we had all better stop breeding now

if as you suggest that people are infact a net drain on the economy because of the costs they incur the state in childhood then we had all better stop breeding now

But I didn’t say that. I never said people are infact a net drain on the economy because of the costs they incur the state in childhood.
I said that some people would be a benefit to the state coffers and some benefit from them and that having children was not the deciding factor in them effectively paying more than they take out.

what a lot of shyte.
my mrs has brought up 2 kids while holding down a fulltime job with the local council housing department
she has been with the council since she was 17, starting has a clerk
she is now 48 and is head of sheltered housing.

Sweeping generalisation shocker

I know plenty of people in both camps who display both types of behaviour.

And if it is true, more fool them.

We’ll just take the piss when we have kids so it all balances out in the end.

lol- you meant this?

An amusing thing to say in my office to my fellow colleagues who switch between being immensely patronising about those who don’t have children and then complain bitterly about money/ private school costs/ holidays/ blablabla is that having children is a lifestyle choice. Then I go out for the rest of the day.

Lol at this thread!
It’s sooooooooooooooooo STW, stuffed full of middle class public servant parent/not parent keeping-up-with-the-neighbours angst…

I said that some people would be a benefit to the state coffers and some benefit from them and that having children was not the deciding factor in them effectively paying more than they take out.

Thats fine but his point was without future children to pay the bills we are all in trouble so your point does not contradict his point

Ie the individual contribution of any one individual in that generation to coffers may be positive or it may be negative but overall the contribution of that generation will be positive.

crikey – Member

Lol at this thread!
It’s sooooooooooooooooo STW, stuffed full of middle class public servant parent/not parent keeping-up-with-the-neighbours angst…

Posted 4 minutes ago

You forgot to mention “pointless posts which contribute nothing to the thread”.

You forgot to mention “pointless posts which contribute nothing to the thread”.

Oh, we’re meant to add value to this inanity?
I do apologise ernie, and thank you for being such a public spirited fellow and pointing it out. I shall endeavour to only post valuable and contributory posts in future…

…of course, your contribution would seem to be that of telling me off for not contributing…

Shoot yourself in the feet much?

Does anyone really think it is odd that parents prioritise their kids ahead of work or that this is somehow wrong?

It’s more just that for many things at work it’s seemingly only having kids that justifies all sorts of behaviour that wouldn’t be considered acceptable for those without kids.

Being able to not bother organising your childcare arrangements very well isn’t a fundamental human right.

Oh, we’re meant to add value to this inanity?

No not at all.

You referred to this thread as, quote : “sooooooooooooooooo STW”.

Don’t you think the pointless posts which contribute nothing to the thread are also typical ?

Don’t the pointless posts which contribute nothing to the thread are also typical

Perhaps a little less wine might help?

Would you like to try again?

It’s more just that for many things at work it’s seemingly only having kids that justifies all sorts of behaviour that wouldn’t be considered acceptable for those without kids.

there’s all sorts of situations in life where the grown-ups have different rules