Workers doing unsociable hours face difficult childcare choices

Although only a small-scale study, it found that creches and childminders were often not an option given the hours worked by parents, and often a lack of places available, and they regularly turned to family for support.

A female garda who is married to a prison officer told the researchers: “The reason we had to go down the route of family is our hours. You are not going to have someone to work the hours we work. 

“I work until 4 in the morning and I work four days on and four off. I do  7am to 7pm and then 4pm to 4am.

“(My husband) works five shifts and then the second week its two shift and that rotates and he has every second weekend off. 

We rely on my father-in-law and we pay him but otherwise we would be rightly screwed.

Another theme was one parent giving up work or switching to part-time to accommodate another parent who worked unsociable hours.

Two of the participants said they were currently discussing one partner giving up work to accommodate a partner who is working atypical hours. 

In both cases, the male partner was considering giving up work or working part-time as they were earning less than the female partner.

“My husband is away working Monday to Friday… if things don’t fall into place with childcare next year he will be the one to give up work because I am the one earning more money,” a female paramedic said.

The problem, while more acute for those in rural areas, was nevertheless shared across the country, according to the research.

“Parents in urban areas and those working atypical hours also described a dependence on parental and unpaid leave to meet their early learning and childcare needs,” it said.

“The qualitative component also highlighted some negative impacts on parents’ well-being including stress, guilt, and feeling they had less free or family time.”

Among the measures called for by parents was out-of-hours childcare services provided for by the Government.

A participant said: “In England during covid, they opened schools for parents of police because there was no childcare but there is no option like that in Ireland. 

There are nurses and paramedics and fireman and prison officers but it is not even an option.

Other supports could include subsidies or tax relief for those working atypical hours, more parental or unpaid leave for parents in this position, and on-site childcare particularly for parents working in healthcare settings.

“On-site childcare in large organisations would be amazing because you know they (children) are safe…and it would encourage more people into the workforce as well,” a female occupational therapist told the study.