Florida State just barred many employees from caring for kids while working remotely. Moms ask:

[demmiblue]

Florida State just barred many employees from caring for kids while working remotely. Moms ask: ‘What am I supposed to do?’

Jenny Root is used to receiving emails about the coronavirus from Florida State University: They come every few days, updating employees on the latest travel advice and estimates for when campus might reopen.

When the Friday afternoon email arrived, Root, who has a 7-month-old daughter, was pumping. Phone in one hand, she scrolled until an unfamiliar subhead caught her attention: “Remote Work Update.”

“In March 2020, the University communicated a temporary exception to policy which allowed employees to care for children at home while on the Temporary Remote Work agreement,” the email read. “Effective, August 7, 2020, the University will return to normal policy and will no longer allow employees to care for children while working remotely.”

Root, an assistant professor of special education, struggled to parse the “bizarre” message she was reading. It just didn’t make sense, she said: Throughout coronavirus, her boss had been extremely supportive, encouraging Root as she juggled her usual workload with child care for her baby and 4-year-old son, all while applying for tenure. Now the school seemed to be saying that employees couldn’t juggle anymore: Do your work, or watch your children. You cannot do both.

https://www.thelily.com/florida-state-just-barred-many-employees-from-caring-for-kids-while-working-remotely-moms-ask-what-am-i-supposed-to-do/

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