Hey all, not sure if this topic is in the right place…So. I am now a full time carer for my partner, her health has deteriorated so much I am needed with her 24/7. So I need to work from home so I’m close in case she has a fall.
But the choices are overwhelming when I try looking, and I’m not sure how to narrow down me search.
Any tips or suggestions would always be welcome.
What do you want to do?
What skills do you have?
How much flexibility do you need?
Do you mean that on websites like Indeed, you’re not sure how to filter to 100% remote working jobs within your chosen field?
Or, do you want examples of jobs that can be fully remote. EG. Coding, web developer etc.
Thanks for everyone’s reply! See I’ve done a variety of things in my time, but always working with customer based roles! From Cobbler to Sky engineer! Plus others between.
Was looking into learning about copyrighting! The laptop lifestyle is a dream for many and it takes probably years to build.
Copywriting is hard to get into - especially if you want to work for yourself.
If you need true flexibility there are plenty of self-employed admin style roles out - especially for companies involved in AI, but work can be sporadic and some of the bigger tech companies have recently pulled their work from various subcontractors.
The problem with a work from home customer service role is that there’s not much flexibility to be able to support your OH - shift times are pretty rigid and you’re generally expected to be at your desk and working during those times as the demand is tightly forecasted and whenever you’re not at your desk you’re not helping customers.
I don’t mean this to sound snarky - but working from home isn’t that different to working in the office.
I think the point is a lot of companies won’t accept that. I’m lucky, I work from home and so long as I’m not clearly missing on client calls or don’t respond to teams within 5-10 minutes they don’t care.
I wouldn’t be able to just disappear like that if I was on call and part of rostering.
OP- try linked in where you can filter by remote for a start. I’ve done it for a good few years now and it has some positives alongside negatives.
Some thoughts
Equally no commute, no massive fuel bill for a car and you get to spend time in your local area more.
I work in the tech industry, while I’m still based at home I am expected to meet clients in their offices.
I just did a cursory search on tech jobs and a lot of them have now moved to the hybrid model whereby you’re expected to be in the office at least 2-3 days a week, industry dependent of course (think Financial Services).
While I enjoy WFH, I do miss the social aspect of being in an office as it can get pretty lonely.
In general yes, but also being a carer is a protected characteristic and companies have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments, and occasional breaks for support in an already remote job sounds extremely reasonable to me.
The OP might also be able to do most jobs advertised as hybrid from home as a reasonable adjustment unless there is a reason the job can’t be done remotely.
Which is all correct, but if they want a hybrid person and you apply wanting an adjustment and someone else applies and they’ll happily come into the office three days a week, you know who is going to get the job. Protected characteristic or not, you’ll never prove that’s why you weren’t chosen.
All you can really do is search for fully remote jobs and apply for ones that suit your skillset. Something that isn’t so driven by being present/shift/availability, like the customer service roles, might be a better fit. But it depends, if you’re going to still be able to work 99% of the time you should be and you want to be able to run to help your partner in the ‘just in case’ scenario, then any of them will be fine because hopefully you’re never needed like that, and if you are, you’d like to think your employer would be understanding about it.
I have no experience in being a carer at all, so forgive me if this is a stupid suggestion.
If it’s just in case they fall could you not find a local-ish on-site job and give them some sort of panic alarm/button. Then you’re only a very short distance away to come and help?
I just wanted to throw it out there if you’re struggling to find remote work.
You don’t have any obligation to tell them until after you get the job. I also think quite a lot of companies would not engage in illegal discrimination - there are those that might but then would you want to work for them anyway?
And then you’ll magically fail probation.
In an ideal world everything you’ve said would work out just fine, but sadly the real world isn’t like that.
My experience is different, I have never worked for a company that would fire someone because of a protected characteristic and I do think it’s very reasonable ‘in the real world’ to expect protection against disability discrimination. Although I agree, there are some companies that do act in this way (although to fail someone’s probation because of a protected characteristic is legally extremely risky), a lot don’t. You can often find companies that actively advertise diversity and inclusion, and those are the companies I’d be looking at in this situation.
Within two years they could just say bye anyway, and if you decide full time office isn’t for you then can also decide the job isn’t for you.
Working from home isn’t an adjustment it’s a request, simply put in writing and the general response will be no because whatever reasons they choose - even if it’s a basic “doesn’t fit business requirements” response.
I’ve seen many try and fail, and maybe it’s role dependent, but if you’re frontline customer based, management generally want to keep checks on what you’re doing. Been there done that.
Working from home isn’t something businesses must obligate to unfortunately.
No, you cannot fire someone due to a protected characteristic, the two year rule is irrelevant to that - protection starts on day one. Disability law is very tight in the UK, it’s one of the only areas where employees do have a good level of protection under the law.
Working from home isn’t an adjustment it’s a request
Where are you getting this from? 
It’s a very common reasonable adjustment made due to disability or other protected factors.
Working from home isn’t something businesses must obligate to unfortunately.
If it’s reasonable that the job can be done from home, and the request is due to a protected characteristic, absolutely they must make that adjustment. If they want to say it isn’t reasonable - there’s a high bar for that, by and large employers are expected to make adjustments that are necessary.
Again, I really would be looking for an employer who has a supportive attitude towards disability-related requests (which I think is a lot employers), as this could be important if further requests are needed down the line in the role of a carer. It’s still important to know your basic rights and not be misinformed, though.
We aren’t talking about someone who wants to work from home because they don’t like the commute or enjoy doing their laundry in the week, the OP is someone who has full time caring responsibilities and has the right not to be disadvantaged in the workplace because of that.
It does, but they just won’t say that’s the reason. Employers aren’t that stupid.
I don’t think there’s much further to go with this if I’m honest. You seem to think every employer will fire anyone with a disability, I’m sorry that’s your experience but it isn’t mine and I can assure you there are many who do actively support people making requests.
That said, it is pretty dangerous doing this as an employer - if taken to tribunal (which is likely, no win no fee lawyers are very common in this field and compensation is uncapped), the onus will be on the employer to show the person wasn’t fired due to a protected characteristic, which can be hard to do.
I must’ve missed where you mentioned disability so I can apologise for that, but otherwise yes, they can if they wish (provided not protected).
That’s where workplace adjustments are mandatory to support disability and those protected characteristics.
Workplace adjustments, ie in the office adjustments.
I’ve never seen a story where someone started an office job while able, and then become disabled and then their employer forced to allow them to work from home. There’s a multitude of options to consider before the wfh solution.
Read the OP, this is a thread about someone who is a carer.
They’re a carer, not disabled?