Conference 7.286::digital

    I too feel that it is a legitimate business expense.
    
    Digital apparently does not.  I believe Digital's guidelines are
    largely defined by IRS rules.
    
    As an aside, I've spent literally thousands of dollars over the
    years putting my dogs in a kennel when I'm out of town on business.
    That money is neither reimbursable nor tax-deductable as a business
    expense.
    
    							Pat

    I don't believe the company will pay forthe babysitter. However,
    the expense of the sitter, when you are away earning money is deducible
    (was last year anyway) for income tax purposes. As a matter of fact
    I really believe it was a tax credit (many times better than a
    deduction) on my return. I know there is a special form to fill
    out and your accountant or IRS office can expalin it to you.
    
    Finding a good sitter is still the hardest part. 

    According to the manual (section 5.11, page 9 of 11, last update
    10-Aug-87), it specifically says that babysitting fees are not
    reimburseable.  But like anything else, I would assume that this
    could be negotiated to a certain extent with your manager and/or
    the cost center manager.
    
    Good luck
    Jon

    re .2 If you're referring to the child care credit, you can use
    that up in 3 months!
    
    Digital really should consider the cost of child care where travel
    is involved. It's hard enough to get (especially on week nights)
    and the expense can be tremendous. 
    
    Who is the appropriate audience for this? Employee Relations?
    
    /Maryan
    

    re .4
    
    The first "appropriate audience" would be your manager.  If there's
    going to be an exception made prior to an official change to the
    corporate policy, your manager is the one who would OK it.
    
    After that (or in parallel with it), I would suggest BOTH Employee
    Relations, and maybe also Corporate Travel.  I'm not sure if CT
    would be able to do or suggest anything, but it might be worth while
    to bring it up to them, since this aspect of the "traveling Digital
    employee" seems to be becoming more & more visible.
    
    Good luck, & please post any findings here.
    Jon

    
>    However, the expense of the sitter, when you are away earning money 
>    is deducible (was last year anyway) for income tax purposes. 
>    ....    
>    Finding a good sitter is still the hardest part. 


Yes, and finding a sitter who is willing to report babysitting income
on an income tax form and submit to Social Security withholding
makes the job all the harder!
If you employ someone in your home for more than some trivial amount
of money per quarter ($50?) means you have to treat them as an employee
and report wages, withhold taxes, and such.
The tax credit is really only useful for day care or similarly "business
oriented" situations.

    DIGITAL should NOT consider babysitting, nor kennel, nor pool cleaning
    expenses because those are lifestyle choices that in your case become
    EXPLICIT costs but for other people whose wife doesn't work or whose
    dog is fed by the neighbors or who don't have a pool such things
    are IMPLICIT costs. 
    
    Do you feel that someone who drives their Mercedes to the Airport
    should be reimbursed more than someone who drives their Pinto to
    the same Airport from the same town?
    
    	Rick
    	Merrill
    

    I don't have either children, a Mercedes, or a pool, but I think
    that it would be much more equitable to reimburse employees who
    are travelling on DEC business for the expenses that the travel
    causes them.  Not too many years ago, I worked with a woman who
    was a single parent of two small children, with no family in the
    immediate area (and I don't think she was the one who moved; I think
    that like my family, hers moved away from 'greater Maynard' years
    ago).  She couldn't AFFORD to get sent to DECUS, etc., because she
    had to find and pay for a full-time babysitter, which is prohibitive
    for what we were making in those jobs in that time.  I'm sure this
    impacted her career, but she and her children had to eat.

        Re: .7
        
>    DIGITAL should NOT consider babysitting, nor kennel, nor pool cleaning
>    expenses because those are lifestyle choices that in your case become
        
        Children and a pool are both lifestyle choices, but it is
        not clear that all lifestyle choices should be treated the
        same.  In particular, DIGITAL already treats children specially
        (for example, the recently added parental leave benefit). 
        
        I think that children are treated differently from other
        lifestyle choices because 1) almost everyone has children,
        and 2) children are considered a general benefit to society
        (without children society would slowly grind to a halt). 
        
        					B.J.

    Interestingly enough, the UK Subsidiary has just announced the
    establishment of a Creche for employees in the Reading area.
    
    Given that those facilities that don't have a Cafeteria, give luncheon
    vouchers to their employees, I wonder if employees outside the Reading
    area will get babysitting vouchers..............8-) (I know, Cafeteria
    are subsidised, Creche won't be, etc, etc.)
    
    I understand one of the reasons for establishing the facility follows
    on from a project to find untapped resources (people) in the area,
    one of the conclusions of which, was that women with young children,
    whilst often having the appropriate skills and background, find
    it difficult to return to employment due to lack of child-minding
    facilities.
    

Hmm...

> Interestingly enough, the UK Subsidiary has just announced the
> establishment of a Creche for employees in the Reading area.
    
  My American dictionary of the English language defines 
  Creche as: n. A representation of the Nativity scene.

  I assume that you're using the term in a more general sense, 
  as in "Child Care Centre" or "Day Care Centre".  If so, it
  sounds like a revolutionary idea to us American DECcies!  
  May we have more details, please?

                                   Atlant

re .11:

>  I assume that you're using the term in a more general sense, 
>  as in "Child Care Centre" or "Day Care Centre".  

Correct!

>  May we have more details, please?

              <<< GOOGLY::DJA0:[NOTES$LIBRARY]UK_DIGITAL.NOTE;2 >>>
                       -< UK employees discussion forum >-
================================================================================
Note 125.64                  Working mothers in DEC                     64 of 68
GOOGLY::KERRELL "I'm not a passenger..."             61 lines  22-JAN-1988 13:00
                -< Announcement - Creche Facilities in Reading >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                           ************************
                                      **
                               * ANNOUNCEMENT *
                                      **
                           ************************
    
    
                         CRECHE FACILITIES IN READING
    
    As announced at Geoff Shingles recent Quarterly Talk, the provision of 
    creche facilities in Reading has been agreed to in principal.
    
    The need for more childcare facilities has become evident over recent 
    years because of increasing numbers of women returning to work earlier 
    after having their families, an increase in single-parent families and 
    the general changing patterns of family and working lives in society as 
    a whole.
    
    Digital has recognised the need to both attract and retain highly 
    skilled employees of both sexes, and providing creche facilities is one 
    way in which we can encourage this.  It has been brought to our 
    attention that the provision of childcare facilities in the Reading 
    area is very limited, and therefore Digital will be able to provide a 
    valuable additional source of childcare for employees.
    
    The details of the creche facility have yet to be agreed, but it is 
    intended to site the facility so that it will be accessible to as many 
    Reading locations as possible (not easy, I know!)  Places in the 
    creche would be open to the children of all permanent Digital employees 
    in Reading - subject to availability.
    
    To help us provide the facility which will best meet our employees' 
    needs, we are carrying out a survey by means of a questionnaire to 
    gather your inputs on the setting up of the creche and to determine the 
    current and future demand for places.
    
    The questionnaire can be obtained from your local personnel 
    administrator, the reception areas and in the restaurant (if your 
    location has one - except for Shire Hall and Highfield)
    
    The will be your one chance to have your say on the setting up of the 
    creche, so PLEASE COLLECT AND FILL IN A QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS 
    POSSIBLE.  Return envelopes are provided, or you can return it to 
    Margaret Packham, REO F/1-4.
    
    If you should experience any difficulty in obtaining a questionnaire, 
    please ring Paul Dinwiddy 7899-5154 and he will send you one.
    
    Yours sincerely,
    
    
    
    Carolyn Northmore
    Reading Regional Personnel Manager
    
                                       
    
    
    
                                       
    

    Great!!!  However...I'm a field employee (CT SWS) and feel I'm entitled
    to an equal benefit.  Certainly the logistics of implementing this
    at corporate are much simpler than in the field locations.. Suggestion:
    how about $$ for daycare instead?

    
    >RE : how about $$ for daycare instead?

    Why not -- this is a *very legitimate benefit -- and is one having
    payback to both parties.  Furthermore, our competition has been
    doing it for years.

        This isn't a daycare benefit, but it is useful to those that
        need to get daycare.
        
        [Forwarding headers omitted.]
        
From:	UCOUNT::GRAVELLE "LEE GRAVELLE "Personnel" ZK3-3/S01 1-0607  09-Feb-1988 0943"  9-FEB-1988 09:45
To:	@SEC.DIS
Subj:	FYI -- PLEASE FORWARD THIS INFORMATION TO MEMBERS OF YOUR GROUP.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|d|i|g|i|t|a|l|       I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   
TO: Distribution			DATE:  09 February 1988
                                        FROM:  Lee Gravelle
                                        DEPT:  Compensation/Benefits
                                               Specialist
                                        MAIL:  ZKO3-3/S01
                                        EXT:   381-0607
                                        NET:   UCOUNT::GRAVELLE

                                                      
SUBJ:  CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL PROGRAM


At the end of January, a new Child Care Resource and Referral Program
became available to all U.S. Digital employees.  

The program will provide assistance to employees in locating, evaluating
and securing child care services.  

Some highlights of the program are:


    *  Depending on location, employees will call a local or regional
       telephone number to directly access a trained child care expert
       who is familiar with local resources and able to advise employees
       on all aspects of a child care search.

    *  Written and verbal information on types of child care available
       and criteria for selection of quality care.

    *  Three (3) referrals, where possible, to available care that 
       matches parent need.

    *  Written confirmation of all contacts.
 
    *  Systematic follow-up with employees.


For more information on the Child Care Resource and Referral Program,
please contact your Personnel Services Administrator, brochures outlining
the program are available.

    There's an article in _Digital This Week_, February 8, which goes
    on to say,
    
    "If an area lacks sufficient child care providers, resources *will
    be created* where possible [emphasis mine].  Work/Family directions
    will assist local resource and referral agencies in making every
    effort to recruit new providers."

    I asked the daycare office if they could offer me an alternative to my
    daycare if/when my present daycare is no longer available. They
    informed me, in no uncertain terms, that the office does NOT provide
    day care nor would it in the future.  It would also not help in the
    search, only provide a company to give me a list of licensed daycare
    providers (big deal, I already paid for 2 of those last year - total
    expense $55).  They would not make phone calls, etc. for me.  I
    explained that both my husband and I work for DEC and that DEC would
    suffer if one or both had to take time out from work to find suitable
    daycare.  They said they could not help in ways other than the stated
    charter of the daycare referral. 
    
    Question, if DEC is so against providing daycare centers in the
    US,  why are they providing it in the UK?  Isn't this unfair to
    the US employees?  Don't more US employees have 2 members working?
    I think that the DEC policy of no daycare is saying to employees with
    children that DEC doesn't really care if you work at DEC or not.
                                                         
    I think whoever posted that DEC is pro-active is being overly
    optimistic.  It takes a LONG time to find daycare for an infant.
    I looked for 5 months before I found 1 opening!  And I have no
    backup.
    

>        Question, if DEC is so against providing daycare centers in the
>    US,  why are they providing it in the UK?  Isn't this unfair to
>    the US employees?  Don't more US employees have 2 members working?

    Not meaning to sound too sarcastic but are you aware that the US
    and the UK are separate countries with separate laws, restrictions,
    and cultures? DECs legal risk in providing day care in the US is
    very very high. I doubt it's as high in the UK. 
    
    There are lots of other differences between US policy and policy
    elsewhere in the world. European employees get more vacation time,
    they can have alcohol in the work place, and don't have to limit
    smoking to assigned smoking areas (at least not everywhere). US
    employees tend to get paid more though so there are trade offs.
    Asking DEC to have the same policies all over the world ignores
    the reality of cultural and legal differences.
    
>    I think that the DEC policy of no daycare is saying to employees with
>    children that DEC doesn't really care if you work at DEC or not.

    I disagree. The flexibility given to me when I've had to take time
    to care for my son has always said clearly to me that DEC *does*
    care if I work here or somewhere else.
    
    		Alfred
    
    PS: Please sign your name next time. There are a lot of THOMPSONs
    around here. :-)    

    I have heard that the Reading plant is being phased out.  Is this
    true?  If so, why create a day care?  
    
    I have been told for a LONG time that daycare is not recognised
    as a priority to the COMPANY regardless of which COUNTRY the plant
    is in.  I am just curious why day care is now being provided BY
    THE COMPANY at the UK plant but not elsewhere.
    
    Patti (of which there are at least 4 others with my name in DEC)
    

re .19:

>    I have heard that the Reading plant is being phased out.  Is this
>    true?  If so, why create a day care?  

Great rumour! Why not post it in GOOGLY::UK_DIGITAL for the benefit of the 
(nearly) 3000 employees in Reading? There are, in fact, some major changes 
going on right now in the UK. CSS are moving to Fareham on the south coast, 
several other large groups are moving to Basingstoke but last and most 
importantly Digital has bought 33 acres of land to build a new campus style 
complex *in Reading*.
    
>	I am just curious why day care is now being provided BY
>    THE COMPANY at the UK plant but not elsewhere.

Competition. Reading is in a very high growth area of the UK. It is 
becoming increasingly difficult to attract employees, this benefit is 
offered by other companies in the area.
    
Dave.