Hands up if you are a lone parent and CAN be 100% felible wrt hours and days worked

[MrsMorgan]

I'd be really interested to know just how many lone parents could be that felxible.

Have just had yet another interview where their main focus was wether I could be 100% flexible and do whatever hours they asked (weekends were their main bugbear). I truthfully said that I would have no problem doing one weekend shift a week but that working both Saturdays and Sundays would be awkward, although given enough notice I could probably sort something out.

He asked why I couldn't be flexible and so I told him.

Imo it is bloody discrimatory (sp?) to expect anybody, but lone parents in particular to be 100% flexible and I wonder just how many lone parents this would be possible for.

[juicychops]

im a lone parent and could NEVER be that flexible.
its my work that is flexible and fits around me.
i work flexitime so as long as i do my 16 hours per week they are pretty easy at my work. although i do have contracted days to work so i do stick to them, but if i need to swap a day every now and then then its fine.

i can also collect flexihours if i have opportunity to do overtime

[MrsMorgan]

Sounds like a good company to work for Juicy.

The advert for the job I went for today did not state anything about flexibility, working weekends or anything, but given that it ia the retail sector I knew that flexibility would be required.

Had the ad stated those things then i'd not have applied.

The interviewer alos asked me what I'd do if given the job and then put on sat&sun shifts four weeks in a row. I said 'honestly, i'd struggle, i'm not saying I couldn't do it but it would be far from ideal'.

I mean if weekend staff are so important they advertise for weekend staff.

ARGH

[queenofdenial2009]

Idiots. No employer should expect anyone to be '100% flexible'; it's just an excuse for them to exploit you. They pay you a wage, they don't own you.

Back to job hunting I'm afraid.

[sincitylover]

IMO flexibility should cut both ways.

[MrsMorgan]

Yes I agree sincity whih is why I said i'd have no problem doing a saturday or a sunday every week, but not both.

If I could do it I would, I just can't.

Oh well, will know for sure tommorow wether they want me or not, but i'd not bet much on it.

[TheDevilEatsBabies]

most jobs where full-time staff would be required weekends usually give you one weekend on and one weekend off.

that way everybody's happy.

i wouldn't worry about it though, most companies would not expect you to work every weekend. they do advertise for weekend staff for just that reason.

i wouldn't go for that job, personally, though, because who knows when they'll start being unrasonable about being flexible for you?

alarm bells would be ringing

[MrsMorgan]

Well they were going to let me know today if I had got the job and i've not heard a word so i'm assuming thats a no as I think they were only going to ring if I was successful.

Not at all surprised but very frustrated.

[pandaiis]

It is ridiculous. I was a manager in retail for 6 years and used to feel awful asking people to be fully flexible when sometimes the job contract was as little as 10 hours a week.

I must say I was pretty flexible myself when it came to working mums. If you work your way around them, they will help you out and work round you when they can. I wouldn't expect anyone to work Saturdays and Sundays every week regardless of their circumstances.