To think this was unfair, and to take time off for mental health.

I think you are angry and upset about the job rejection and this is clouding your judgement right now. You might also be a bit angry with yourself at how you approached this. Give it a week or 2 and see how you feel with some distance.

You have blamed your employer for a lot of things that were your choice. You chose not to look at your emails on your nwd despite knowing you could have an interview slot. You chose not to do any prep that weekend - you could have pulled together competency examples in anticipation. You have a day off in the week so have more non-work time to interview prep than the full-timers.

Im not saying all this to get at you but I hope you can reflect and see you did have agency here and nothing you have written suggests you were treated badly by your employer.

These days if people don't get what they want they stamp their feet, sue their employer or go off on the sick.
No wonder the country is so fucked.

I'm sorry you didn't get the job OP. There will be better opportunities out there for you.

But this doesn't feel like you simply struggling with mental health, this feels like you wanting to teach your employer a lesson.

And they will just think they made the right choice.

Taking time off for “mental health” in your case sort of proves their point, that you wouldn’t be able to cope with the more senior role currently. I’m wondering if the excuses you give here as to why it was a bad timing situation came across in the interview. But anyway a week is plenty of time to prep, the other person did a better presentation, sometimes we need to take it on the chin. I think you need to job hunt elsewhere

3 months minus a day from date of last act of discrimination but (very rare) under think (!) rule 5 time can be extended if not reasonably practicable or just & equitable to do so to extend time…doesn’t matter really as don’t think applies in OPs case, just not had a ☕️ yet…

But she was not discriminated against, and it’s very wrong to suggest she was.

"going off sick" isn't a difficult choice you have make - if you're too unwell to go to work then you can't go to work. If you're well enough to go on but you'd rather not, then I'm afraid you do have to go.

But you have sat in a job for 5 years where you were demoted. You could have got another job with another company at the same level as your previous job. You made the choice not to. You want it on a plate, no mother gets it on a plate you’re going to have to put the effort in. I will say though STAR is shite. I’ve lost jobs on that basis too but that’s just the way it is.

Unfortunately this is VERY common for women returning to work. The workplace is 100% discriminatory.

Cmon now, having a child is a choice, and millions of single mothers work full time. You chose the lower role. The more senior one couldn’t be done part time.

yes choosing a lower grade role part time will impact anyone who chooses that, male or female, for whatever reason, caring, health etc,

you made your choices, someone else is not to blame.

But how much longer would you have wanted?

I don’t work on Fridays either but I always take a quick look at my emails- in a professional environment surely most people do this? All the more so if I was anticipating an interview.

I’ve been in your situation before when I failed to get a job I should have been a shoo in for because I didn’t do a good interview. It was horrible at the time. For subsequent interviews I have rehearsed, rehearsed, rehearsed all the STAR examples. I’ve done lots of recruiting myself and it’s difficult not to give a job to someone who smashes the interview out of the park with clear answers and good examples. It feels personal to you at the moment but it probably isn’t if they have scoring matrix and take a strict approach to that.

If you need to be off you should go to your GP.

Then you know you clearly didn't hit the scores needed! Surely you know how it works?

Unfortunately I think you felt your experience and doing the job previously would swing things in your favour. Unfortunately as others have pointed out (and you say you are aware of) they have to be objective and do this based on the interview matrix and scoring system. If your score was lower than the successful candidate then that's how it is.

The only issue I see is that you were asked to take step down from the role 5 years ago, and this is where maybe you should have sought union advice over the legalities of this (and as others said contacted pregnant and then screwed) as this seems like the only dodgy thing that went on.

I think if you take time off now it will seem like sulking you didn't get the job, and depends how you want to come across.

I think that’s a bit unfair, she’s just angry and embarassed, clearly wanting to go off sick, not preparing adequately and thinking you will get it as you did it six years ago, complaining you only had a week and needed the weekend too, doesn’t come across well, but sometimes people spiral, I assume she’d convinced herself she was getting it, and thays what’s led to the poor prep and the reaction now

Agreed.

Why would you expect time during the working day to prepare to interview for another job? Surely a week to prepare in your own time is totally standard?

And yet, you didn’t rehearse the STAR stuff, whatever that is.

C’mon now op, if you knew how interviews are conducted and scored, you should have prepped accordingly. This is on you, not anyone else.

OP I’m sorry about the job. Respectfully it sounds like you thought the process was showjumping and that, all things considered you were the favourite.

By your own admission it was the interview questions that let you down. Unless you had pre-sight of them, it was a level playing field as everyone had 30 minutes to think on their feet.

Are you suggesting they should have had extra scores for did job previously?

If you genuinely feel the process was unfair, beyond it should have been you/I’ve a lot going on (as do most people unfortunately, life is hard and losing your Mum is tough) - then raise a grievance. Risk is you’ll look bitter and daft potentially.

All the reasons you cite for now taking sick leave begs the Q, that being the case, if your MH is so poor which sounds like it is, how would you have coped with FT more demanding role anyways given last time you did it you weren’t a Mum, and had your own?

It’s really tough, don’t mean to be harsh but look at it another way. If you are gracious in defeat, get your head down, wish the new candidate well and are breezy (feel what you feel but don’t let them see it)… well if she’s as bad as you say, it will only be a matter of time before it’s back up.

Civil Service also great for pension so don’t do anything too rash. Plus mind Mgt roles can be a total PIA. You can enjoy more stress free time with your son for a little longer.

Their loss for now…

Hardly snidey shit! Blunt maybe, but it is the truth.

The OP went for a job and didn't get it, doesn't matter what excuse she puts in the hat, it went to a someone else on the day.

Going off sick now will only demonstrate that they made the right decision!

They haven’t just ‘chosen’ who they like, as you said a few times, they held a fair and open recruitment process and the person with the best score got the job.
you might feel you are the best person- you might be who knows but as you said you didn’t do as well on the day. For them to just give you the job would be unfair.

Agree with all of this.

i don’t think the OP sounds like they need the additional pressure of a new job at this moment

So many unhappy people in the CS at the moment with all the restructuring and everyone lashing out because they think they are better than the people who get what they want out of the process.

OP you’ve now said yourself you weren’t happy with your interview answers. That’s all they can go on. It’s frustrating for everyone that when we recruit we’re not allowed to discuss the candidate’s overall prior performance with their current manager. But we can’t. Because it wouldn’t be objective.

Sounds like it’s time to break out of your comfort zone and look for a move - internal or external.

You are asking us to help you justify going off sick. From what you’ve said I think this would be a bad idea. You’ll stew and fret. If you want to get ahead you’ll need resilience and ways to cope with setbacks. Only you know if you can cope at the moment though.

This was nearly 5 years ago

Come on - hardly pregnant then screwed! It was 6 years ago

To be fair if you got the job you’d probably think it was a good process, and fhey may feel they have the right person. To be honest, every interview process has ir pros and cons.

just lick your wounds, next time will be better.