Applying for jobs as a woman of childbearing age

[DonaldJTrumpet]

With all the redundancy announcements that have come about recently and a likely impending one on myself, conversations have happened with my DP who does hire. I don't.

His last few have been women because they happened to be the best person for the job. However, with the last there was a discussion regarding her age and likelihood to date to procreate as a woman in a high position had one child came back for six months and left again. She now works part time on the salary she left with pro rata. Apparently she is a pointless employee, not just his words but the words of anyone senior within the company. She was great. Currently she is of no value but gets double average annual salary for a half week. That's not her fault as I see it and what she is worth.

My point is that soon I will be applying for jobs. I am of childbearing age and have a child. I am done having children. They can't ask me that and I can't just bring it up as a side point. It is not fair that I am judged to be likely to be off for nine months after passing my probation and therefore less likely to get a position than a male counterpart. Yes they can take the time off but it isn't the norm. This is on the back of a safe spaces/JK Rowling debate which DP wholeheartedly agrees with. He said some one of director level got their position because they wanted a woman on the board and the latest hire is black because they needed that diversity so I may be more likely to get the position. I disagree.

As a manager I think it’s all about flexibility on both sides.

Part timers who rigidly stick to their hours are hard. Part timers who are willing to try to accommodate work requirements are great and usually more productive than the % of the job they do (ie 2 x 1/2 time have overall more productivity than 1 x full time). Generalisation but just what I’ve observed. Here I’m talking about ones that will try to switch days if needed/do more hours one week if needed. (In return they get these hours back when they need them - maybe to watch a DC assembly or an early knock in a Friday - whatever they want). It’s not always going to be possible to be flexible (fixed nursery days etc) but often it is, especially when you only ask in exceptional circumstances.

The part time workers I know are all female with young children and are mostly doing their hours during covid lockdown, whereas the full time males with young children aren’t. The men in my team with young children have wives that work and they are splitting childcare with them - I wouldn’t expect it any other way - they are both parents. But I am finding the females are better at juggling and making up their time when they can and the males aren’t.

Sweeping generalisation and I appreciate everyone’s different.

None of the above have any bearing on who I’d recruit though. One of my best team members is part time and not very flexible. But they’re really really good at what they do - they should be a higher grade but they have chosen to stay where they are rather than chase promotions and have to ‘go the extra’ mile that the higher grade would require.

What’s depressing is the amount of assumptions in place about women who don’t even have children as well as those that do. I really really hope that we continue to get more men taking shared parental leave. That will be a small but important step towards equality.

But full time workers juggle their time around family commitments too!

"Can I come in late Tuesday so I can watch DDs assembly if I stay late on Wednesday?" Etc

I currently work a 10 days in 9 pattern, so a non working Wednesday every other week. People keep asking if I can swap my day off to attend a meeting or something. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't because i have plans. But I keep explaining to people it's not a "day off". I've already worked the hours - I'm full time. it's like asking someone to swap their weekend.

I was very conscious when I asked for that arrangement that I didn't want to inconvenience other people (a colleague works 30 hours in 3 days instead of 35 hours over 5 like everyone else and it's bloody inconvenient for the rest of the team), but when you arrange your work and social calendars around a certain working pattern, it can be difficult to swap things round at least minute.

Is that all you get as a weekend? One Wednesday every other week? That sounds really hard! I thought legally you could work 6 days in a row max? Or something.

The additional issue, if I am made redundant, I will have to go in to learn. Currently, we are working from home. We are lead to believe that DP won't need to go in until the end of the year or certainly September. There isn't much of a push for him to go in but he prefers the office and routine.

What happens if schools aren't open and we both have to go in?!

I am terrified for what the future holds.

[quote SoloMummy]@DonaldJTrumpet
In your case, I'd advise adding a passing comment in the application that refers to the fact that you have developed some xyz skills as a parent, but now wish to pursue applying these in your future role for the next chapter of your life.
I did when rtw. Only applied for 2 roles, got them. Not sure if helped, but was true....[/quote]
I wouldn't do this. When filling in an application I would concentrate on skills acquired in the workplace and how you would apply them to this role. I would keep parenting skills out of it.

@DonaldJTrumpet

Is that all you get as a weekend? One Wednesday every other week? That sounds really hard! I thought legally you could work 6 days in a row max? Or something.

The additional issue, if I am made redundant, I will have to go in to learn. Currently, we are working from home. We are lead to believe that DP won't need to go in until the end of the year or certainly September. There isn't much of a push for him to go in but he prefers the office and routine.

What happens if schools aren't open and we both have to go in?!

I am terrified for what the future holds.

One of you might be run over by a bus! In other words, if it hasn't happened yet, there's no point worrying about it. If schools aren't open, and I can't see that is really likely, then you and him will have to work it out because your kids have two parents and two sets of employers!

I have half my team with young children and off nursery or school. I'm as flexible as I can possibly be. But I can assure you that it's easier to manage when both parents share it equally. Practically is easier. But more importantly, it's easier for me to justify working something through. If I have to ask everyone, including other parents, to help me pick up work, cover certain hours or whatever, then it cases less resentment if they can see it is both employers in this situation. You need to remember that it isn't just recruiters or managers who are in this fray - it's all the colleagues too.

For example, "my parents" were allowed to reduce hours without a reduction in pay to help them juggle childcare. Basically I said that as long as the job got done, they didn't have to clock 37 hours and we wouldn't discuss it any further (because I'd just broken my employers policy, so it was one of the conversations we never have!). The work got done. They worked fewer hours. They didn't get pay docked. So the non parents, one by one, were told they could have a day off with pay (also not within policy, but what the hell?!). Because they had made up a fair few of the hours that others didn't work.

Good managers value good employees and make things work.

And don't think I'm a pushover - the employee who lied to me this week got put back on strict timesheets and has to report to her line manager every 30 minutes (working from home).

No. I work 10 days across 9. So one 4 day week and one 5 day week, but I spread the 7 hours for the 10th day across the other 9, so each day is a little longer than the standard 7 hours.