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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not want to take this job.

234 replies

Pinkjenny · 17/04/2012 16:29

I am a HR Manager. Well, was. I was made redundant in December from my part time HM role, and as you can imagine, there aren't exactly an abundance of part time roles around.

Anyway, I applied for a role at a local University, 6 months maternity cover, earning less full time than I was earning part time previously. I went for the role thinking I would give full time a shot, and whilst it is less than ideal (ds is 2yo at nursery and dd is 4yo at school). I thought I would put dd in after school club three times a week and use the role as a way to see how we get on as a family with me working full time. Despite the low salary, I thought the payoff was the fact that it is five minutes away.

I went for the interview, it was a panel interview, comprising of the person I would report into, her boss and a random. The lady the role would be reporting into (let's call her Jean) just didn't like me, I could tell. She was openly sneering at some of the things I said, so I was amazed when Jean's boss called me later that day to offer me the role. I was slightly confused as to why she was making the call rather than Jean, but hey ho.

I received the contract today, and I had to ring Jean as the salary was wrong and there was no reference to start or finish time.

Jean was perfectly nice on the phone, but seemed to be trying to put me off. I asked about the salary, she said, 'Its not wrong, it's the bottom of the banding' and I explained that I had been offered the mid point of the banding because of my experience. She went off to check and said, 'Mmm, you're out of work (and?) but I suppose you were offered that in recognition of your experience. Yes I am prepared to honour it.' Which is good of her. Not.

After we had established that the flexitime policy didnt extend to start time, she then said, 'there is one other thing, I want to be really honest with you, we have put your postcode into the system and you don't qualify for a car park pass. You would have to drop your children off and then get a bus to work. In 45 minutes.'

Right. I was very nice back, and told her I would come back to her, but she was blatantly trying to put me off!

Dunno what to do now.

OP posts:
flowery · 17/04/2012 20:04

Hey PJ long time no 'see'!

Wouldn't go near HR in an educational establishment myself but there we are. Jean sounds a treat.. Hmm

Might drop you an email..

dreamingbohemian · 17/04/2012 20:08

married's advice is perfect

You are actually in a great position because you are prepared to walk away from this job.

If they won't meet your terms, well, that solves that problem for you.

emdelafield · 17/04/2012 20:15

Hello,
if it were me I would definitely take the job. I have a terror of being unemployed and have been made redundant twice. I say this because I realise that my fear of not working may not relevant to your situation.

I agree that Jean sounds threatened so I would find a way to make her shine. Do your job well but consult her and give her a generous share of the credit. Make your self indispensible to Jean and her superiors.

When DS1 was 4 (after first redundancy) I took a full time job and after three months (when I had proved myself) I was able to negotiate a 4 day week.

Jean may be on the verge of retiring/go off on long term sick/take extended leave and this then leaves you in a good position to slot into Jean's (better paid) job.

Taking the job keeps your options open. You are free to look around because your position is not permanent ,you will get a current referee and you will be well placed to network and apply for internal vacancies.

Good luck.

FeeltheBeeranddoitanyway · 17/04/2012 20:19

"TheCrackFox Tue 17-Apr-12 18:27:09
I'd take the job and destroy Jean.

"

too funny:-) best advice.

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 17/04/2012 21:02

Dh thinks bus is reasonable. What a surprise.

OP posts:
KenDoddsDadsDog · 17/04/2012 21:19

I don't like Jean.
And DH thinks its reasonable because he doesn't have to do it!

RevoltingPeasant · 17/04/2012 21:22

PinkJ, have you worked in a university before? - I am guessing not?

Basically, right now most universities are cutting costs due to funding cuts, and the way they do this is by cutting support and admin staff first. Jean may be quite legitimately afraid that they will take you on at a cut price rate and you will price her out of a job. Universities also hire from within quite a lot. So she might have a point.

However, most universities also have pretty good bullying and harassment policies IME. They tend to have dedicated co-ordinators for this. I would take the job, cover my back, and report any concerns frankly.

But a word of warning - the people saying that work-life balance is good in the public sector - I don't know where they've worked, but I've been in HE for 6 years now and that nearly made me spit tea all over my screen. Admin staff work significantly fewer hours than academics, but in this climate, a university job is not one in which you can slack off and go home at 4.55..........

Not saying you would, but I find people in the private sector have some weird utopian idea of public sector work which doesn't match reality!

dreamingbohemian · 17/04/2012 21:28

Does DH know it's TWO buses?

Don't take on the job from hell because he's a tightarse. What's wrong with him?

Bogeyface · 17/04/2012 21:50

Forget the job, spend the next 6 months in marriage counselling and explain just how much he could stand to lose if you get totally pissed of and leave him! Of course, you wont, but he doesnt know that!

bruxeur · 17/04/2012 21:54

The problem with the situation is most definitely not Jean.

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 17/04/2012 21:54

Am going to speak to Jean's boss tomorrow. That is my decision. Car park pass is the dealbreaker for me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Pinkjenny · 17/04/2012 21:54

Brux - who is the problem with?

OP posts:
Original poster
Pinkjenny · 17/04/2012 21:55

It's dh, isn't it Sad

OP posts:
dreamingbohemian · 17/04/2012 21:58

Yep Sad

Good decision on the Jean situation though

IllegitimateGruffaloChild · 17/04/2012 21:58

Jean and DH sound like they're in it together TBH...

Neither looking to get the blame for you making the wrong decision.

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 17/04/2012 22:01

Dh is obsessed with money. Obsessed. It's a theme. I honestly thought he would come in and say, 'Tell them to stick it.'

Now I am wondering why I thought that.

OP posts:
bruxeur · 17/04/2012 22:02

Finger/nose/pointing thing.

dreamingbohemian · 17/04/2012 22:10

What do you think the root of his obsession is? Did he grow up really skint?

It must be quite tedious for you. How do you cope?

BonnieBumble · 17/04/2012 22:13

Forget about Jean and the car parking issue and focus on the job for 1 minute. Do you actually want it? Base your decision on the job itself.

I can only speak for my experience and it was over 10 years ago but my experience of HR in HE is that it is incredibly incredibly boring. Nobody including the Senior HR Managers was allowed to send a letter without it being quality controlled by 3 people. I was reprimanded for giving an employee advice on her maternity rights, I was only reading from a manual but it was outside of my remit. The best thing about working there was the social
life and student bars but once you become a parent and have nursery pick ups to contend with that becomes less of an attraction.

poinsetta · 17/04/2012 22:24

I agree with BonnieBumble, you should concentrate on the job and whether that would be a good stop gap until something better comes along.

on a side track, how about cycling, quicker than walking and the bus by the sounds of it. Might not be practical though..

Hassled · 17/04/2012 22:32

If your DH's job involved working for someone he really disliked and was in a place that it was really hard to get to within whatever timescales, would you tell him to suck it up or would you support him in looking for an alternative? The latter, yes?

He can be as tightarsed as he likes - he can't force you to do this if it will make you unhappy and you can survive without.

Bogeyface · 17/04/2012 23:22

Tell him that in order to take the job he will have to do the school/nursery run. See how he likes them apples Hmm

TheFarSide · 17/04/2012 23:38

Glad you've decided to speak to Jean's boss OP - let us know the outcome. It may give you further insight into the environment so you can make a more informed decision.

I may be foolhardy, but no job is so important that I will sacrifice my mental well-being for it. Yes, we're in a recession, but I believe that people who are good at what they do will get a job in the end.

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 17/04/2012 23:40

Just be confident with them that they suggested car park pass problem could be got around. Agree it is the deal maker/ breaker here. As dreamingbohemian said earlier you are actually in a strong negotiating position here because you are I think still prepared to walk away if they can't offer the conditions they initially suggested.

tinkertitonk · 17/04/2012 23:54

This thread reflects my experience, based on working (science) in universities in the UK and the US. In my current one the HR branch of the admin is its most pointless part. Which is saying a lot.