Anyone do a job which doesn't allow leave during school holiday?

[nickEcave]

I've interviewed for a job which has a ban on leave during August and I'm wondering how to make this work with 2 DDs aged 8 and 11. It would mean I get one week of their summer holidays with them and would then be working the rest of the time. DH can take 2 weeks so we could have one week as a family and then they'll have one week with him but will have to spend the rest of the time in holiday clubs. Does anyone else make this work?

To be clear, I don't have to take this job but it is a step up career-wise and much closer to home (will shave 1 hour a day off the commute). I can take leave during all their other holidays, it is just the summer which will be a problem. I will also have to work a couple of weekends in August so I really won't be around at all during that month.

I think it could be made to work.
Especially if you shifted the family holiday to Easter. Then you could cover maybe 3 weeks of the summer, leaving 3 for holiday clubs (and grandparents?).
If you get the same amount of leave, it's just a case of shuffling when you take it, rather than the kids losing out?

Can you take two weeks in July? My DM was a nursery manager when I was young and often envied the friends who got to go to camp etc over the summer, realise now it was more about childcare so your DCs might enjoy clubs etc if you can afford it

It wouldn't bother me as long as I could take May half term (except in exam years but then I'd take Oct half term instead). I prefer May half term anyway (assuming you are not in Scotland).

My other half is a lecturer at uni so we have to have the last week of august and first week of september every year due to resit exams in august and masters students

I know of people with set holidays - week at Christmas, week at Easter, last two weeks of July then 5 floating days, was typical in factories. Here school gets out in mid July (12 this year) so everyone goes immediately as it's cheaper

Me- not summer but Christmas...
Summer I’d be fine with a week if dh could take 2, and then a week maybe at grandparents rest holidays clubs. Tbh this is pretty much what we have to do anyway because we have 11 weeks holiday between us annually to cover 13 weeks school holidays!

The kids grandparents are too old to care for them so it would be holiday clubs. Yes, we would move our main holiday to Easter but we wouldn't be able to get a proper holiday during the summer unless we took the kids out of school early as the youngest doesn't break up until 23 July and the leave ban is from 1st August. I think it will be a bigger problem with DD11 as she doesn't like holiday clubs and is getting too old for them but is still to young to be left alone all day. I think the biggest problem is me getting my head around not getting to spend time with them when the weather is nice - I've worked quite flexibly up until now and always had at least 3 weeks with them during the summer holidays.

if there's a ban would that mean all parents vying for the July dates so there's risk you won't get them

My current job says no August holidays and actually we managed pretty well this year with similar ages dc's plus a 4 year old,
It depends on how flexible your job and your dh's job is?
I took a week at the end of July while dh overlapped 4 days with him having a further 10 days off.
Then after that we did a combination of sister, parent, friends and dh and I having opposite days off to each other.

it also helped that I do longer days on certain days in August (I work in weddings) which meant I could take my time owing back on other days we were struggling with. So some days I would start early and dh would start late so we were only having to ask people for 3 hours rather than a 9/10 hour day.

My first thought was that 11 is a difficult age for holiday clubs. They tend to outgrow them and some places only take up to 11 anyway. But I see you’ve already considered that. Any friends you can swap childcare favours with?

At the end of the day, the childcare aspect can probably be worked out but it sounds like the emotional side of it is the bigger problem for you. I would feel the same as you personally but equally others wouldn’t mind. It’s a personal and individual thing, there’s no right or wrong.

The job is in university admissions. There is a complete ban on leave for the whole of August and September plus at least two weekends working in August and possibly longer working days than usual, so I really won't be around at all. On the plus side - it so un-family friendly I shouldn't imagine there will be many other parents there to compete with for the remaining school holidays!

My DH works in university and closely with admissions. August can be punishing if the institution isn’t well organised. Not unusual for 60 hour weeks to be worked in a badly run one (of which there are many).

His department works in stat returns so he can’t take any leave in October. It’s a lot more inconvenient that you might think as all sorts of childcare things crop up.

Doesn't sound that bad. Admittedly I work part time, but I have to cover the whole of the summer holidays, no help from parents or anyone else: ds2 goes to holiday club on my days. He's fine about it.

I turned down a job that had a ban on leave in December and January, which is pretty impossible when you have school age children plus my daughter was due to have surgery and hospital appointments, and to be fair I think its a bit ridiculous.

I think you’d have to appear that the main holiday would be at Easter. That way you and your DH could cover three weeks nicer the summer between you, leaving only three weeks at holiday club.

I disliked spending too long at holiday club when I was younger so I try to minimise my DC going more than absolutely necessary.

On the plus side - it so un-family friendly I shouldn't imagine there will be many other parents there to compete with for the remaining school holidays!
Please don't assume this. Yes, Admissions is not family friendly but there is usually a number of parents with school age kids (juggling like crazy!). And as the newbie you may find that dibs on the July weeks have already been taken. And of course others will also want the May and October half terms etc. If you're at all concerned I would speak to your new boss prior to accepting the job to get a realistic idea of what time you could get off.

Most workplaces don’t allow more than a maximum of 2 weeks in summer - all parents need to have a turn! holiday clubs and childminders, there are loads of other holidays!

No holidays in summer isn’t not family friendly - kids have half terms, christmas, easter, loads of holidays free for you! summer is easiest to find holiday clubs, and most expensive to go away ...

I tend to see on Mumsnet people always say 'take the job' whatever the childcare implications - and it's very much the norm for people to just prioritise work (and earning which I totally understand) - over being with kids.

PERSONALLY - so I realise this is just my feelings - I would absolutely hate to miss summer holiday - I love being able to have long relaxed summer break with my kids no rushing about - but I'm self employed so the only good bit aout my stressful low paid work is having lots of time off!

Yura that's a really great point and I'd never thought of it that way before - thank you!

I would be very wary of working there unless you know they will be flexible around other issues. A no holidays in August doesn't sound very family friendly do make sure you know what you're getting yourself into, will they be ok about you doing reading meetings/ nativity plays/ sports days etc and taking time off when kids are sick?

Is there a business reason for the ban of holidays in August?

With regards to covering the 6 weeks holidays... I currently have 18.5 days holiday left for 2019 after booking off bank holidays. I work 4 days a week so it equates to 4 weeks leave for me. I will take 2 weeks in the summer hols, as will DH. We will have at least one of those weeks together as a family leaving us with 3 weeks to sort.

We have been putting away £100 a month now that DS is at school and this will cover the out of school club for us. We have costed as worst case scenario that he will be in 4 days a week for all 6 weeks. Any money not used for that can be used for days out/holiday in the summer.

No holidays in June, July and August in my current job and similar in previous roles. In a good year I manage to book a couple of days off despite the ban to have a long weekend off. Big holidays in October and spring. We've never had any help from the family, just relaying on holiday clubs and husband taking some time off as much as possible. There's 7 to 8 weeks holidays in the summer to cover too! Easy-not, possible- yes.

A no holidays in August doesn't sound very family friendly do make sure you know what you're getting yourself into, will they be ok about you doing reading meetings/ nativity plays/ sports days etc and taking time off when kids are sick?

As the OH has explained it's a university admissions dept. Their busiest time is August/September, hence why they have no holiday allowed. Why should they be awkward at other times, i.e. the less busy months?

There is a good business case for it cjt110 as it is the busiest time of year for university admissions. I don't think that the ban on holiday at that time of year automatically means they'll be mean about holiday at other times of the year although I'd be very interested to hear from anyone working in universities who knows otherwise! My biggest problem is going to be what to do with the 11 year old (who will be 12 next summer) and too old for most clubs.