Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu mat leave shouldn’t count as a year of work on cv?

329 replies

windygallows · 27/02/2019 18:55

I’m currently Interviewing candidates including an internal colleague who claims to have 3 yrs experience In a particular skill/role. However over 1 yr of those 3yrs she was off on mat leave.

I think it’s okay for her to say she was employed in the role for 3 yrs but she can’t really say she has 3 yrs experience doing it, can she? Really she’s only been doing the tasks involved in her role for 2 years. This fact is important since the role requires significant experience and I think 2 years is not enough.

I’ve been on mat leave twice and not trying to discrimate, just trying to be logical about it. Would welcome thoughts on whether I’m BU or not I’m thinking 3 yrs employed does not equal 3 yrs experience.

I haven’t checked with HR but pretty sure they wouldn’t agree with me!

OP posts:
TheNavigator · 27/02/2019 21:32

The OP does have a whiff of misogyny to me. A male external candidate could have had 2 periods of 6 months sick leave - certainly would no be on the CV or able to be taken into account at interview. Why are women and maternity leave fair game for negative judgement?

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 27/02/2019 21:32

Also...any external candidate could gloss over maternity leave as well, it doesn't have to be declared and isn't a gap in employment.

ColeHawlins · 27/02/2019 21:32

I think it’s okay for her to say she was employed in the role for 3 yrs but she can’t really say she has 3 yrs experience doing it, can she? Really she’s only been doing the tasks involved in her role for 2 years. This fact is important since the role requires significant experience and I think 2 years is not enough.

Have you got an exemplar of the kind of CV format you'd like people to use to make this clear?

Brackets after each job role detailing total hours lost to sick leave, maternity & flexible working patterns over the contract?

Some kind of time clock punch card attached?

How are overtime, KIT days and out of hours work commitments dealt with under your system?

TwixBix1 · 27/02/2019 21:34

Yeah you're right and I think it's illogical to argue otherwise. If someone's been on full time stay at home maternity leave, it really doesn't count as a year of work as they wouldn't have been in the office, wouldn't have producing any working or learning "on the job".. yes they could have been doing relevant reading at home during maternity leave but anyone can do that including the unemployed or students and it certainly doesn't count as work in those cases.

ladybee28 · 27/02/2019 21:36

Holy cats, I'd forgotten about this pickety snickety HR biznaz.

No offence to you, OP, you're clearly just trying to do your job right, but the whole hiring and hoop-jumping hoopla can DO one.

Thanking my STARS I'm many miles away from having to dance on my hind hooves for approval from systems like this again...

BistoBear · 27/02/2019 21:37

What if someone has a cancer diagnosis and is off work for a year receiving treatment; are they allowed to say they have 3 years experience?

AssassinatedBeauty · 27/02/2019 21:40

Yes, because they don't have to specify any sick leave on their CV.

Asking for a specific amount of time in a role doesn't tell you anything about the candidate's actual competence or experience.

Que0 · 27/02/2019 21:42

OP, to be fair you are fairly prolific on threads about SAHMs and I think it’s fair to say you’re not a fan in general?

BackforGood · 27/02/2019 21:46

No-one is giving anyone a 'poor review' though AmIRight, they are just pointing out the candidate has actually got 2 years experience. 3 years, would be 50% more. How important / relevant this is in terms of how well they could do the job, I don't know - none of us know what this job is. Quite frankly, I'd be a bit disgusted at the idea anyone would get a 'poor review' if they were unfortunate enough to have been having cancer treatment, or because they'd been involved in an RTA or whatever either, but they still wouldn't have had 3 years experience at doing that job, if they'd only been at work for 2 of the 3 years they'd been employed.

Piewife · 27/02/2019 22:00

It's fair enough to say that she's only got two years of experience if she was off on mat leave for one, that's just fact. I've been in my field of work for 7 years with two lots of mat leave so I'd claim 5.5 years of experience if asked!

However you wouldn't usually know just from a CV? I wouldn't note maternity leave on a CV. I suppose you would work it out on interview if they mention having the leave.

Original poster
windygallows · 27/02/2019 22:01

QueO I've not said anything about sahms at all. I took mat leave twice so it's not a slight on that.

OP posts:
AssassinatedBeauty · 27/02/2019 22:02

The thing is that time in a role getting "experience" doesn't actually tell you much about the person's actual competence. They could have been coasting, do the minimum and just getting satisfactory performance reviews. Or they could have had a year's less experience but got top performance reviews and regularly gone above and beyond. Which would you rather hire?

Original poster
windygallows · 27/02/2019 22:02

Piewife the thing is she wrote in her supporting statement that she had 3 yrs so it's not just going from her cv it's what she has stated when specifically writing about her years of experience not employment.

OP posts:
Que0 · 27/02/2019 22:03

Apologies Windy. I shouldn’t have brought up other threads anyway.

AssassinatedBeauty · 27/02/2019 22:04

What you're asking for is for women to have to declare their maternity leave, is that right?

Pootle40 · 27/02/2019 22:04

Technically you are right but measuring whether someone is ready for a particular job in x number of years is odd since everyone learns and develops at different rates. What magical event or realisation happens by having 3 years experience? That's a bit antiquated

Piewife · 27/02/2019 22:06

So did she also write that she took a year of maternity leave on her supporting statement?

Original poster
windygallows · 27/02/2019 22:06

Little tipple do you not think it's lying on your cv when you've said that you have x years of experience when you haven't done the time? Would you be okay with a surgeon who needed 200 operations under his belt or a midwife who needed 100 saying that she had helped deliver 100 babies when she'd actually only done 66?

Or are we happy to gloss over it because she was on mat leave?

OP posts:
Pootle40 · 27/02/2019 22:09

I think this should only be relevant where those measures are relevant. So for example, if you need 10,000 flying hours to be promoted from first office to Captain of a plane. But in roles where it doesn't work like that how can you blanket say to anyone - maternity leave or otherwise- that you need 3 years experience. What cannot be achieved in under 3 years that makes this the benchmark?

Pootle40 · 27/02/2019 22:11

And agree with other posters that an external person would not declare periods of maternity leave so this is only an issue because you know she has been off. Why not just assess and decide who is best for the job? Apply pragmatism and remove the blinkers.

AssassinatedBeauty · 27/02/2019 22:11

Do you think that's at all equivalent? Really? Do you think this woman would claim such specific detailed claims in those circumstances?

Pootle40 · 27/02/2019 22:12

I say good for her for showing drive and ambition ......a man would

cucumbergin · 27/02/2019 22:13

windygallows If a male candidate has been "on the bench" awaiting being assigned to projects for periods totalling 9 months over 3 years (quite easy in some environments!) - would you feel the same? I've worked with men who were working in security cleared environments where they had to wait 3-6 months twiddling their thumbs before they could start work on a new project. They NEVER subtracted that from their "years experience with X".

Have you grilled male candidates at interview to ask "were you full-time on this project and no other and no breaks other than a maximum of five weeks holiday per year?"

Schuyler · 27/02/2019 22:18

Your comparison to a surgeon or midwife is irrelevant to the topic. Some professions expect a certain number of hours or either qualify or meet the criteria to progress in their career. This is decided by an overseeing body such as; NMC not an interview plan.

StylishDuck · 27/02/2019 22:19

I have been with my current employee for 9 years including 2 10 month long maternity leaves. If I was applying for another job externally I would never say on my CV anything other than I have 9 years experience. So a new prospective employer would have no idea unless they asked me in an interview, which they can't do. You only know about her mat leave because she is an internal candidate. It's a tricky one but I think you have to be careful you don't wander into dangerous territory regarding discrimination.