Please help to settle a debate and also offer advise. My best friends daughter, we'll call her Casey, has 3 young children, is a lone parent (abusive ex-husband) and hasn't worked in the last 5 years. My best friend and her family have always been there, supported Casey and really made sure that she and the children were never left feeling alone or unsupported.
Casey is a really smart girl and a few months ago she came to me to ask about returning to work. She has a law degree that she's never used and my profession is Legal. She said she wanted a job that will offer her security and long term progression. She asked me to find out if there were any junior roles at my Law firm or any other firm that she could apply to. She just wanted an idea of where to begin.
I told her there were a few junior roles going and she simply needed read up on them and apply. She also spoke to her mum (my BF) and was told it was a waste of time as she's never been in a professional legal environment, they wouldn't employ her and she should wait until the kids were older. When my BF asked me, I told her Casey had nothing to lose so we should encourage her and build her confidence and that's where it was left.
Fast forward and through no input from me Casey not only applied, got given an interview and then got offered a job, I could not be prouder of her!!! And she knows this. Her confidence was at rock bottom and she still can't believe she got the job. She is so excited and really wants to go ahead.
Now, here's the argument. My BF is upset that Casey's starting salary is so low and that financially she will struggle more working than she does now. She also feels I should speak to the partners at the firm and suggest an increase in her starting salary, this will not be happening. My BF has been a SAHM all her life so I appreciate that she may not quite get that you can't dictate salaries especially when coming in at a junior level with zero experience.
I've told my BF that Casey has been offered a position within a one of the top firms in our region, she has her foot through the door and while the salary is very low, she will be starting a career with real scope for progression. Her pay is reviewed 4 months in, the firm are red hot on employee retention and if she works hard she could even get a training contract out of it (we only offer them internally) while doing her LPC part time. Her youngest is going into full time school this year and it's the ideal time for her to start building a career, slow and steady and the firm itself are hugely pro-active when it comes to a work life balance (Commercial law and we all have kids we want to get home to!)
Casey's salary will he £17,000 full time and her ex-husband pays maintenance for their kids too. I think she'll get financial help for childcare and perhaps even working tax credits? Does anyone know what help would be available?
She is desperate to improve her life and yes it is very little money for full time work but she could do so well for her future. What financial support would be available to her if any? And how can I encourage my BF to be supportive of her child? Or am I living with my head in the clouds and condemning this girl to a lifetime of low paid work and no life along with it!? Is this not a good an opportunity as what I think it is? Is she better off at home waiting for the children to be older? They're all primary school age now.