To think that "we require a 5 year job history with no gaps"

[PyongyangKipperbang]

is effectively saying "We dont want anyone with young kids"?

And it will disproportionately affect women who are usually the ones who give up work for a few years when the kids are little?

I haven't read the full thread, but in my opinion/experience this means they want you to tell them what you have done for 5 years. If you had a 6 months off to travel they just want to know. So there are no gaps in the diary of what you have done. You don't necessarily need to have worked with no gaps. They just want to know where you have been ie prison/dole/travelling/maternity. They then get a full picture of you rather than the bits you pick...

PyongyangKipperbang - obviously, someone who wanted to could use the information to be discriminatory. It’s a humongous leap from that to concluding that this is the reason for asking the question, however. It’s an extremely common question asked in female-dominated professions and roles, because women are the ones who predominantly work with children, where safeguarding is taken extremely seriously. It is not used to screen out women of childbearing age, therefore, but to comply with the rules that you have to know exactly what they were doing with their lives at all times for the safety of the children they might come into contact with. Being a parent yourself is often viewed as a positive thing in these roles - you should hear the unbelievably rude comments some parents make about childless headteachers and teachers! I should imagine jobs that involve responsibility for money are equally paranoid about gaps in people’s life and employment histories, as they will be on the alert for dishonest fraudsters who steal from their employers (not parents with kids).

Some employers require total honesty. They do not want people who have been in prison or Jack-the-lad who spent 2 years working cash in hand.
I know someone who did that. It helped with the first house.

It has the capacity to be discriminatory, sure - some unscrupulous employers may well use it as an opportunity to weed out mothers/parents/other sorts of carers, or disabled people.

I don’t think it’s inherently discriminatory though, and I do think the information they’re asking for is relevant.

Answering this question honestly did not void my applications (civil service and third sector) when the dates covered including some post-maternity leave time caring for my child, some time temping, some complicatedly overlapping study/work dates, time when I had not yet left school etc.

I agree also that this is part of what we (should) all weigh up when deciding what to do about work and parenting; I’m all for people finding different ways to balance those, but the truth is there are always downsides and we need to pick the ones we can best put up with.

My children interrupted me and I forgot to add - bit concerned by the PP who has recently completed training on recruitment but can’t spot the difference between ‘5 year history, no gaps’ and ‘minimum XX years’ experience required’!

I used to do quite a bit of recruitment, I wouldnt be interested in your children etc but I'd like to know if you have been in prison or for some jobs, re hab.

I take that to mean no unsubstantiated gaps. So for example, if unemployed showing evidence of the claim period would be adequate. Likewise if studying this would be appropriate. Being awol, unemployed isn't as noone can reputable can vouch what you've been doing.

Generally I think it just means you have to have someone who can vouch for you for that time.
My previous employer had the same and anyone I hired just provided a personal reference for any gaps in employment or school leavers would provide a reference from school.

The last person I employed had not worked for 5 years due to having two young children, the youngest had just started school full time. We just got a personal reference to cover that and one from the most recent employer - don’t let it put you off. I’ve personally never thought differently of anyone I have interviewed for this.

Dont all job applications ask for an employment history for last 5/10 years without gaps?

It can be seen as discriminatory, though I suspect done with good intentions. My firm started to ask for evidence of any time in between jobs, after they employed the relative of a jihadist.

I have a 5 year gap smack bang in the middle of my job history (I have it listed as what it was: stay at home parent).

I have been back at work for 4 years now and in that time have had no issues getting interviews or indeed jobs.

It could definitely be used for discriminatory purposes but luckily in my personal experience it hasn’t.

Dont all job applications ask for an employment history for last 5/10 years without gaps?

No they dont, because not every recruitment and selection process is the same. You may be astonished to hear that a part-time evening job in the local chip shop has slightly less rigorous entry and selection requirements to a senior role in the Civil Service.

When I worked for an airline, all airside staff needed to account for their whereabouts with references for the previous 5 years for the security pass. It's a legal requirement for ALL airports in the country. Same for security jobs

just struck me as a bit underhand. It's a totally standard question Nothing underhand about it. You need to stop looking for reasons to be offended.

Rainycloudyday Totally agree.

I've applied for jobs where they wanted full employment history since leaving education, so that's 30 years for me.

We ask for this (after position is offered), if anyone has any gaps we all for a personal reference for that period of time eg faith leader, someone to do with hobbies/volunteering or just a personal reference of someone of good character eg doctor, police officer, teacher for that period of time. It's very important in our line of work that people are traceable. I had to give ten years for my current role.

Oh just realised you said history not references, the above is for references, we always want full history from education to present day. Again after recruitment so no discrimination in terms of who is offered the job

How can a personal referee offer 'proof' that someone is a SAHP? My doctor or DC's head teacher have no idea what I do. A personal friend would surely just say whatever their friend wanted them to, to try and help.

Benefit payments I can see as providing evidence, but as some PPs have said, not everyone gets them, they're not exclusive to SAHP, and who would necessarily know to keep all the paperwork going back five years? I know I haven't!

Especially travel receipts! For six of the last ten years I lived abroad with ExH's job and everything was arranged by his company. I guess they probably still have a paper trail which shows my name somewhere but he doesn't even work there any more. I can't imagine the hassle it would be to get this, just as evidence that I lived in the country I said I did.

I've applied for jobs where they wanted full employment history since leaving education, so that's 30 years for me.

Same here, thank goodness I am not in a career that I've ever been asked for that!

I've not worked for over 10 years,my DH is unable to work and there is no way I've been able to find a job that replaces our benefits. He retires in 2 years and I may have to look for work as I'm not sure about benefits for spouses under retirement age. I have my own medical condition which means I can't sit or stand for long periods but is not bad enough for me to get any benefits in my own right.

So it's not just people with young children that this affects but I can see that they'd be in the majority.

I think the reason I am spotting stuff is because my manager is currently trying to "manage" me out. So not looking for reasons to be offended, rather just noticing stuff more. He cant sack me, no attendance or performance issues or anything else, he has NOTHING on me. So all he can do is make it virtually impossible for me to work there and its working.

As it is, he will gets what he wants but with a sting in the tail. Cant say much here as it would be very outing (he mentioned his wife sometimes comes on here), but lets just say I will be having my exit interview with his manager as he recruited me, not my manager......

All I need now is another job, dont care what it is, currently management but frankly I'll do anything. Any ideas of something I can do to set myself up (legit) working for myself?! Looking at a couple of nail courses at college part time as there is a big demand for mobile nail techs at the local residential/warden controlled places. They want nails done but are too intimidated to go into the "posh" places. I dont do ironing....not good with dogs!

It means that you need to state where you have had breaks or periods of unemployment so they can account for the full 5 years history. It's often requested to meet security requirements.

@TabbyMumz

"Which means if you were sick/disabled, you have to put it down. Or your childbearing status."

Yes that's right. What's wrong with that? It's about giving full disclosure.

"It's amazing how many times you don't have sufficient experience/skills to be called for interview in a job you have literally been doing for years when you have to put those down on an application form."
But if you've been off sick or doing childcare, you've had some time off where you havent been doing those jobs. And other applicants may not have had time off and have more current experience. still not discriminatory to women. After all, we all make a choice regarding doing childcare or returning to work.

You're not supposed to be asked about your medical details or childbearing status on a job application. It's supposed to go in the Opportunities Screening section that is allegedly kept separate.

When I had been doing a pretty much identical job for years both after that period and prior to that point, why wouldn't I have up to date experience? The offer was withdrawn on the one that got away because I didn't have an employer for that period, not because I refused to answer. I could verify before, I could verify after, I offered to provide evidence of being in receipt of benefits. The answer was 'No. It has to be an employment reference from your line manager at the time, we cannot accept anybody without a reference to cover the entire period...'

Nobody makes a choice about disability, by the way.

Applying for last teaching job I had to list everything I had done since leaving school with all gaps explained

Our firm has that requirement. "No gaps" means no unexplained gaps. We'd have no issues with a period as a SAHM. It's the candidates who are trying to hide (say) 18 months inside for fraud we're looking out for.