To basically demand super-flexible working hours

[Flatbrokefornow]

I am very privileged in that I don’t have to work to pay the bills (although only just, and not for much longer at the rate things are increasing!), but less privileged in that I’m widowed with no family close by. I’m completely on my own.

Now my DD is in secondary school, I’d like to think about going back to work, to fund a few treats and get my pension and DD’s education fund back on track, and also for my own fulfilment.

BUT, I won’t consider working school holidays. I know people do, and all power to them, but it won’t work for us, yet. (My DD has been diagnosed with anxiety, is being assessed for ADHD and has also lost her father. She’s got enough to cope with) We’ve tried holiday clubs in the past, and the effects on her anxiety are just not worth it for our family. She’s just 11, and while she (probably) won’t set fire to the house, and I’m happy to leave her for short periods occasionally, I can’t really just expect her to stay home alone all day everyday. There really isn’t anyone I can ask. Lone parenting makes forming friendships difficult, I’m an only child and my parents live abroad. I have lovely neighbours, who will do the odd favour, but that’s not exactly a solid plan going forward.

is it a non starter? I was thinking of retraining, but given the restrictions I can work, I’m not sure it’s worth bothering. Who’s going to want to employ me? Especially if any of the interview panel are blokes who never even think about childcare (and it’s common, let’s face it) and just think I’m either coddling her, or a spoilt princess that wants holidays off. I have considered working in a school, but in all honestly I don’t think I could spend all day managing children’s behaviour and then come home and manage DD (who can be very rigid and oppositional) with the level of patience I’d need and enough energy to hold boundaries with her. I don’t think that would be fair on her, or sustainable for me.

I’m currently looking at careers with flex time, working from home, or short term/part time contracts. I wouldn’t mind buying extra leave, or taking a pay cut, but my family will come first and I would leave a position which didn’t allow or follow through on me not working school holidays (in the main. The odd day will probably be doable) without hesitation. Is this even possible? How can I phrase it so that my boundaries are clear, but not sound entitled? How can I reassure an employer that I’ll do my damndest for them in my working hours, but that’s all of the time they are buying from me, and it’s not about money for me. Are my only options very casual, or leaving a job every July?

The obvious thing is to train into something you can become self employed at because then you can set your own hours , gardener, beautician, book keeper etc etc

There are many many roles these days (and always have been- in the 90s I was a civil servant and some of our staff were term time only, my mother was also term time only working for Ofsted. A friend of mine works in the legal field and is term time only)

But- the people I know started with different contracts, made a favourable impression for quite some time and then applied, under the relevant workplace's procedure, to change their contracts.

Lots of jobs advertised these days, as others have said, are hybrid/WFH. Though that doesn't mean having the summer off, obviously. And some workplaces quite rightly are stipulating that if you're WFH then you're working not doing childcare so may not help you.

The bottom line is: yes there are term time only jobs. There are also many many single parents who'd like one. "demanding" anything without bringing a very good and specific skill set and experience to the table isn't likely to be successful.

Do you have a skill where you could open up your own business?

Education welfare officer positions are often for term time only
I think what you are considering is both understandable and admirable. However I was interviewed for a full time job recently. I really, really didn't want full time and would have preferred super flexible too. I'd been advised to apply and only once there to start negotiating. In interview I was asked what hours I'd ideally wish to work and the conversation went from there. I didn't get super flexible (!) but I did get part time hours

I know people who work term time only (in fields where you would think this isn’t possible - it is). Work has to work for you - so figure out what you want / need and go and look for it and hold out / don’t make big sacrifices from that list - you don’t ask you don’t get.

Dinner lady in a school sounds perfect for you.

Mine is 12 next month and going into year 8 next year and there is absolutely no way I could leave him even for a few hours so I don’t think you can generalise. If anything I’ve found it gets harder with age as people assume kids can be left so the expectations are higher and there is less childcare available, not that we could ever access any suitable 3rd party childcare ever anyway. Luckily my mum helps me out so I’ve always been able to work

It's a tricky request. The people who I know that work term time only have been working for their employer a fair few years and started off as being full time.

What are your skills?
How long have you been out of the workplace?
These 2 questions will very much determine your "success" in finding term time only hours. Unless you go for a school job or self employed.
A better option is WFH part time and see if you get flexi hours or pt over 5 days. So you only work a few hours each day.

You also need to think about your DD and your own mental health. She is 11 and will soon more interested in being with friends than with you.

Some of the big supermarkets will allow this, at least on the shop floor. In fact anywhere that hires a good number of students is probably a good shout as the have the opposite need - lots of availability in holidays, not so much in term time.

The wording you use is you need a term time only role. That’s the only way you’ll guarantee school hols off. Lots of organisations offer this - civil service, local government, banking, charities. What work have you done in the past?

However your attitude would worry me, to be honest - I'd be looking for someone open and willing to talk about possibilities and strategies, not someone who's going to say on the one hand "I've heard there are people who work all the time, but I just can't imagine it" and on the other hand "well obviously it's not worth trying". And I would be put off by someone who demanded rather than started a conversation, it doesn't bode well for their relationship management skills

As an employer, I agree. This attitude isnt "boundaried" its coming across as kind of rude/demanding. You can express your needs assertively without sounding like you are making demands. If you only want to work term time, thats completely your choice but you need to be aware that your options will be very limited as a result. There is also a lot of competition for term time only jobs because so many parents want them so be aware of that too. I wish you good luck.

Agency worker?

All the best op

I work in the public sector and we have people working all kinds of patterns including term times only. However, it cuts both ways, work are flexible but we are expected to show some level of flexibility as well.

"@mojomoonwould you be able to elaborate on the tech/coding and data roles? I would like to investigate these areas and would appreciate a steer

I felt the same so I've work as -
A childminder
Nursery worker
Ta

All term time only in school hours but I've never earned more than about £600 pm. I now work in a library , do one full day and one half day. Ds either goes to holiday club or dgp have him or I take holiday (6 weeks a year so roughly half)

Have you used up your statutory entitlement to unpaid parental leave (18 weeks in total before your DD 18th birthday, max 4 weeks per year).

If not, this could be your answer although it might piss an employer off. Most companies give 25 days annual leave plus b/h, the timing of b/h often overlaps with sch holidays so that covers 6 weeks worth in total. Add on another 4 weeks unpaid parental leave and you get to 10 out of the 12 school weeks.

On your finances you talk both about ‘treats’ and building your pension - contradictory.

If it’s the case that, looking at your finances for the medium and long term under different scenarios (eg DD needing long term support and/or paid for services), you do actually need to work for financial reasons, would look at ways to earn a good amount for as few hours as possible!

If you limit your paid work, volunteering (to increase your chances of getting a target job), retraining costs/time and later iob applications to term time only, that would significantly narrow your options. employers offering this level of flexibility are relatively few and will usually have a lot of applicants, and pay rates will likely be low.

I work for the civil service and we offer term time only working. Not many other places do though

From a recruiters point of view, employers are having to be and are becoming more flexible if they want to attract and retain quality staff. There is a shortage of high quality applicants at the moment, and this is across every industry. I myself negotiated a very good flexible working contract about a year ago, and at the time it was unusual to have in my organisation, especially from day 1. Now it’s the norm and I process 3 or 4 applications a week, which are very rarely declined. Many of these are term only which has until now been unheard of in my sector. I would ask for it and see what they say.

This, basically. Although in truth I’m not sure I could make it work but there are jobs when it could.

But you do seem to be demanding a lot and I’m not sure exactly what you’re offering in return.

Schools (business admin or bursar roles) or retrain and do contracting roles. I'm in finance and I'm pretty sure I could get temp roles for a few weeks here and there. If you could somehow cover the half term ie work from home then, you could do bigger chunks of work so pitch it as in the office during school time, wfh during hols, contract ends at Easter, Christmas or Summer.

Think about your skillset and perhaps ask around some agencies.

It’s been mentioned but I agree some civil service departments are good for this. Are you near any big gift department offices like for dwp, HMRC, mod? Or just do a job search for ‘term time only’ or be self employed

Most university staff are on 52 week contracts