New Job Offer - Alarm bells!!

[ThePerfectTen]

I have been offered a job, my first f/t job since having children. I know I am able to do the job but I am not sure about the transition required re going back to a f/t career role with young kids, and also have alarm bells after recieving the contract.

Well tbh alarm bells started at interview stage when they were whatsapp'ing me throughout the weekend, including at 8-9pm, regarding interview avalibility, dates and times etc. (I am already worrying about fitting f/t hours in around the family, never mind them thinking that i'm avaliable whenever they want and don't have respect for peoples boundaries/free time)

The initial interviews (not with my manager) mentioned working from home, however the final interview and contract mention only working from the office. (This is a non negotiable for me tbh, i can't mentally give up WFH a few times a week. Now i have children and am older i need for my sanity.)

The contract i have recieved is just too much. It is so controlling, it makes me feel completely uneasy and really anxious. There are loads of references to being 'expected to work as many hours as needed to get the job done' I am in a trusted, responsible role atm and do not want to move to somewhere where i feel like I am signing my life away and being micro managed. Even though they have stressed they don't micromange and its a very senior role at interview stage, the contract definately doesn't really portray the ethos discussed at all. Me and my partner have never seen a contract like it.

Another general concern of mine of returning to f/t work, having childcare for holidays and seeing my children. The contract specifies that a number of holiday periods and bank holidays are not allowed to be taken as annual leave & I have to work bank holidays including the Christmas period and various half terms. Holidays also need to be booked a month in advance (I always book last min deals), health appointments have to be done outside working hours (How is that even possible?) etc etc - Just lots of restrictions i would expect if i was an untrusted employee with no work experience.

My manager also appears to completely live and breath his job 24/7 and is completely over enthusiastic. Although I will work hard and want to do my best. I am definately a work to live mentality now, not live to work so don't know whether i will find this exhausting lol. I also don't think anyone in the company has young children..

One part of me thinks this is a great opportunity, go back to them with my none negotiables, be honest and explain my concerns, get back into job market, prove yourself and make the role your own.

The other part of me says, its all too much, listen to your instincts and keep with your p/t role atm until children are older and able to look after themselves more, you can't take on this extra stress and juggling when its clearly a restrictive environment.

But are there really any jobs out there that tick all the boxes?? Right salary, location, hours, responsibility etc etc...

I just don't want to give up my current, completely flexible, manage my own time (but uninspiring/unmotivating) role and create myself lots of extra pressure by taking on a different job & then realise i have made a big mistake.. but also don't want to have any regrets.

I honestly need some unbiased opinions and thoughts please (Thank you for your time reading this :)

On it's own, I wouldn't worry about the contract. My contract is very strict about loads of stuff, but my actual job is very flexible and the contract isn't enforced at all. I've been there over a decade and it's been fine. The contract is drawn up by a team at a central office that I've never been to and have nothing to do with other than the occasional HR interaction. But in your case, the WhatsApp messages and your experience of your manager's attitude chimes in with the written contract and it looks like they would actually enforce it. So this doesn't look like the job for you (or anyone who wants some flexibility!).

Believe me, don't do it.

I've always worked full time, but my last job was in a well known global bank. I worked 10 hours days, we were labeled "key workers" so couldn't WFH unless pre agreed with your manager. We didnt have an "end" time as it was just once all work was done and signed off. I spent 4 long years there, working 50 hours a week, getting home at 7pm and became mentally drained. Despite me working my ass off and taking on 3x the work of others, I didn't get a promotion whistle others there barely a year were suddenly being promoted. I didn't feel appreciated, so I left. BTW I was contracted to 35 hours per week and got paid for none of the 15 hours additional I did each week.

I finally got the balls to leave, and I am in a fully flexible full time role, where I am paid more and clock out at 5pm on the dot. They accomodate picking up LO from school and at times even let me log out and hour early if I am all done for the day.

Don't do it, its signing your soul to the devil

I agree you have nothing to lose by setting your boundaries clearly and seeing where that goes. Contracts often look scary though. I pretty much had to waive my human rights for my current company!

There’s absolutely no way I’d work for a company like this. My husband worked for a company who thought its staff should live and breathe the job 24/7 and it almost destroyed our marriage.

I don't find too much in that contract is unreasonable. The clause about 'working the hours required' is standard in most senior roles and is essentially setting out that you cannot claim overtime. Depending on the type of role/organisation (for example healthcare or another service role where services are provided 24/7/365) a commitment to work bank holidays is not unusual either - anyone who had had responsibility for sorting the Christmas rota will understand why this is in the contract. Ditto making healthcare appoinments outside working hours where possible. I once had a colleague who would make appointments for routine smears, dental check ups etc either late morning (to have a morning off) or early afternoon (to have the rest of the day off).

It sounds like you want a different contract because you are senior/experienced/ to be trusted. That's not how equal employment law works.

Anyway, it doesn't sound like you really feel ready for this kind of responsibility or the impact on your home and family time. That's OK but it works two ways and the impact on you on the long run remains - your pension will be affected and possibly staying in a part-time lower level role for longer might affect your chances of returning to senior level posts in future.

However, what I don't understand, is why at the formal interview you didn't ask about working from home and have that clarified?

@ThePerfectTen don't take it if the contract is crap and not what you want. Something better will come along no doubt.

Could this be a standard contract? Do they hire a lot of lower level staff (without being mean)?

I worked somewhere where there were a whole load of drivers and they used the standard contract for them for every role, which really didn't reflect the true nature of the more senior roles - maybe ask them?

Request a contract that purely states work from home, it's the only way you are going to be sure of the intentions. ie. their reluctance to amend will tell you much.

At start of 2022 I went to work for a company that advised and sold themselves as 100% work-from-home, yet wouldn't produce a contract with this in writing, and hey presto a couple of months into starting were threatening disciplinary action if you didn't show up on certain days to the office, nowhere in the contract did it state home working to our loss.

One of the interviews last week, brought up the role I'd applied for was in person role, they said they had to check as many people turn up and assume, despite them making it clear in the job advert this is no wfh opportunity.

Just going into jobs to try it and knocking reservations to the kerb, can be a real confidence downer and affect your CV in the long run. Always trust your gut.

Run for the hills ! Far too full on….

I'd be giving this the swerve. Too many red flags for me

Trust your gut and instinct, why rock the boat if you like your current situ? Kids are going to be up and gone in no time and if you can afford to stay part time definitely just remain as is

I work in recruitment and when my candidates have had contracts like this in the past they say it’s just a standard contract, they’re very flexible and they don’t enforce these terms…until they want to decline your holiday, force you in the office etc.
go with your gut!

I think you're being unreasonable, especially with regard to working from home and booking holidays last minute!
Stick where you are if you want the easy life, and leave this job to someone else.

Giving a months notice for holiday is standard. You just have to book the time off and find a deal that fits it.

the rest of it sounds odd and if wfh is a non negotiable I’d go back and say so and also say your contract is odd!

is it a non-profit? I work in the sector and people do work 24/7

It sounds terrible and I wouldn't take it. The parts about not being able to take holidays in certain times.... in your contract! Meaning there is a good chance that all holidays you request in any school holidays will be rejected! So you probably will get no time with your kids/family off at the same time. Or if you do it will be very rarely. Not even Christmas! This company sounds like its set up to be only about the business and expects everyone to be 100% the job.

You told us all the reasons why you didn't the job and gave the impression you were happy with your current set up. Why would we want to convince you you don't know your own mind?

Absolutely not.

Run!

Do not take this job. I had a similar situation, took the job and was miserable for a year and a half. They were horrible to me when I got pregnant and everything. Stay where you have peace and flexibility. It’s honestly not worth it x

UPDATE

Thank you - So glad for all of your advise. I asked to discuss the contract and there was no movement AT ALL from this discussion.

Comments like:
'Yes call me day or night to discuss'
Worrying after all those original 9pm whatsapp messages..

'Well the holiday allowance is 2 days above statutory?? So i think it is quite generous'
(I don't think they truely understand what a senior role means. They are trying to recruit someone senior but treat them like they are a uni leaver.)

'The half terms, Easter and Aug bank holidays I have mentioned are our busiest times, so the person who takes this role would need to be able to work these periods.'
(I answered that I wasn't advising that I needed to take these whole periods off, however it might be that i needed to take the occasional day off due to childcare and would manage my workload as nec, as any senior person would do - If i'm honest after such bad holiday entitlement, then I really do not want them thinking they then also have control of 2 months of my year... every year...)

The absolute eureka moment came towards the end of our conversation when she said: 'To be honest when i send a contract out on a Friday, I expect it signed and sealed on my desk first thing Monday' 😂🤔🙈👋Just WOW.

I have subsequentally found out through a friend of a friend, that she is as predicted, absolutely crazy, so I def had a lucky escape. Someone was looking down on me that day! xx

to the update.

No no no no no.

Your self esteem would be on the floor after a few weeks of your manager constantly on you for not behaving as she expected. Would totally defeat your reason for taking on a FT role.

What industry is this, OP?

Wow sounds like you dodged a bullet there, job from hell.

Congrats on not taking it :)