To ask which you would rather do?

[sapphiretoes]

I've got 2 kids, one school age and 1 still a young toddler. I just want a part time job to have a bit of money for myself as husband's money covers all bills etc but not an awful lot of treats.

I've been offered 2 jobs. One is Tuesday and Wednesday 8.30-5.30 with an hour break, contract and paid holidays. 2 weekends a year. I will come home with around £730 every month, youngest DC would need to go into childcare 1 day.

The other job is a zero hour and is every Sunday and Monday 10-5 ish. Holidays aren't paid but I would get holiday pay in my wage, meaning monthly I would probably come home with more money in my pocket. No childcare needed for this job. But it is every Sunday.

Which would you go for?

The Tuesday Wednesday one myself. Unless the money difference is really significant, I’d be looking to balance family time and work.

Me personally, I would go for the first one because I would rather pay for childcare than work a Sunday. That may not be what suits you best though.

I think if I just did the 2 days without any extra it would probably be around £100 a month more. The second job there is chance for more shifts which you would be paid for where as the 2nd job there isn't and it's the kind of job where any overtime would usually just be given back in lieu x

Easy, the first one unless weekends are not family time anyway.
Second one is Halving your family time, you can never have a spontaneous weekend away I've bank holidays without booking it off, sleep overs, summer bbq's etc. would not do that unless desperate for the extra cash

The job with the contract gives you a set income and is predictable. Zero hours allows for the possibility of no work which would stress me out. Also consider which one might lead to more hours if needed when your children are older. Also think about losing a weekend day might affect your family time. Long term it could be disruptive?

Sorry I meant the second (zero hour) would be a bit more with chance for more shifts, where as tues weds job doesn't have extra or if it does, it would be paid in lieu.

Option one, better to have contracted hours and holiday pay and I would bet that working Sundays will get old quickly, especially with one DC at school.

The contract one, brings predictability and leaves more time at weekends.

First one. Otherwise you only have Saturday with your eldest. Seems mad to only work 2 days but then have only one with your child. (I realise it’s more with the toddler).

I work Sundays. Someone has to do it and you do get used to it. Also, I tend to make the most of my Saturdays. If you're working in the week, you need a back up plan if your DC are ill and can't go to childminder/nursery and that'll fall to you or your partner.

DH enjoyed 1:1 with DC when they were younger, and now admits he enjoys a day to himself and tends to get more jobs done without me being around.

First one. Working every Sunday wears very thin very quickly.

If the Sunday job is a zero hour contract, the promise of every Sunday from 10-5 might very soon evaporate. They tell you any time that they don't need for for the next few weeks or that they only want you to work one hour or something, or that they can only offer you different days one month, or whatever. If you don't need the money, as such, then that might not be a problem for you, but it's certainly something to consider.

I don't have kid myself but I'd also have thought that, by working all day on a Sunday, you'd miss out on a full day of family time - I'm guessing Saturday and Sunday currently the only days when you, DH and both kids are actually home all day together? So I think in your position I wouldn't be keen to give that up.

But if it's zero hours, it could also be fewer shifts.

And if there are more shifts available, then it would be ad-hoc, and you'd have to find last-minute childcare for your toddler every time.

Definitely the first.

Hold fire...
What are the jobs - are they the same role?

Job one sounds best to me based solely on hours - your smallest one won't be in childcare forever & who wants to work Sundays?!

But if job one is factory line work and job two is lion taming, this may alter my answer.

Also - Will you get any free hours childcare now you're both working? I'm not up to date on current entitlements.

The first one. Weekends are family time in my book and giving up a Sunday would be a non starter.

Also your child may enjoy the childcare day as something different.

What do your Sundays normally look like? I'd be tempted for the second one (sounds like maybe a bar job?), which one would you enjoy more?

What hours does your husband work? If it's Monday to Friday then the second option would mean only one day together a week. This might limit what you can do all together as a family.

I agree with first one. My DiL was offered a similar zero hours last year. Lots of demands for her to work extra shifts at short notice and 'punished' by being offered no hours the following week of she did not do the extras.

Thank you all. Husband works Monday to Friday, the first job is a receptionist and the second is just in a pub/restaurant. X

It's good the 1st one is stable in terms of the demands on you. You need that kind of predictability when you have small kids.

I'd take a receptionist over pub work any day. People can be very unpredictable when drinking.

Receptionist would be less stressful than pub, depending of course on how busy the switchboard is. This is a totally different option, Would you ever consider working from home? There are wfh jobs out there where you can do flexible shifts 9 to 5 or 5 to 9 each day and choose how many shifts p/w. I know one place that does that and they pay London Living wage no matter where you are based. (no, i'm not a recruiter, lol) My friend works for them though and it sounds good.

@MahShinyShoes

yep!!

lion taming every time!!