Job interview and poorly baby

[Heavyrainagain]

I’m on maternity leave with a baby who is 16 weeks old. On Friday I have an interview for a promotion at work. I’ve waited two years for the opportunity to come up. I need to prep a presentation.

But my baby is starting with a cold and so am I. He won’t be put down at all so I can’t even eat let alone open a laptop. Usually he naps for hours in his cot but he won’t. That’s not to mention I feel crap and had barely any sleep and my brain won’t work. I’m devastated this has happened this week of all weeks.

WIBU to ask for the interview to move to Monday? One of the hiring managers has a baby but the rest don’t.

I think you are being unreasonable. How long have you known about the interview? Unfortunately with a very young baby I think you were being optimistic to think you'd be able to prep for an interview during nap times and without getting someone to mind the baby. Even without being sick a baby can go through growth spurts and very clingy periods where they refuse to settle.

I've been in this situation twice, promotion opportunity during both maternity leaves. My husband did bedtime with the children to give me a couple of evenings to prepare, then covered when I had the interview.

It's very difficult when you have a baby, you really need to be prepared for the baby throwing your best laid plans into disarray.

This.

No. It Will make you appear unreliable. Go for the interview.

There's a lot of COVID around at the moment, if say you've tested positive then of course they will let you reschedule!!!

Also just want to say it’s okay to put baby down in a safe place for 2 mins to grab yourself something to eat. I know having a sick baby who cries the moment you put them down is hardddd but no harm will come to them being put down in their cot for 2 mins whilst you go get some food from the kitchen. Yes they will cry but you need to take care of yourself too

Why? It sounds like the interview is via video call not in person? I am personally skeptical of the 'I've tested positive for Covid' excuse, it's no different to a normal cold/flu now and most people would push through for an important meeting/interview especially if it's remote.

If your husband is going to be available surely he can take baby out a walk for an hour so you can have your interview?

Maybe a white lie? Your husband is no longer available Friday so could you switch it to Mon when you have childcare please.

I think many employers would understand you want to do your best by getting childcare sorted for the interview, and that you will have more reliable childcare once you are back at work than you do ad hoc in the early days of mat leave.

@Anonymous2224 yes I explained the interview isn’t the problem, it’s the prep work I need to do this week inc a presentation, whilst the baby and I are ill. As I said he is usually fine to go down for a nap for a few hours in the day and sleeps well at night so I planned to work on this after he’s in bed. But he’s not sleeping now he has a cold.

If it is at all competitive I wouldn’t ask to change it. My work are good about childcare emergencies and parental responsibilities but I think this would be considered a bit precious. Bear in mind the people have to prepare for interviews with quite a lot more on their plate. You are rather proving to them that you won’t be able to meet deadlines.

I get it @OP and I would endeavour to accommodate your request to change the date. If the interviewer/panel are recruiting a lot of roles, or have had a lot of interest, they may well have blocked out more than one day, and may well have some windows of opportunity.

Also, you're not going to have to deal with stuff like this so much when you to back to work. If the baby is ill, you are entitled to emergency dependents' leave to look after him, or you can take leave. Not ideal, but doable. Unfortunately, you can't take leave from maternity leave.

I don't get this non settling. It doesn't matter whether the baby settles or not you do have to get on with life.

By not settling I mean, if he’s not laying on my he screams and screams! He’s not normally like it I presume it’s because he’s a small baby and not well.

The other candidates will be internal and will be prepping in work time, I know this because I’ve managed subordinates through the process before.

You can ask and they might agree however as a hiring manager it is annoying and will put you at a disadvantage. Are you likely to be the standout candidate for the post?

Ahhh ok I see. It is difficult but I would try to power through and get the interview done. Babies pick up really quickly and hopefully he will be back to himself in no time. Unfortunately the bugs get worse after they start childcare and your back at work so it might be good practice 🫣 good luck on your interview!

The only people who test now are people who want to get out of something.

It's lovely to see how supportive of each other the women on this thread are🙄

OP, they know you're on maternity leave with a new baby which is difficult. They want to interview you because they're supportive of you getting the job and think you're capable. They know your work history which I'm sure doesn't involve flakey attendance. Ask to reschedule, it will be fine.

I would accommodate your request (unless it absolutely wasn’t possible due to diary constraints) and wouldn’t think anything other than hoping you both feel better soon.
If I’d invited you for an interview I would want you to bring your best self to the day, which wouldn’t include no prep time and/or feeling unwell.

I would ask (asap) but accept that it might not be possible - in my work the promotions panel is external so it'd be months before they could rearrange. They might want to be supportive but just can't. I would start prepping now in case (as much as you can), and at the start of your presentation remind the panel (if they don't already know you well) that you're currently on mat leave - I'd do this by saying something about I apologise in case you hear my baby crying, I'm currently on mat leave and my baby has been unwell this week. My husband is here to look after him/her today but you might hear some cries despite them being in a different room!

The interviewers are just my current line manager and the hiring manager, if that makes a difference. I’ve got a good attendance record, about 2 days sick since I started there 7 years ago but did have quite a lot of time out at the end of my pregnancy as my baby was IUGR.

Do you know what the set-up of the interviews is? Like how many candidates and where from (e.g. all internal, or a mix of internal and external)? Were all the interviews the same day? Also how good is your manager about childcare stuff normally?

If I were your manager - if I was just interviewing you, I'd rearrange. If I was interviewing some candidates later anyway, I'd rearrange.

If I was interviewing that day, with several people from the company who'd arranged to be free to be on the panel that day, and other some external candidates, who would expect to know the night, then I might consider rearranging if your baby was in ICU, just a bit sniffly - nope you could have bothered, but didn't.

Can you not do your best to prepare while he’s sleeping on you? Laptop on the sofa? My colleague has to do this regularly as her young child is often ill.