To be annoyed work posted this job in this way?

[7stripybaskets]

I’m on annual leave from work this week for half term by chance I logged onto our companies’s intranet.
There is a job advert for a job within our department that I wasn’t aware of this would be the next step up from my current role there is 8 or so of us in a similar role to mine that would probably want to go for it. I haven’t been told it was coming and it’s advertised for internal department applications only and with an opening application window of 4 days which closes today. So, obviously they had someone in mind which wasn’t me but I think that’s not good practice for half of us that are off with children this week it was a well timed way of reducing applications I suppose. I feel really demotivated I suppose.

I'd message HR, say you've just seen this and concerned that the very short amount of time its been posted may be discriminatory to parents who are ooo for school holidays, women especially, and will they please consider extending the deadline with that in mind.

Oh and this is 100% deliberate to avoid a load of you applying/guarantee a particular individual has little competition for the role.4 days is an incredibly short time to post a job, its unusual to do it without including at least one weekend otherwise it does not allow time for people to apply. I'd be fuming and would raise hell with HR over it. You can bet there's someone who knew about this role and was prepped to apply.

I say that as someone very senior. I would get absolutely beaten with a stick by HR where I work if i posted a job for only 4 days when all the women/parents in my team were off for half term. They would know exactly what i was up to and would probably go over my head to insist it be extended an extra week to ensure all applicants have fair opportunity to apply.

I agree with this.

and would add that I expect my team members to be pro-active about discussing their career aspirations and goals with me (as part of their PDR process) so that I can support their development ready for when vacancies do come up.

I doubt it even occurred to them about half term
so if the only posted jobs in term time because of parents wouldn’t that disadvantage the rest of us who take holidays in term time
I think the issue is short closing date rather than actively discriminating against parents

I’d contact HR and ask for the application deadline to be extended because to issue a job advert and subsequent closing date during half term - ie when working parents, and women specifically, may be taking annual leave - is potentially discriminatory under the Equalities Act.

So by default they only advertise in term time when the rest of us have holidays so we being discriminated against

Yes or you could have emailed the recruiting manager and ask if you can submit at 8pm due to being on A/L and not seeing it.

Sure fire way to get the job that! 🤣

I do agree it’s too short but OP could have asked to submit late or gone home early.

You can write a polite email, you know. In fact, for senior roles asking tough questions is kind of a necessary skill set?

Along the lines of ‘I think this role was inadvertently advertised during half term when many people with child-caring roles would be absent. I wondered whether HR would consider extending the application deadline so that those of us who would very much like to apply but have not had sufficient notice, may do so’.

It’s not that hard.

You're all so caring and OP didn't bother to come back.

but you would still appoint the person you wanted in the first place given this is an internal only recruitment

cut the farce and false hopes, just get it done asap

I had this scenario
job posted the day before the deadline. Applied. Another one the next week a bit of a step down to the first role but higher than the one I was in. They did have someone in mind.
interviewed the next week- got the higher job. 😀

turns out I had skills they weren’t aware of.

You can’t expect employers to revolve job advertising around half-term - schools are always on holiday! It would be unreasonable for them to advertise over the Christmas/New Year period but other than that, they will and should advertise anytime.

Did you apply @7stripybaskets ?

Many jobs are advertised where there is someone in mind, and it is theirs to lose by a bad interview at best. So a company cannot be accused of unfair process.

That said, a short application period at a time when more than average number of people will be on leave, or have greater childcare commitments, seems to me to be an unintended form of discrimination. Or could be viewed as that by someone who has a grievance, or does not like the favoured candidate.

You can ask but this is unlikely to get traction.

They don’t need to give “sufficient notice”, there isn’t an outlined definition for how long a job posting needs to be live for after all. They might decide to stop accepting applications after x amount of applicants or y amount of talented candidates they want to interview. They can therefore close the listing sooner than stated.

It is not standard practice to align recruitment with potential half term dates. The operational costs and challenges of recruitment will outweigh that.

You also don’t need to be physically at work to apply for a job, surely that is common sense.
It’s not your employer’s business how you spend your leave, the assumption is time off=having more time to apply, not less! It is easier to apply for a job being on leave, than it is being in office when you’re actively expected to be working as opposed to using your working hours applying for jobs.

The world does not revolve half term not people who have kids jobs are advertised apply or not

It's not good practice at all to only have internal jobs advertised either.

Do you maybe just want a whinge and don’t think you’d get it so don’t want to apply? As you could have done it when you saw it, I doubt anyone realised it was half term

i get this is a parenting website and mainly mums but this is madness, job adverts don’t revolve round half term and mums, good grief, we are treated equally in the workplace and many women don’t go off for half term

Exactly... like where do HR draw the line? Mary is off because her kids are on midterm, Jane is off as her child has tonsillitis, Linda works 4 days a week because she has no childcare, Kelly is going to the dentist with her son.

Surely Rita with no kids could be sunning herself in Spain and not see it too.

The OP saw it and chose not to prioritise.

Maybe don't advertise jobs for four days? Have a reasonable advertising period of a couple of weeks.

I'm guessing many of the negative people here also don't realise staff off on maternity leave should be informed of job vacancies as well.....

Actually standard professional practice is to advertise for a minimum of 5 working days, but preferred practice is 5-10 to ensure all employees have fair notice and opportunity to apply. According to three family members who have their CIPD qualifications.

So yes, OP has nothing to lose by contacting HR and asking.

Why this is such a risible suggestion acc to so many on this thread, I have no idea. But I’m hiding it now.

OP, hope you thought to contact HR and ask for a late application to be considered.

They have obviously got someone for the job. It's a done deal l'm afraid, and they are just going through the motions.

When you return to work. I would mention it to your Work Colleagues and collectively approach HR and say you were surprised that it this post was not more widely advertised to other possible Internal Candidates.

Was there a reason for this?