"I officially still work for a very large mobile phone retailer and in the 5 years that I have worked for this company I have had two children and got married. During this time I have worked from 9:30am until 7:30pm five days a week and trained two managers. Am I a manager? No! My manager sits on his backside and does nothing until I get so fed up of the mess and customer care issues that have gone unresolved that I do his job for him. I have applied for our in-house management training program but was not approved as there were too few spaces available and the choice of people that got places was made on a length of service basis. I found this highly unlikely as one of the people I trained 2 years after I started work was put on the course before me. He is now a manager. A friend of mine who does not have children, started working for the company the year after me and is well on her way to becoming area manager told me, when I asked why I had been passed over, that they couldn't see the point in sending me because I was pregnant and couldn't give any commitment to my job as it was as I couldn't be specific about my babies arrival time! After the birth of my daughter I decided to take a years extended maternity leave the end of which is fast approaching so I called my manager to let him know that I was coming back, I have now been told that I can't go back full time as someone else has had my job and this new man doesn't have any family commitments so he's more reliable. I have been offered two days a week but can't choose which two days so it'll be both weekend days which are the only days my husband gets off. Have also been told that it wont be acceptable for me to express milk for my daughter in the staff room I'll have to do it in the toilet.
I am now spending every waking moment worrying about money and trying desperately to find a job as my husbands wage covers everything but food!
I have been turned down for two jobs that I could have done in my sleep, I found on both occasions that the interveiws turned sour after the mention of my two daughters.......... I can work as hard as the next person and I'm willing to, I just hate being over looked and passed over for jobs and promotions because I'm a young working mother. I was top sales person in the midland division for six months running and ran my branch single handedly for 4 years but that counts for nothing and you certainly can't have a promotion. There must be a rule book somewhere that says that once you give birth you have to remain on the shop floor for the rest of your life......... ....must have missed that page! I just want to work from home in a job that pays 300 pounds a month and doesn't involve talking dirty, is that too much to ask???? Any ideas gratefully received. "