Mentioning I'm a single parent in an interview?

[Eesha]

Hi,

I'm not sure whether to mention this in a 1st interview for a finance role. If it's office based, I'd like to be able to take my lunch hour later and pick my kids up and then work a few hours at home after this. If it's not feasible, thats ok but I just wondered whether to mention I'm a lone parent at all?

No. Wait until you get a job offer then negotiate.

I wouldn't.

I had the experience of it being known and not getting the job. Then I went for one job and was directly asked about it by a male interviewer (yes, he really did ask how I would stay late if required) and I said, ''well, I'm lucky, I rely on my mother and even though it's not her responsibility, this has been so much more helpful than when I had to rely on my (x) husband''

But that answer didn't go down well either. I could see it in his face. He was your average take 15 % of the responsibility Dad of young kids and I made him feel bad for a moment, so I didn't get that job either even though I had just demonstrated that I did have the freedom to work off schedule to a degree.

So, if I were you I'd mention a husband if asked.

Then later, you can back track, oh yeh, I just didn't want to have being a single parent held against me again.

I know you could be asked to explain a degree you don't actually have, but not a husband!

Agreed, get the job first. There may be system reasons why they need cover throughout the day, so specify when people take lunch etc. so best to unpick that once you've been accepted, as part of a negotiation around flexible working.

I think what you are looking for is a flexible working arrangement www.gov.uk/flexible-working But you will can only ask for one after 26 weeks of employment and the employer doesn't have to agree to your request.

As a senior person in Finance who interviews regularly, I wouldn't mention it because it isn't the time or place.

I know I would do all I could to accommodate a request like this, but would want to do it on a trial basis for a month to start off with.

@Silvergreen thank you, the consensus seems to be avoid saying anything. I can obviously work round things so I can do a full day in the office but my children are tiny and I would like to avoid this if I can. I'll see if I even get past the 1st interview!

Accept any job offer formally first then negotiate. If they want you then they're more likely to be accommodating of your (not unreasonable) request.
Introducing the suggestion that you may need to rearrange your working day for your kids could lead to them unfairly imagining you'll be doing so constantly at short notice for anything and everything to do with the children, even though that's not actually what you're looking for.
The only other option is to apply for jobs where the hours don't cause any issue, and I believe such jobs are hard to come by.

See also mentioning pregnancy, other caring responsibilities, any ongoing illness or invisible disability

Agree don’t mention it.

I made that mistake and then interview became focus of all these hypothetical scenarios around child care.

Hence to say knew bloke that turned up 15mins late, didn’t bring required Id for HR and kept checking his phone would get the job. He had no kids

Thank you all, some tough stories here to read.