Would you return to this job? Full time, part time or not at all?

[Newmummytobe79]

Hi all,

I've a while to decide yet! But wondered if you could let me know your thoughts.

I have a job that pays 25k but it?s nearly a 100 mile round trip per day and fuel is currently costing me around £250 a month. It means I leave home at 7am and return home around 6.30pm. The return journey at the most has taken me three hours due to traffic. The job I have is very female orientated but doesn?t really cater for working mums but I believe my employers would try their best to be flexible. I don?t think I can afford/want to go back full time to this role in particular and I think they would consider part time hours.

My Mum and Dad are amazing and have agreed to look after baby three days a week so I can go back to work. If I need to work 4 days I?d have to put my child in childcare for that day ? which I don?t really want to do.

Would you return to this job or look for a similar role, but part time and nearer to home?

I don?t have a problem with the journey now but if my baby needed me, it would take me an hour at best to get home. Plus if I work the same hours, I?d have to get up at 5.30am and have baby ready to leave the house at 6.30am

Does anyone else do this and it work or not?

x

I'd look for another job.
It is a long old drive to get there and remember that by then you are very likely to be a lot more tired than now. That would not be very safe to drive in these conditions.Moreover,with the hours you work, you'd barely spend any time at all with your child.
I do not feel it is a good idea. Best of luck whatever you choose!

Hi
I have a similar commute and with 2 little ones there is absolutely no way I could cope with 5 days a week at work, getting up early, doing the whole routine thing (we all leave the house at 6:45 on a work day). Physically it would be way, way to exhausting - and that doesn't even take into account the fact that once my eldest arrived I quickly realised that I would find it extremely hard to actually leave him 5 days a week. I am very, very lucky that we could afford for me to drop to 3 days a week (well, actually I work 3.5 days in 3), and that my employer are very supportive of parents with young children - as well as being part-time I am allowed to spend 1 day a week working from home.

I would add though that actually getting a new part-time job is very, very hard - a lot of jobs will let you become part-time once e.g. you have children, but actually starting one from scratch is hard.

Good luck

That's my biggest fear! I'd love to stay at home with baby but it's just not an option for us. I don't want to miss out on anything but at the same time I do need to work. Thanks for your reply x

Grubbalo - I hadn't thought about the number of part time jobs out there. You're right - they are few and far between! x

Go back part time and enjoy the rest of your time with your tiny bundle of joy!!

only problem with nursery/childminder care is that they will not have them when the baby is sick - therefore forcing you to have lots of time off. But the fact its your family should deal with that problem, just make sure they are versed with taking baby to the docs etc and that you can rely on them. They sound ace by the way, very jealous !

I would go for part time hours but expect to feel as if its as much work as full time whilst you are at work, can you leave work at work ? As trying to work at home with a baby is a total nightmare !!

Prettywhiteguitar - I am soooo lucky! This will be their first grandchild and I think they are as giddy, if not more so, than we are!

That's the thing I'm worried about ... I don't work weekends or evenings but have a work Blackberry that is always going off! Plus - it involves a lot of client meetings and attending events and I don't think have a 'set' three day week would work. I'm too soft so if asked to swap a Tuesday for a Friday ... I'd say yes but then that's unfair on my parents to expect them to drop their plans. I think I do need this long to consider my options after all! x

I'd just see how flexible your parents are, they make be okay swopping days if you have enough notice. Do you have a partner who can help ?

I'd look for another job but not quit the current one until I'd got something else lined up, nothing wrong with that.

Also, check your maternity pay conditions. I have to return for at least six months or refund them everything over the statutory minimum that they've paid me.

I don't get any maternity pay from work - just SMP. x

I would stay home or look for a similar role, but part time and nearer to home.

That sounds very similar to my job before I had DD. Admittedly I only had to get to the other side of London, which is more like a 10 mile round trip, but it could still, and often did, total 3 hours commuting each day by the time I'd also done nursery drop off/pick up! I very nearly didn't return to work but in the end I agreed to do a 3 day week and, although it was exhausting, I'm really glad I did because it helped me realise what mattered to me. I realised I did want/need something else in my life, ie work, but not at any cost. Sadly my parents can't offer any childcare and DH's job is very inflexible so I just found it too hard to continue to work. I eventually did decide to leave but I never regretted giving it a go. I am lucky enough to be able to continue to work for my ex-employers on a casual basis as and when suits me (and they need me) but the commute still kills me! I haven't had any luck finding part-time work with a decent salary nearer home and am now expecting DC2 instead!

Hope that helps!

PS when I am working I too have the minimum hour home to get to a poorly baby - as does my husband - that's just life in London and we have to accept it as does the nursery.

I'm in a similar situation also leave for work at 7 and home anywhere between 6 and 8 with a 100 mile round trip, am currently 27 wks and sooooo tired in the evenings after the driving- I have no choice but to go back, I'm the main breadwinner and didn't go to uni for 5 yrs to pack it in after 5 yrs working- finding another job with good pay is not even an option as they simply don't exist in my line of work.

Also I work in male dominated industry (construction) and am the first pregnant woman apart from admin staff in a company that employs 400 people!! so i cant imagine them being too understanding.

Luckily my DH starts an hour after me close to home so our plan is for him to take LO to SIL who'll be keeping LO so at least i wont have to get them ready in the morn.

Also have only SMP which is so unrealistic to live off esp when your used to a good salary so saving like mad for when im off!!

Its shit when most of my friends are teachers, civil servants etc with flexi time, shorter hours and great mat pay!!

But I think I just have to suck it up and get on with it as I knew all this before I got pg and im sure there are plenty of people in worse situations!!