How Late Do You Work and Negotiate a 'Normal' Time to Leave?

[Darlingdamsel]

I am a management consultant and I have been working for myself but have decided to try to go back to work 'full-time'. I really need to buy a new home and self-employment has made it virtually impossible as my income hasn't been consistent.

I am a single mom (my ex isn't involved - although I have tried) and have a two year old. My childminder is awesome, but ultimately I need to figure out how to best manage this for my son's sake.

What I am struggling with is that I have never been employed and left consistently before 7:00. Talking to a potential employer - he raved about their quality of life and the fact they don't usually work later than 6-6:30.

Thinking about this - that does NOT sound like a 'good'. With travel an hour back and forth - that means I would not get home and be able to start dinner before 7-7:30. That would mean I would not get DS to bed before 8:30ish (he goes to bed at 7:30 now).

So realistically - how late do similar, high pressure women work and if its 5-5:30 ... how do you negotiate tha - esp with new employers? I don't see how as it seems excessively early? Its not THEIR problem that am a mother and single?

Ideas would really be welcome as I am starting to panic a bit.

Thanks!

I think it's just a matter of finding a job that's convenient both in working hours and location.

The one you've seen isn't right. If it was 10 minutes away, 6pm would be fine. As it's an hour, you wouldn't make it home in time. Consistently leaving early could breed disharmony, so you are better off looking for work closer to home.

You may be able to negotiate leaving half an hour early if you start early, for example, but some companies will be set on their hours and they won't be variable. It's a matter of trial and error I think.

Good luck!

I'm lucky in that I work a lot with the US (my manager is there for a a start), so I do stuff in the evenings after ds is in bed, so log off between 5 and 7.30.

I wouldn't take a job an hour away though - thats a logistical nightmare

Would you have to leave at the same time each day? Is there one (or two) evenings that you could arrange for the childminder to stay late / have some help?

I work 3 days but have a 1-1.5hr commute each way so negotiated an early start and early finish with only a 30 min lunch break (so my official hours are 8.30 - 4pm). However, I am there at 7.30 each day, don't leave the office at lunch time (just have a packed lunch at my desk). I leave at 4pm on the dot on 2 days. On the 3rd day, I stay until 8 or 9pm. I appreciate an early start might not be possible but the point I'm trying to make is that it just means perhaps you have to be creative, and if you demonstrate to your colleagues that you're putting in the hours, you'll still be well thought of despite having an early finish time.

I think many women with busy jobs leave on time but then log in later - not ideal but means not compromising on career.

Don't take a job so far away.

Can you negotiate working from home some of the time? I know a lot of parents who leave at 5 then work at home after DC are in bed - I do this and it works very well. But I am not in a high powered job and it's fine to leave after 3pm, as long as you get the work done.

Yes, a job nearer home, but also, if you are going to get home that late you need childcare where your DS gets fed his dinner!

If you're picking him up quite late you don't want to spend that time rushing around cooking dinner, you need him to have had his so that all you need to worry about is spending time with him and getting him to bed at a decent time.

My two are 6 and 3 and still have their evening meal at 5.30.

It isn't always practical to get a job closer to home. My commute is an hour each way. I can't cut that down because there are no organisations I could work for that are close to me and I couldn't afford to move closer (C London). I manage it by working PT - leave the office at 4:30. Children eat before I pick them up.

I wouldn't recommend this - pickup is still rushed and stressful because everyone's tired, and although I have my boss's full support I do feel compromised at work (I have to remind people I get to leave early because I get paid less for the privilege). I go on mat leave soon and when I go back will go for a nanny if we can possibly afford it - so the children can eat at home and have a chance to relax, and I can go in early/leave a bit late when needed rather than rushing for after school club.

I'm a solicitor and I leave the office at 5, most colleagues stay til 6-7 or later. It's understood that I'll be checking my blackberry for anything urgent between 5-7 and that if I need to I will log on from home after 7.

I can see it would be difficult with a new employer but if you suggest a solution to their likely concerns like being contactable and then logging back on if necessary then you'll see how understanding/flexible they're willing to be. IMO an employer who won't consider more flexible solutions isn't going to work well for me (or you by the sounds of it) long term as they won't understand if you need to take time off/work from home with sick children etc.

My view is that if the employer is willing to be flexible then so am by logging on later, dealing with urgent matters on my days off (I'm PT) etc. that's all part of doing a professional job and not being paid per hour. It is a matter of trust on both sides but you'd have a probation period and that's when you can demonstrate that you can be effective even leaving the office at 5.

The trouble with all these work-from-home check-blackberry-in-the-evenings arrangements is its going to be very difficult to negotiate that from day one, it might be a case of putting up with it for a time while you prove yourself.