Redundancy and finding a new 4 day per week job!

[starfish8]

Hi everyone, I'm in the process of being made redundant from a major financial institution. Redeployment is going to be very unlikely so I've started researching new opportunities.

To date, I've found it so depressing the general response to mentioning reduced hours/flexibility re: start/end times. A lot of roles get advertised with recruiters who are often young men, totally don't get why you would need flexibility, and assume they can fill roles more easily with a male or non mother who will work full time (+ often free overtime!) I feel so sad and angry that it's 2016 and working mothers with such great skills and experience are being generally treated like this.

My child is 3, and am currently working 4 days per week. It's still 2 years before he goes to school, and I want to make the most of having that day off with him while I can. I know I won't get that time back and I don't want to have to compromise.

Does anyone have any advice or positive experiences of being in this situation and finding a good solution?Do I need to keep on knocking on doors and not get beaten down by it?

Are you asking too early on about reduced hours?

If you're happy to work 4 days a week, go for full-time posts and ask about doing 4 days and/or condensed hours when you get offered the post. Don't give them a reason to dismiss you too early on. Or start doing 5 days a week and then apply for flexible working after a few weeks. Once you're in they may decide it's more cost-effective to agree your flexible working request than it is to have to re-advertise.

Yes, perhaps employment should be more flexible for working parents earlier on in the process but it isn't so play them at their own game.

Good luck.

I've just resigned from a major financial institution too due to them not agreeing to pt work. No answers at this time but need to earn money so keen to hear ideas

Hi Permanentlyexhausted

I really don't know what the right approach is, be upfront sooner or only later. I had an informal interview last week and at the end I mentioned about flexible working (and that I was working a 4 day week currently hence a reduced salary). The woman looked at me like I had two heads!!!!; got very flustered and said she'd need to speak to HR about it. There was also a bit of travel involved in the role, and I left feeling she wouldn't be understanding if I couldn't travel to London at the drop of a hat. I am very spoilt with my understanding male boss with two young kids at the moment!

This was at an organisation that actively advertised on their job description they welcomed applications from people wanting flexible working, so felt it was ok to bring up. Obs, something added by HR, but the line managers aren't trained on how to handle it or in this case accepting of it.

The woman reacted that badly, I thought she would be even worse if I'd only mentioned it at a second stage/job offer.

Overall, I feel dishonest about not mentioning what I want upfront but I do agree that you can be discounted earlier. I think the problem with my industry is that a lot of roles are with recruitment consultants and I think you have no choice but to be upfront with them - unless any of you tell me otherwise?

I would definitely have more control over what to say/not if I was applying directly, so I could try the approach of applying based on full time and get through a first interview first.

I work 4 days a week (32 hrs condensed) at a major financial institution and if it were me, I'd wait until I was offered the job. What do you have to lose? I moved roles internally this year as my previous team wouldn't let me work 4 days after returning from mat leave. I didn't take it to HR but should have. Instead I applied for a f/t position and when offered I said I work condensed hours and they were totally fine. I think if you make a big deal out of it it's harder. Just act like it's normal. If you work 5 days in 4 or thereabouts then it's easier.

Thanks everyone so far. I think I'm definitely going to keep it to myself than tackling it at the beginning of the process. At worse I would consider full time 5 days for a great job, so waiting until offer could be the right tactic!