Mumsnetters! I'm torn....help please!

[NikkiBFG]

Ok....was going to go back to work part time. Had it all sorted, nursery etc but didn't bank on work refusing my hours as in the past they were ok about flexible working, but the new management are totally power crazy and awful (sample of their madness - no pictures or personal items allowed on desks even though loads of other areas do it!)...so...I've just got visions of a panting rush to work to be there for 9am as you can bet your life they will be watching like a hawk the times I arrive, ready to jump on me if I'm late as they clearly don't want me back and manager doesn't like me, lots of bitchiness etc and then mad dash to pick DS up at nursery.....is it worth it????!!!

unless you can sign up to be a model employee i.e on time, work v. hard i dont think its worth it and wont be worth the stress.

I'm too gobby to be a model employee Am very good at what I do but can't handle the ooohh management have an idea...lets all agree (even when we don't) and breathless arse licking when senior management go on a walk about around the building.....

Mmm....very hard though....I mean I did like the actual job and interaction with my customers but not any of the management stuff and I know they will be watching me like a hawk for the slightest slip up as they are mad I've got the union involved over work options appeal etc.....

Mmm....theres an idea....got the appeal soon....could wait and see what outcome that is and take it from there....if they say no, then that kind of solves it for me doesn't it? Of course, then I get to go down the constructive dismissal route......they put me through hell when I was pregs and I've never forgiven them for it......

Bump for the evening crowd

Pay someone to do the nursery collection and then you can give them an extra hour of work a day or have an hour to deal with house stuff etc

I don't see why employees shouldn't arrive a bit early and leave a bit later. Most workers do that. It's part of the deal, part of the job and many parents manage it too. Being a parent doesn't mean you have to cut corners and give the bare minimum to the job. Arguably you should given even more as even more important now because with children one thing is for sure you need the money.

Pay someone to do the nursery collection??? Xenia, how minted do you think I am???

Sometimes parents have to pay someone to collect children from school and look after them until they get home from work. It's a fairly normal arrangement that most people in work have to do. Some have a live in au pair once the children are at school which I think costs about £65 a week for 5 hours childcare a day and others pay a child minder. We advertised in the local paper for someone to do school pick up for ours paid on an hourly basis. Sometimes it's worth doing that for the few years you need someone to preserve the career going forwa4rd for the next 20 years when you won't have children but don't want to have been out of the workforce, missed promotions etc so even if it's run at a slight loss as a 20 year investment it's worth it.

I do see your point of short time loss for long term gain, but I'm of the mentality that you can still go great guns for your job even if you come in late/leave early as it makes you more focused on the job and effective at time management/prioritisation...its actually my pet hate when companies tend to promote on the basis of who stays late the most etc and it is invariably those people who do get promoted....

Am not that interested in going full on for a career to be honest....just happy to have something else as well as being a mum, but if it didn't happen, I won't stress about it. Being a mum is the most important job to me, but that is my personal opinion and I appreciate not everyone shares that

Nikki, in answer to your OP - nope. It ain't worth it

Am starting to lean that way myself.....