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Original poster

Civil service job offer unsuitable for childcare.

134 replies

Asvan · 22/08/2020 23:58

Hi

I just need some advice please. I'm looking to get back into work as my youngest starts school this September. I applied for an admin assistant role in the civil service and I got the job! I applied for this role as it was advertised as part time/flexible.

They called me on Friday to say the hours of work would be two full days and a half day. However, this isn't suitable for me as I have three kids under the age of 11. I have no help with childcare and my husband works away a lot so I need to be available for the kids.

In an ideal world I wouldn't mind working a few hours each day while the kids are at school as the job is only 18 hours a week. Is this something that I could negotiate? Also I would prefer to only work term time and maybe even be allowed to work from home some days. I feel like I'm asking for so much but I'd rather be honest from the beginning instead of wasting everyone's time.

Has anyone been in a similar position? And what's the best way to proceed. I have to let them know by Monday if I want to take the job. I dont want to come across as unflexible or unreasonable.

OP posts:
OverTheRubicon · 23/08/2020 07:48

What do you think the rest of us have to do about childcare?

With all DCs at school your childcare costs are very unlikely to be larger than your earnings, and you'll be building up a cv and a pension. You are likely to just need to suck it up like the rest of us and sort a childminder, babysitter, wraparound care, a swap with another parent.

I work full time with 3 kids, younger than yours and not all at school and have just become a single mum. Many of us can't afford to work only in perfect slots - if you truly can take or leave this job, then turn it down and let it go to someone who really needs it right now.

MinesAPintOfTea · 23/08/2020 07:49

I'd find childcare (school wraparound is generally much cheaper than nursery) and accept the job as it stands. Once you have started you'll get more of a feel for how flexible the arrangements could be and if there is scope to negotiate a change in hours. You'll know what does genuinely require you at specific times and not for example. Term time hours being acceptable would surprise me though, but if only doing 2.5 days/week, you can probably do a childcare swap with friends.

And if it can't flex, you will have the experience for when you apply for the next job

Antipodeancousin · 23/08/2020 07:55

You’re after the kind of arrangement that would probably only be considered if you were already a long term, much valued employee.
Absent any special needs why can’t your children cannot go to childcare when they’re not in school?

HazelWong · 23/08/2020 07:57

You should take this job - look at the pension, it is worth a lot!

No harm in asking whether the hours have to be split this way but I would take it either way and just pay for childcare - after school club/holiday club/childminder

JellyBellies · 23/08/2020 08:00

Are breakfast and after-school clubs available? If so, use them for 2 days a week.

If they are not available you will struggle to get any job, to be honest.

iMatter · 23/08/2020 08:01

I agree it sounds like a job share

Take the job

Pay for childcare and split the cost between you and your husband

It's what most people do

pupstersdream · 23/08/2020 08:03

The civil service can be pretty flexible so I’d definitely ask

molifly14 · 23/08/2020 08:05

I'd withdraw my offer if someone started making that many requests. Pick one which is really important for you, such as working shorter days over more days. The dream job for every mother is short days, term time only and working from home if you can. A lot of employers wouldn't make all them work so I think you need to be more realistic. If it was TTO contract, you'd have been offered that.

AgentProvocateur · 23/08/2020 08:05

Take the job and pay for childcare. It will be worth it in the long run.

CrunchyNutNC · 23/08/2020 08:08

Childcare is not solely your problem OP, they have two parents. Your husband may be away alot but that won't prevent him helping to find childcare and contributing to the cost.

DrStrangesMagicDressingGown · 23/08/2020 08:10

You'd be taking the piss to ask for all school holidays off! But to try and spread the 18 hours over more days is ok I think.

Noneformethanks · 23/08/2020 08:14

Also, next time ask what the hours are - What days, from home, School term only - at interview if it isn’t clear.

JacobReesMogadishu · 23/08/2020 08:16

I don’t think you ask for holidays off or to wfh. They’re likely to withdraw the offer if you’re that demanding!

Ask about changing the working hours but if not take the job. Civil service jobs are really good. The job market is going to get 100x tougher very quickly and I’m not been funny but people who have been out of work for a few years generally aren’t top of the list of attractive applicants unless you have a specific skill set.

DianaT1969 · 23/08/2020 08:19

Agree with another poster. You did well to get this job. Think of the pension and potential for the future. Sort out childcare. It's only for a few hours a week. 2 days? You could do the drop offs on half days. Ignore the cost. It's spread over your husband's income too. After October it will be much harder to find jobs.

Dyrne · 23/08/2020 08:22

I think you need to be realistic here. Do you actually even want to work? No judgement if you don’t, it’s a valid choice to be a SAHM, it’s just I find a lot of women who fear judgement about staying at home will make up a lot of “barriers” for why they can’t return to work.

Having to find wraparound care for 2 days a week (and maybe one morning) really shouldn’t be onerous and your children won’t shrivel up and die from being put into childcare. There are so many different holiday clubs out there nowadays you can find some fun, varied ones if you’re organised.

If you don’t want that then fine, but then accept that’s your choice and it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll find a job that’s happy for you to do what you want.

AlternativePerspective · 23/08/2020 08:23

Ask to spread the hours more by all means but wanting term time only is taking the piss.

museumum · 23/08/2020 08:23

I think you have waaay too many requests in your first post.
How about two days a week you pay for childcare and then on the short day you ask for flexi hours to work school hours or occasional wfh?

EdithWeston · 23/08/2020 08:26

I don't think you have a chance of term time only, as it is unlikely that work can be bunched to cover those absences.

But if you think it can be, then you need to present that plan to show them it can work. IME Civil Sevice is way more accommodating of flexible working than the private sector, but it is up to you to show how you can meet the business need within the pattern you want.

Re-arranging the 2.5 days over 3 or 4 wouid normally be pretty straight forward, unless it is job share (and you need to match) or in order to have a Covid-safe environment there is a current ceiling on numbers physically in a workplace.

You need to give them potential solutions, not just ask.

Otherwise, find childcare or decline this post and keep looking for one which suits you better.

Even with DH frequently away, he should be helping you find solutions. This is not solely yours to solve.

notheragain4 · 23/08/2020 08:29

You're asking a lot from the start of an admin assistant role. Even in a senior position I expect to get my feet under the table for 6 months before asking for WFH days (that's actually my current employer's policy despite being extremely flexible) or messing with my hours too much (although I do feel more able to negotiate that at my level now, but I'm not a front facing role).

I'm not sure how you could make it term time without severely reducing the hours in the contract and flexibility is always with the employer's business needs considered first.

The civil service can be an extremely flexible employer, it sounds like you've gone into this a bit blind, but I wouldn't cut your nose off to spite your face, there are lots of possibilities in the CS, security and flexibility. But you do have to give a little and paying some childcare to some degree here will be part of it.

Remember also, they'll be paying 26% into your pension.

dizzygirl1 · 23/08/2020 08:32

I'd ask. I took an admin role with the civil service and worked out a plan with HR to work an annualised contract - in term time I worked full time and in school holidays I worked part time. Also had it agreed for 1 working from home day a week.
A lot of roles are working from home at the moment anyway and going forward how we used to work (5 days in the office) may not be what we go back to.
Well done, but do speak to them and your new line manager.

dizzygirl1 · 23/08/2020 08:35

Oh I also know of quite a few term time only or part time and school hours working in the civil service too. Obviously only paid for contracted hours.

FinnyStory · 23/08/2020 08:42

You can ask to spread the hours through the week, I think school holidays is a big ask. Also, think about how it really works for you.

If you do the 2.5 days you (probably) only need wrap around cover for 2 days and will only need school holiday childcare for 2.5 days pw, plus you get 2 full days off!

If you spread the hours through the week, you will feel like you're working full time in terms of the time you get to yourself and you'll need almost FT cover in the holidays.

The cost of the wrap around care is a shared family expense, not yours alone and should be considered an investment in your earning power for the future.

Congratulations! There will have been literally 100s of applications for an admin job of this type.

springiscoming12 · 23/08/2020 08:44

You can ask but I do think that you want too much. Did you ask anything about the working hours during the interview stage? Given the amount of requests you have it would have been a good idea to have gauged the employer’s flexibility when you were interviewed

newphoneswhodis · 23/08/2020 08:48

Why can't you just get childcare? After school club would cost £50 for 3 for two days. If you've been doing without your wage for a while surely you can pay that much.

Dyrne · 23/08/2020 08:48

If you do the 2.5 days you (probably) only need wrap around cover for 2 days and will only need school holiday childcare for 2.5 days pw, plus you get 2 full days off!

If you spread the hours through the week, you will feel like you're working full time in terms of the time you get to yourself and you'll need almost FT cover in the holidays.

Really good point by @FinnyStory - spreading your days out might save you on childcare, but I actually think it offers less flexibility than just consolidating and working 2.5 days.