Flexible working dilemma

[KelaS]

Hi all. I am currently on maternity leave, and although DD is only 6 weeks, I am having to think now about what will happen when I go back to work (and even if I will, but that's another issue!). Basically, the job I am in now, I don't really enjoy (and doesn't pay much), but I like working for the company, and so have been hanging on, waiting for a better job to come up. I have applied for some in the past, but not got them (rightly so in hindsight). However, another job has just come up which I think I would be much more suited for, and my manager is encouraging me to apply for it despite the fact that I am on mat leave (I know they have to treat me the same as if I was at work, but they actually are, which is one reason I like this company so much!).

The problem is, I have been thinking lately about how little time I will have with my DD if I go back to the hours I was doing before (with the commute I will be out of the house 11 hrs a day ), and if I do go back I will want to have some form of flexible working. But should I mention this at interview, or wait until I am closer to the time I will be going back? And more to the point, is it wrong to be applying for this job if I am not 100% certain I even will go back?

Hi ya, I think you should apply and see what happens, are you looking at working part-time?
If so, I think that is important to mention, but if it's just time flexibility, etc you are after, I think if they know you have a small child, they will know they will probably be expected to give it to you.

I was in a similar situation, although a step forward, I had already moved up in the company to the job I really wanted when I became pregnant, I didn't enjoy it in the end and decided didn't want to go back to it after mat leave, I asked for my old job back part time! Priorites change and I not very ambitious at the moment since ds is 17 mo and my family life comes first, and certainly don't care about doing a dull job as long as the company/benefits are great for families!

Good luck

Just flexibility - maybe slightly part time (one day off a fortnight), and different start/finish times. The thing is, no-one else in the office has flexible hours, so not sure whether I would get it, and if I don't I may not want to take the job. On the other hand, I don't want to give them reason to have doubts about whether or not to give me the job