How do you manage childcare if both you and your DP work rotational shifts?

[MARGOsBeenPlayingWithMyNooNoo]

I am currently in part time employment and wonder how we would manage if I changed career.

bumping - does anyone have experience of this?

without any family help (as we are) I think it'd be impossible

Don't do it personally. I work full time and hubby does supply work around my shifts. Have work with others who have done it, requires very understanding employers, however with family friendly policies this should be improving

Will be watching this with interest, as I'm hoping to get back to some kind of work soon. Pre kids I dii alot of odd shfts. Dh does opposite shifts each week. Currently, my best bet is to work weekends, so I'd only need childcare for one weekend a month when he works (which would mean all my wages gone for that weekend, but it'd secure my job), then when ds2 starts nursery I can extend into the week. I actually prefer weekdays off, so it's be perfect for me. Trouble is, I also want a job I enjoy !

Our friends also both work odd hours, and their ds goes to nursery each day, private nursery one morning, childminder one morninig, me one afternoon. Really not ideal To an extent, she can juggle her hours a bit though, to fit in.

I don't have any experience but would like to add that the statutory right to request flexible working doesn't just mean part time or working from home. Requesting a more regular/family friendly shift pattern would come into that.

Just thought I'd mention in case it helps anyone - often people assume flexible working is about reducing hours only.

FloweryBB - my dh is a police officer and his shifts work around teams & I work full time - the request for flexible working surely wouldn't apply to him?

Skinflint - same here (except I work 25 hrs pw). DH, for health reasons, needs to avoid working nights wherever possible, so has a sort of arrangement, although there is a reluctance to formalise it. There are, however, several police women who do have these arrangements (and some work part-time).

Some of my colleagues work shifts (public sector) but they would struggle to get flexible working arrangements. One colleague at a different location is currently in negotiations, but will I understand end up moving to a different (non-shift) location.

my DH is a police officer and has negotiated flexible working. in his case he does compressed hours, so he is off every tuesday, and does slightly longer days the rest of the week. this allows me to do my on-calls on tuesdays.

dh's work took a long time to be persuaded about this, but he's been doing this for nearly a year now and all is well.

He's in CID though which makes things easier as there's not as many night shifts to be covered.

I've just been talking to DH about this and he said that you become pigeon holed as you are not as "useful" to the team as you are not as available and flexible as others.

He said that it may cause resentment and hold you back from promotion and transfers to different departments.

Have either of your 2 husbands expereinced this or are they happy with their job role?

hey skinfint

I don't think DH is pigeon-holed, or resented. his work have become used to him not being around on a Tuesday, and he is one of the more experienced members of his team, so he is needed and appreciated as much as ever! He has just passed his sergeants exams and fully expects to be promoted.

In terms of transfers though, he is limited, but that seems the case for all part-timers/flexiworkers in all fields (I write as a part-time, flexible worker who is currently looking for a new job ). That's why he's looking for promotion at the same station, rather than a transfer. But that's only for a few years.....

I do think it's harder for uniformed officers though. we are lucky that DH has been in CID for a good few years.

I'm guessing pigeon-holing could be a problem for someone younger in service/planning to get promoted but tbh it's not been a major problem for DH - he's got 29 years service in and is still active (rather than office-based) so quite unusual anyway.

Like elsewhere, DH has found over the years that if your face fits, then transfer/promotions occur whatever, if your face doesn't fit, well you know the score.

His first inspector hated the agreement and tried not to recognise it; the next inspector wasn't given the correct info so tried to say he couldn't do it, but DH put him straight on that one. No inspector currently, but DH is flexible and sensible - if his co-sergeant is not at work for any reason he will do the full night, rather than half night which he is supposed to.

He still works full-time, and there are often variations to the shifts for operational reasons.

At the end of the day though, DH's health suffers if he works full nights, and his health is more important than how others perceive him.

if both your shifts are set then it is easier.
with mine they never were, i didnt know what i was working from week to week it changed.

childminder is a very good option as you can give shift patterns well in advanc and they are far more flexible than nurseries etc.

i have a pal who is a police officer and so is her dh, they have family hepl and nursery help.
with her late shifts, she takes her son to her mil at lunch time and her dh picks him up at tea time,with early shifts, nursery in the am, she picks him up when she finishes.
have to say that she is having HUGE problems with her work as they are totally inflexible and unhelpful and as obsrtructive as they posibly can be because she has a boss who does not believe that women should be in the police if they intend on having kids.

DH is a uniformed sgt btw.

I work p-t flexi-hours within the CJS too (different strand) and I would struggle to get another job that suited so well, taking into consideration my pay (national scale in a low-paid area); annual leave; flexibility etc etc.

That's interesting Deany - DH has found locally that often the women officers get what they ask for, whereas he's struggled to get an agreement.

Not generalising - this is specific to his area.

I think it's hard when you have been used to shifts. My DH used to be in the print and worked nights then the shifts changed to lates and earlys.

PerkinWarbeck - I hope I didn't come across as saying these things about your DH. I think these are fears and reservations my DH has if it came to him requesting flexible working arrangements.

I completely agree that if you're a hard worker and respected by your colleagues then you're more able to apply this arrangement without causing resentment to others. DH was just talking about one of his colleagues who has said that he can't work weekends as he has to look after the children. (they do 1 weekend in 4).

no offence taken at all .

I do despair of the police sometimes though. i think you're right that senior management have some funny ideas about putting the hours in, just to get your face known.

I agree with unknownrebelbang too, in that there is still consider sexism ie flexible working is ok for the womenfolk, but not the done thing for Blokes like Us.

makes me glad I work in local government, and I don't say that very often .