How is requesting four weeks’ unpaid parental leave after starting a new job viewed?

[Tryingtohelp12]

Hi
I’m currently in a FTC that finishes in May so on the look out for something new.

I’ve seen something I’d like to apply for but the issue is the summer holidays would start about 8 weeks after starting. I would need to request 4 weeks unpaid parental leave, as I have 3 children and my wage would not cover the cost of the childcare, plus due to my eldest sen needs he can’t go to a general summer club as it’s too overwhelming and can only go to family or my childminder (she’s known him since before he was 1), and last year she decided to cut down her working hours and only work 2 weeks in the holidays so she is unavailable for a big chunk of summer.

from 6 April requesting parental leave becomes a day 1 right but I just wanted opinions on how it will really be recieved?

@BruFordyou're right, they may not be able to accommodate but you don't know what you don't know. The op asked whether it'd be looked on negatively, my argument is that it shouldn't be (but openness and transparency early on help here)

Whether it can be agreed, or needs amending is entirely different of course

I wouldn't call someone who cannot be there for at least 4 weeks at a time due to child care, causing inconvenience to other workers and the employer a "cracker of a candidate".

@Climbingrosexxhow short sighted of you, and potentially discriminatory

How long sighted of you, if you were running a business and had this approach, let's say a Cafe or a shop dependent on seasonal trade, you'd soon go bust.

Short sighted is not seeing the wider picture. An employer has a whole work force to keep happy not just one person. This is not a family emergency or a medical issue we are talking about here, OP is fully aware of her situation and should be making plans in advance. Do you not see how OPs request is unfair on her colleagues? It reduces the amount of holiday available to others for a start. There's always a higher workload on others during holiday season as it is I don't have to worry about discrimination as I am not an employer but I would be annoyed if I was one of her colleagues. People did, and many still do take responsibility for themselves without all this handholding.

Exactly this. Doesn’t matter how good someone is at their job, they aren’t going to be proving themselves by doing this.

And dropping someone during probation doesn’t need to be discriminatory. There is the potential for resentment from other colleagues which can affect the team ‘vibe’ and cause the company to have to pay for unexpected cover or for the other staff to cover your work.

And whilst you don’t have to say at the interview of course, in practice many employers would feel that you misrepresented things and would question your integrity.

You do have a right to request it of course but if they can make a business case against it they can.

Which is why it can be post poned/ declined/ negotiated. But we don't know that, the Op was asking about whether it's wrong to ask for it - the answer should be no.

It saddens me to see people automatically go "no, of course you shouldn't ask" as the first response as opposed to seeing if it could work first

@LiviaDrusillaAugustaif you dismiss someone for wanting to take parental leave, that's illegal. Doesn't matter how you dress it up

Yes I realise that.

But like it or not, it’s ridiculous that it starts on day one. It shouldn’t start until probation is passed.

Some people are unsuitable for a particular job or have a shit attitude or just be a bit crap. If that person then requests parental leave (because they genuinely need it), the employer could have no choice but to keep them on regardless of suitability or competence, in case they get sued.

And THIS is why many employers are still reluctant to employ women of child bearing age.

@LiviaDrusillaAugustaall comes down to evidence, if you can show is due to unsuitability and not the parental leave request then absolutely you can dismiss someone. Devil is in the detail

I realise that

Surely you know the answer OP