I was the only mum at Canary Wharf

[Snowybird]

I went back to work last year after two year break and career switch. It felt like a real victory.

After a few days I realized I was the only mum at Canary Wharf (apart from the very few who had remained at work on throughout and now had the tenure to work flexibly/part-time.)

My boss (the archetypal unmarried career woman) hated me for needing to leave a 5.05pm and pretty soon had forced me out.

I suspect that all City firms or similar are going to be the same in terms of demographics/attitudes, but if anyone knows an exceptional firm that offers genuine work-life balance to new entrants (with great credentials, natch), I'd be glad to hear its name!

what kind of firm (what kind of job)?

you are so not the only mother at CW! what firm, what job?

Sorry to be cagey, but I don't want to name my ex-employer because you never know who is listening.
Suffice to say that I was in a professional position but modestly paid (40K) and many of my colleagues were strolling in at 9.30am.
So since that didn't work, I can't really imagine working somewhere more pressured, say BarCap or KPMG. Or am I wrong?

well, I think life where I am (or at least where I am until the end of today) is fairly good and the people are fairly family friendly - I'm a lawyer and some of the business team regularly refuse meetings after 5pm as they have to do nursery pick up (I'm talking about Dads here). I think it really depends exactly what sort of role you have, and whether your tasks are time critical (client-driven) or not. For example, the risk and compliance teams here generally have reasonably regular hours (although they sometimes have to work from home to catch up at busy times, but this is easier than staying late, I think). Finance area seems to have more peaks and troughs, from what I can gather as an outsider....

but this is not an investment bank and we're not involved in trading....

Wouldn't rule out KPMG. They are very proud of the best employer award - top 3 in each of the last 4 years I think - and concept of being "employer of choice". Can you say what kind of job, at least?

I am not at KPMG (and I am City, not CW) but work with KPMG quite a lot.

FWIW, when I came back after DS1 I was the only mother in a client-facing role in our London office. It was not great, even though the firm felt it was being supportive in a kind of do-nothing way. We are more proactive in our support for new mothers now I think (hope).

i'm sorry but i feel a little wary of your posts. "i was the only mum at canary wharf" sounds like a headline to me...

however, just in case...

fwiw - i have worked in a number of investment banks and had flexible working in all of them. the success of these arrangements, from the ee's pov, depends very largely on the willingness of the immediate manager to support them ime. as you have found out to your cost! as you must be aware, now is probably the worst time for several decades to be looking for a job in that sector (i know i am doing it!), and i suspect flexible working may take a hammering from reactionaries...

Snowybird, what did you do with your twins while this curiously stereotypical misery was taking place? Canary Wharf is bristling with working mothers.
You wouldn't be starting threads as cheap research for a really classy newspaper column, would you now?

yes i confess i did check out snowybird's posting history.

I used to work at Morgan Stanley in Canary Wharf and they were fine about when I had to leave to get the kids or when they were sick - granted I only did 2 days a week but I never had any trouble and found HR to be brilliant.

Mind you I think you have sod all chance of getting a job in Canary Wharf with anyone at the moment!

Thank you to those who made kind and positive comments.

Marina and Bossykate should consider the shrivelling effect of their unfounded suspicions of me. Even if they were right in their assumptions, I would be dismayed by their mean-spirited thoughts. And they are wrong.