Our little one is settled in nursery and its time for me to start looking for a job.
It’s been six years since I waved farewell to my colleagues and employer and swapped a desk, meetings, targets and deadlines for cuddles, nappies, tantrums, CBeebies and sleepless nights.
It’s daunting dipping a tow back in the world of work. Has six years of sleep deprivation eradicated my grey brain matter? Has my industry moved on so much it’s left me behind? Having spent six years with a little person with me every waking (and sometimes sleeping) moment, how will the separation feel?
…And there is the endless mum guilt.
But there are also the positives to look forward to…a lunch hour, going to the toilet on my own with the door locked, conversations that do not include the words Paw Patrol, poo or Lego. The feeling and appraisal of being valued for a job well done.
(Interview ready. Unknowingly colour co-ordinated with the venue…Only realised day before I was ridiculously deluded thinking my pre-second-baby work wear – not seen the light of day for six years – would fit, and only had really casual or stuff for a party/funeral/ wedding in my wardrobe.)
There is no European Working Time Directive being a stay at home mum and I’m sure I would have broken it regularly if it applied to my ‘house manager’ role in between surviving on a couple of hours sleep for nights on end then getting up to do it all again the next day.
Raking out my CV from the depths of the laptop vaults, I start applying for jobs. The must have requirements for some of the roles I’m looking at I have to do a Google search on, as technological advances have created software I’ve never heard of in my six year absence.
And that six year figure creates a glaring issue.
Legally employers cannot ask you if you have children and they shouldn’t take that into account when deciding who to give the job to, but when you have a six year gap on your CV it’s a bit tricky to fudge over the subject.
(The gorgeous view from the office of potential new job at a cancer charity. Couldn’t stop wondering about how many tissues they must go through in a week they have them everywhere…😢 )
There is also the issue of childcare. When thinking about returning to work any salary consideration has to account for the extortionate costs of childcare and with most employers giving UK workers an average of 28 days holiday and kids getting around 13 weeks off school annually there is a huge deficit in cover. Who will look after my children and what will the cost be?
For some families with multiple children, where one parent has average or below average UK earnings, it is actually more cost effective for that parent to stay home and provide the childcare than work for nothing once childcare costs are considered and have barely any time with your kids.
I really wish more professional jobs provided flexible working opportunities and Anna Whitehouse aka Insta @mother_pukka has been campaigning on this front #flexappeal. She has to be commended for her efforts.
There are thousands of mums (and dad’s) in the UK who would like to do some form of work fitting it around childcare and school runs but are being held back by the restrictive nature of inflexible work opportunities and expensive childcare.
The talent pool out there employers are missing out in and highly skilled mums unable to get back into the workforce is ridiculous.
I know some mums who wanted more time with heir baby but went back as soon as their maternity leave ended because they couldn’t afford not to. Others who went back because they were worried about their industry penalising them for taking a career break, promotions bypassing them.
Then there are the mums who were happy to take the hit financially to have the time with their kids and have the full time mum job but have now waved valued and loved careers behind because they have lost the confidence to return.
I just hope there will be a better work/life balance and more flexible opportunities for my daughter when she grows up if she decides to have kids.
🎼Today’s soundtrack : Doves ‘There Goes The Fear’ 🎼
Mixtape Mum 