a hard decision but I think the right one

[AngelPunks]

no they don't - they're really inflexible with their work hours. I'm talking about if you're not in by x time in the morning you have to justify your lateness - even if you are in the building before that time you must be at your desk and working at x time & you're expected to do upto 5 hours unpaid overtime a week.

With this job I'm getting paid $5k less a year than my govt job and working longer hours and longer travel time (which equates to more petrol costs & a grumpier me for having to be in traffic). I'm also peeved coz all the "benefits" that were used as a selling point for the job and an offset to the cut in pay are things I've actually got to pay for (except the parking).

There is no way with the starting hours that I'd be able to get a child to childcare - are there any open at 5am since that would be the time I'd have to drop the child off to get to work on time.

My govt job allowed me more flexibility - I used to work at home occasionally, I had a laptop, mobile & dial in access, so I could sit here with my phone from work forwarded to the mobile and doing my job and people were none the wiser, unless they physically came looking for me at my desk. Yeh I used to work long hours, but I also accrued bank time which gave me leave without having to take annual leave when I needed it.

[Melbo]

That's what I've found too Schaz. The government jobs are very flexible and fantastic for women in their childbearing years. I certainly would not have had my job still had I remained in the field I was in prior to joining the public service.

I've just set up my return to work arrangements last week for example and my manager said I could choose exactly what days and how many hours. They simply could not be more accommodating.

Re paid maternity leave ... I had 12 weeks paid leave which I chose to take spread out over 24 weeks at half pay and that was brilliant. It has allowed me to have slightly more than a year off work (the rest is leave without pay) and I'm really happy about that. It has been great.