Working Mummies Support Group #2

[wysiwyg]

I hope you work out what you want and then find it exactly when you want it MN!

My job situation is now pretty rubbish - unlikely to get my contract extended - basically due to politics and the strange way large organisations and recruiting works - but really has screwed me - because I only took this job to get particular experience - which I haven't got - and now it looks absolutely rubbish on a CV when talking to recruiters - "oh yes I was working at this company and did all the prep work for this software but then they never let me near it" - the other project at same company is recruiting for trainers and using this software but they not interested in me (most likely because currently working for wrong agency) but all the recruiters know this - so I can see how it must look to them, it looks like there must be something wrong with me (employer has confirmed is nothing to do with my performance) - so really I am in a worse situation than I was before this contract - and financially this contract was really terrible for me too. I have just completed my CERTIV in Training and Education, but this job which was meant to be my 'in' into the training world - may well have just scuppered my chances. I now have to decide do I chase the money and go back to do what I used to do (although currently there is only a 2 month 5 day a week contract on the cards anyway, I can't afford 5 day a week day care for two children for just 2 months - childcare doesn't have places anyway) - or try and persevere to find something in the Training arena. Flip flopping between the two won't look good - so have to work out how long am prepared to try and persevere with trying to find a Training Role. My previous contract might well need some resource too, but they drove me so mad and wasn't really area I wanted to be in (but maybe is better the devil you know).

[Frangipani Lou]

Good luck MN and Wysiwyg.
I'm off work for another 2 weeks again because of my ankle injury. It was taking me 4 hours to get DD and I out the door and we were both having melt downs so that was very stressful.
I'm going back to see my psych too, this injury has upset the balance of my fleeting mental health and I'm sick of being sick. My new coteacher is fab but I've hardly worked with her and I feel terrible that she's been lumped with the majority of the load at tho mo.

[OceanPrincess]

Hi ladies,

Sorry I have been a bit awol recently from this group. You're all going through things and I've not been supportive, I'm sorry about that! Tbh I'm really struggling to stay on top of things, but that's another discussion.

Wysiwyg: sounds like you have been a bit stuffed around. I'm not quite sure I followed what's happened but am I right in summarising that you took a role assuming it'd give you exposure to something, which it hasn't, but now it's limited your future options? I don't quite get why - recruiting politics??

L&D/training is something I've contemplated shifting over to, so it's a bit sad to hear you're struggling to get into that area. I've got the luxury of a permanent position though, so I won't complain. About that anyway

Can you find something to get you through to the end of the year - DD will be at school next year won't she? Things will be easier financially then, with only DS in care? Or have I gotten my years confused..?

FL, I'm sorry your foot is still giving you grief Is anyone covering you while you're off? Hopefully your fab new coteacher is doing ok..!

And MN, lovely MN, what a sucky situation to be in! Can I offer some advice - now that you know you're there til end of Nov, take a few big deep breaths and don't jump into something else straight away. Try and take the time you have to find something that is right for you.

Don't think you won't find anything as friendly as what you left - I know my company offers part time positions every now and then and they always offer flexible working, to permanents anyway.

Speaking from experience, I jumped out of a frying pan when the company I was working through went through a big restructure and I was desperate to leave and guess what? Straight into the fire. Worst position I've ever had, for a dodgy awful company. I wish I'd taken the time to research it properly (in my defence I was quite young and a little bit silly!) because now it just looks like a blight on my CV. I only lasted three months there, what a waste of time.

Anyway, point I'm trying to make is if you can, take the time to review everything and be patient. I know that's easy for me to say, and I know I don't have any idea what you're really going through, but I do think you're pretty awesome and that you deserve to give yourself the chance to find something that works for you and your family.

Lots of these

[wysiwyg]

Hi ladies,


Wysiwyg: sounds like you have been a bit stuffed around. I'm not quite sure I followed what's happened but am I right in summarising that you took a role assuming it'd give you exposure to something, which it hasn't, but now it's limited your future options? I don't quite get why - recruiting politics??

L&D/training is something I've contemplated shifting over to, so it's a bit sad to hear you're struggling to get into that area. I've got the luxury of a permanent position though, so I won't complain. About that anyway

Can you find something to get you through to the end of the year - DD will be at school next year won't she? Things will be easier financially then, with only DS in care? Or have I gotten my years confused..?

That is pretty much it, and it is limiting due to recruitment politics (honestly IT recruitment SAP in particular is such a dodgy place) but also because what I wanted experience in is some new software - which the company I am working for are installing this week - all the recruiters know they have a big project going on using it (because they have been recruiting for positions) but due to which project employed me originally, then I haven't been considered for the other - but to recruiters they tend to just think "hang on why isn't that company renewing her contract seeing as they still require people for that project - there must be something up with her".

Anyway feeling a bit better about it - had a discussion and a manager here has said he will vouch for me with recruiters to try get round above situation (just need to convince them to speak to him) and there is still some small hope that something will be worked out where I am apparently.

I am convinced L&D is where I want to be though so that is a good thing that has come out of this. I just need to get a break to come up in not too distant future because I really don't want to go back to straight consulting - as I need people to believe L&D is where I want to be and not some flash in the pan.

Yes DD will start school next year - as long as I stop fighting with the school about enrollment :-) Things financially will be so much easier (apart from DH job finishes end of April - so don't know what will happen after that) - that shouldn't be too bad though as if he can't get anything quick enough I will just have to go back full-time. It is these times between jobs and contracts I so wish we had relatives here, because you know what will happen I will end up going back full-time then DH will be bound to get job, and then will have pandemonium trying to sort care for DS - (in my book if we have to put up with Tony Abbott he can at least bring in the rebate for in home daycare).

If you can get into L&D where you are, I would recommend doing that rather than trying to move into it externally even if you only do a little bit before moving on - I just think would be easier that way. Recruiters here are obsessed with job titles it seems, and unless you have a title that matches the job you want is hard to convince them of your experience.

DD seems to be really tired and angry at the moment (not at anything in particular) - I hope she sleeps in tomorrow - she really could do with more sleep - at least nothing to get up for tomorrow, now just need DS to comply and not wake her at all.

FL - what a pain about your foot - mine seems to be hurting this week on the heel - I have been out of the boot about 5 weeks now I reckon - I hope is nothing - I hated that boot!

[wysiwyg]

Hooray I was due to finish today and after a meeting at lunch with the other project within ten mins they had decided to keep me for another 3 months on the other project - so back on Monday, different desk, different project - is going to be much better. Even if ends after 3 months I will have got the experience I was after. I like the woman who is running this other project - I only met her today but she is very What you see is what you get (wysiwyg) I think :-)

DD has a slight ear infection so I am hoping that has been the cause of the tiredness.

Looks like school have finally decided I am right and will enroll DD - so that is good :-)

[MummyNaomi]

Fantastic news wysiwyg xxxx stoked for u

[peanutter]

That's awesome, wysiwyg!!

[~TT40~]

That is awesome wysiwyg, why they choose the last minute to do it who knows, but sounds great you just might get what you want out of it!

I'm here, working hard, reading everyone,,,just not posting. I'm currently in a battle to get paid maternity leave, and it's looking very real that I won't get it. I don't have time to post about it now...meant to be getting ready for playgroup.....anyway, I will post later about all my woes =p aside from it though! working is going great =)

[wysiwyg]

I'm here, working hard, reading everyone,,,just not posting. I'm currently in a battle to get paid maternity leave, and it's looking very real that I won't get it. I don't have time to post about it now...meant to be getting ready for playgroup.....anyway, I will post later about all my woes =p aside from it though! working is going great =)

Is that for the government one? Due to the number of months thing? I didn't qualify either I had worked a couple of weeks under - 3 months fulltime and then 3 days a week but didn't meet the time period criteria - it sucks that you can get it if you only work one day a week but if you don't meet the length of time requirement don't get it. My two are just over 2 years apart I had a year off with DD before I started looking for work and then got a job and worked till 35 weeks - I was a contractor so no paid leave to count towards the requirement. The baby bonus at the time was ok so I lived with it - I wasn't prepared to work longer than 35 weeks pregnant for the monetary difference at the time, as I was exhausted. The situation is different now without the baby bonus.

I understand that they have to have limits but I don't think that the current limits work very well - 2 years between children is not unusual - neither is being a contractor (I would prefer to be a permanent employee), if I could have got myself a job for just over 1 day a week, I probably would have gone back earlier than I did but I had to go back full-time just to get back into the workforce. If the whole aim of it is to encourage people to work then as long as meeting the minimum hours why should they be restrictive about the length of time you have to be working. If someone chooses to work 5 months full-time between children (and only 5 months due to the demands of the job being difficult while pregnant, and the care they have available for their children) then why should they not be eligible? Their contribution in tax terms won't be any less then someone doing the equivalent but spread out over 10 months.

If I was faced with same situation again but with the no baby bonus - I would try to negotiate with my employer to do one hour each week 36 - 40 weeks (as would have made me eligible - although my employer at the time would not let you work past 36 weeks) - as you only have to work one hour to count it as a working day apparently - but to me that really is a ridiculous thing to have to do, and encouraging women to work right up to due date seems not an ideal thing to me (large organisations often don't want you there past 36 weeks).

[~TT40~]

Its both... if i go 10 days over due i can get the government one. I have the hrs easy but like you said its a silly system
But no im talking about from my employer. And its a bs reason too....and no one can give me a straight answer...
im on my phone, so annoying to type. Ill explain when i get home

[~TT40~]

Ok... So according to works policy, you must have completed 40 weeks continous service to be entitled to paid maternity leave. I will have when I'm 38weeks gestation. So I asked my manger if I'm allowed to take annual leave before then if I feel I can't work until 38 weeks. She said she doesn't think you can go from al to ml and I should ask payroll. So I emailed payroll (everything is email now so there is a paper trail, so no phone numbers at all). They said as it was only a week or two I wanted it was up to managers discretion. But then another problem popped up. Payroll added that leave without pay can affect the 40 weeks and I have 28 days lwop on my record. They couldn't tell me exactly how it affects it though and then said it is up to my local HR person to decide.
Now the reason I have lwop is because to get this job I cold called and said "I'm a midwife and nurse, do you have any work?" They were super keen and wanted to interview me that day, but you have to 'do it properly' and apply for an actual position. The only current advertised position was a full time position, which I couldn't do, I haves .5 max. They were happy with this and said they would change the position for me. But they only changed the advert, not the actual position.... I had interview, got the job that day, but when it came to getting my contract they said they don't want to change the potion, cause money wise and budget and all the crap means they can't change it back. So didn't want to be stuck with 2 pt positions instead of 1ft, in case at a later date I resigned or something, they weren't put out... What would happen is I would get the ft position, but they were happy for me to work the hours I want and would put lwop to make up the difference. I wasn't 100% comfortable with it because I knew it would stay on my statement of service and I wasn't sure how future employers would like seeing all the lwop on there. but at the time was so desperate for work I had no choice, (and after what happened last year work wise which is a more horrible situation, I needed money yesterday) we were at the point we couldn't afford food....anyway, so I accepted.
After 2 months though I convinced them to change my position because I was loosing pay, I wasn't getting paid my full amount cause of how ado works, and each month was down a full shift of pay (so am also now down 2 shifts of pay I haven't been back paid for and doubt I ever will), so they changed it. But yea I have 28 days of lwop on my record that somehow affects the 40 weeks. I asked them exactly how, but they couldn't tell me and told me it is up to my local HR rep. I fwded all this to my manager who....now this is the horrible breaking me bit... Emailed me back saying: "I can't help you with lwop situation, as you applied for a ft role and refused to work your hours". =\. She knows that's not what happened, and I was so angry and upset she just threw it back in my face when it was their decision...
All this has been going over last few weeks, all email cause you aren't allowed to phone anyone... So I asked my manager who is our hr persons? She hadn't replied. I asked payroll and didn't get a reply for a few weeks...(wait til you hear what it was) in the mean time I'm asking every single staff member who is it?? No one knew. I did find a phone number! For 'payroll' at a hospital who is in our health area (the payroll who pays us and we have to talk to is in Sydney), and it was a robot, who said "for all HR inquiries (I got excited) please contact your local workforce support manager". That was it. I was now stuck again!! I did though search for that job tittle in the staff directory and an email address popped up! So I emailed them. No reply yet =( yesterday was when I got payrolls reply and their answer to my question of who is it was..."oh sorry, your don't have a local HR rep". That was it. WTF!!! Who is going to help me now!!
The only good thing about this is my manager has resigned. And there is an acting manager now in her role (as of this week) so I have emailed her to say we need to talk. Cause I seriously have no idea...and trying to work out (read stressing) how the hell we are going to survive on just dh income (we can't)....

Sigh.... Sorry to only post with problems...

[wysiwyg]

What a pain in the neck - I hope the acting manager can get it sorted. Now I am no HR person but I thought that it was only unauthorized absence that counted against continuous service when calculating entitlements for parental leave (unpaid leave - does count against continuous service and service for eligibility for some things but I thought doesn't for parental leave).

Try googling "Authorised unpaid absence — when it counts as service" - I have no idea if this is applicable - but it would support the idea that in your situation your unpaid leave shouldn't come into play.

Don't apologies for posting problems - I think problems like the above are important to share so people know what goes on, it may help others in the future.

I am angry on your behalf about the government one - it really just isn't right at all.

[Mother Goose]

Have a look at your Eba or chat to the union for advice

[MummyNaomi]

External job interview tomorrow .... Eeeeeek

[Frangipani Lou]

Good luck MN. Show them your awesomeness x

[peanutter]

MN - good luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!

TT - how goes?

[Amity]

Why don't people pay their bills?

Seriously. I haven't been paid properly in months. I'm sick of juggling money between cards and accounts. It's driving me bananas.

[nyigi]

Good luck MN!
Hope things are improving on the maternity leave front TT
Hope people pay you soon Divvy

AFM I'm actually getting maternity leave this time round, officially started today. But as I'm far from finished with my thesis it really doesn't mean much except that the government is giving me some money (which is pretty awesome). This pregnancy is now looking a little more complicated and my midwife said yesterday that at the moment they'd like to induce me at 38 weeks if I haven't gone into labour already (which they think is actually pretty likely). Getting more tests next week to see if they have to move this forward or back and if I need to be transferred over to the high risk gynaecologists at the big hospital. Of course I want to get through this with a healthy baby and a healthy me, but i'd also really like a few more weeks to try to finish my thesis. Guess I need to cut my losses and focus on just finishing the main body of it.
And of course now I'm sick and really don't feel like doing anything.