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My hubby been away for 4 weeks so I'm doing it all alone. I've missed the last 3 days I work with sick kids and today is my attempt to go back :(
I always feel like I'm letting someone down be it my kids cause I have to go to work or work cause I have to be at home with my kids.
I'm not doing so great either. My new PM is very different to my old one and keeps asking me "so what hours are you doing on Monday and Tuesday this week?" Which is when i work from home... but it wasn't the arrangement... I'm supposed to be making up my 8 hours as I am able, around kids and sleep and stuff. He needs me to be available for conference calls and wants to see me online etc... So I spend all of Mon/Tue feeling anxious that I haven't done enough, been visible enough, then Wednesday I think "I'll just quickly check my email.." Seeing as it is right there...
So I'm basically working 5 days but only getting paid for 3. I'm not keeping all the balls in the air and things are getting forgotten. I'm stressed and grumpy and not being a good mum :( Not good.
Reached a point where DH was almost going to chuck in the business and go work in the mines so I could resign... But that doesn't solve anything really, so we won't do that.
I think when my ILs are back from overseas we will switch things up... DH can stay home with the kids on Mondays and I can make that my full work day so that I don't need to stress about being online Tue/Wed.
In other news, I don't think I've even gotten an interview for the L&D role, it closed last Thurs and they said they would contact all successful applicants within a week.
Back to the drawing board...
Teeki - I feel your pain. You need to talk to someone about your workload, or, find yourself something else. Or... Do I dare use the Q word? Lol.
Our employer seems to spout being family friendly etc but when it comes to the crunch... People have mixed experiences. I think a lot of it depends on your manager and your role. Hang in there... :hug:
I'm about to lose phone reception so I'd better post and come back later...
Big hugs girls, I really feel your pain, that balancing act sucks :(
I'm still on mat leave, but as I was made redundant 12months ago I need to look for a new job! Not wanting to start until next year sometime, but I'm worried about finding something family friendly.
I'm going to enjoy the next month or 2 before I start looking come November. I've been keeping my eye on seek, and there seems to be a bit out there, it's just finding the right one!
Hugs all round ladies, sounds like we're all doing it tough :grouphug:
MN bugger about the applications! I really hope you find a job you love that suits your family.
Wysiwyg, you are so right about needing the right job. I've realised I'm no longer right for this job, and it's definitely not right for me.
Sounds like you've got some pretty cruddy co-workers, sub contracting doesn't sound fun!
BD, huge hugs. I've no idea how you're doing it all on your own for 4 weeks. Hang in there :hug: I completely get you with feeling like you're letting people down. I'm struggling with feeling like I'm not good enough, I'm not good enough at work, at being a wife, mum, or friend.
OP, your PM sounds pushy! Can you show him your contract and tell him you won't be there at set times, you'll do your hours as you can, when you can? Your DH sounds lovely, to want to go to the mines so you can be back home.
And you can throw around that Q word all you like! Lol. I certainly did yesterday. If it wasn't for a very supportive listening ear in the branch I'd have picked up the phone and done it yesterday afternoon. I think I've said before, my line manager is wonderful. But the work load is still too much and aside from allocating some to others when and where possible, this is an ongoing issue that he can't fix without hiring someone else, and the company won't allow that. We're now looking at reducing debt and expenses, if we can do enough I'll hopefully resign and stay home until the kids are in school, then find something with hours that work around them.
Sahbear, enjoy these last months, and good luck with the search at the end of the year!
Took me a bit longer to get back than I'd thought!
Teeki, I hope you guys can work it out, you and DH that is, so you can stay at home. Just sounds like it's not the best role for you right now.
Sadly I don't really have much to stand on... My contract just says that I'm working 24 hours. But seriously I don't know how PM thinks 5 hrs Monday and 5hrs Tuesday plus my normal two days in the office is 24 hours??? The arrangement was informal - but my LM agreed, discussed it with the first (awesome) PM, it is new PM who doesn't get it. First PM had two school kids of his own and didn't even bother to try and contact me on Mon/Tue, second PM has one 9mth old who he never sees (his words - because he's at his desk 7-7...) so he really doesn't get it.
Anyway, I am delivering stuff now, so hopefully he'll ease up a bit.
Sahbear, it is tough finding the right position. Here's hoping something pops up that is just right.
BD, how did you go today? Did you make it back to work today? It is so tough when kids are sick. Are work being supportive? When is DH back?
Wysiwyg, you just can't catch a break hey! Thought you had the right position this time but no. No good!
MN - there is something out there for you. Somewhere!!
:grouphug:
Thanks hunnis. Yep I lasted the whole day and was very surprised to find my whole fn pay in my acc not just 2 hrs lol
Hubby is home for the weekend then gone again for another 3-4 weeks possibly longer. The life of a shop fitters wife :(
To top it off my 6 month old got taken away in an ambulance on Monday night. Talk about scary. She wasn't breathing right and they wanted to check her out. That was a horrible call to make to him at midnight
Oh gosh BD!
I hope your little one is doing ok now!
Wow you're really having a tough time of it at the moment. Hope things improve soon.
BD how's the little one now?
I think I'm crossing the border into loserville, two more job knockbacks today. I officially suck at job hunting. My confidence is now 0. I am pretty much screwed.
She is getting there thanks MN
Finally got Predimix on wed and it's done wonders
:( MN :hug:
You're not crossing the line into anywhere apart from the sucky land of being made redundant. I've never walked in your shoes but I've seen your résumé and know you're not a loser.
The whole economy is screwed at the moment. It's just not a job hunters market.
Keep hitting the networks. Find out where your people are going. Keep an ear out for big projects coming up. I'm sure you're all over seek like a rash.
What about recruiters? Agencies?
BD what actually happened, what caused the breathing difficulties? That must have been so stressful, I can't imagine :( Glad the medication is helping.
How is everyone else going?
Huge hugs MN :hug: There is nothing loserville about you. It's seriously tough, finding the right job, with the right pay, right flexibility, and then beating out every other gun that wants that prize position. I know you'll find a place that needs you :hug:
I'm doing ok. Very up and down. Had three forced annual leave days due to an interstate summit that I couldn't attend, and realised when I tried to actually treat it as annual leave just how hard it is to leave the job - things just go to crap. On the up, there may be very big, exciting changes ahead that I can't really mention on a public forum yet, but it's great for our family!
Hope everyone else is going well.
Hugs MN - you aren't a loser - we were told it takes the average person 3 months of solid looking to find a position. We were also told not to apply for too much stuff as it takes your focus and also the knockbacks will affect your confidence.
I found the redundancy help we got very useful - so much so that I contemplated in my last large break seeing a career counselor who I found on the course to try and focus my efforts - I had just got in touch with her when I found my next role (maybe I would have been better off seeing her as my last two jobs have not really gone that well). There was quite a bit of focus on defining what you want next, and also the challenges of being made redundant (lots of people had been in the jobs a long time and that can have particular challenges).
BD - I hope your DD is still doing ok.
Teeki - I hope whatever the exciting stuff is it works out ok.
OP - the hours thing sounds tough - that is the only positive thing I have found about contracting - when they pay me by the hour and combined with the fact I am very clear I will not do any work between 9-5 on my two days off from home - it seems to work out ok. I know when I was a permanent staff member - people didn't really get it. If urgent stuff comes up they have to gmail or text me (and I will attempt a reply) - I won't accept phonecalls (I can never hear properly when the kids are around or concentrate anyway).
My job is soul destroying - I am being treated like I am a 23 year old office admin - not really that sure of my next move, and I can't see any logic in what they are doing at all. If I see out this contract then I will be looking for work Dec Jan which is bad timing for finding work, but maybe I should just stick with it and hope I get some of skills out of this 6 months that I took the job for (but it is destroying my faith that I people ever do the right thing as opposed to what suits their own agendas). I could pull Cerys out of daycare completely which would make not having a job slightly more viable, as will be starting school and if I found something would probably be able to get her back in for those two months anyway.
I was checking out what might happen if I wasn't working and I realized something I don't think I knew before, that when you fill out the online rate estimator you have to separate out the income per person not just put it in as one - e.g. if I put in 95000 split over two people there is a small amount of FTB A and energy supplement etc but if you put it in as one persons income you also get FTB B and energy supplement (120 dollars a fortnight difference). I don't quite get the logic in that - shouldn't the thresholds be the same family income is family income - why should it be different? - if anything you would think given the cost of childcare that if it takes two incomes to reach 95000 then they would be more in need of the assistance. I mean I knew that FTB A cuts out way before FTB B, which I always thought was odd but I thought that was then only impacting the higher income ranges, but I hadn't really realized that income is not treated equally.
I think I must be being taxed as if I am full-time - meaning I will get some money back at the end of the year - I would rather have it now to be honest - not sure who I would address it with - e.g. my payslip says annual salary rate which would equate to a 40 hour week rather than a 24 hour week - presumably if I got agency to change that it would change the rate at which I am taxed?
wysiwyg - FTB A is on combined income and FTB B is on the second income. I found that you have to look at the everything, such as how much each income is taxed along with the FTB to see what is better overall. 1 working or 2 working. Ages ago I had a spreadsheet that I put on the varying scenarios to see what we better.
As for taxation, they should not be taxing you as a full timer. They should be taxing your actual gross pay for that pay period. Go onto to the ATO website and use their calculator to check. They cannot just tax you extra or less, the should be taxing you as per the criteria on your TFN declaration.
If you are labour hire, then use the labour hire one:
https://www.ato.gov.au/Calculators-a...alculator.aspx
Otherwise use the standard indivual one:
https://www.ato.gov.au/Calculators-a...alculator.aspx
So I've now just turned down a role - Doh!! The role itself was great. Exactly what I do now, great company with lots of career opportunities but the commute and the hours were the sticking point. One evening till 8 once a week and the commute is about an hour each way. I've been considering it for days and really wanted to take it and the money was excellent, but I just can't make peace with dropping the kids off at OHSC by 7am most mornings and being away from home for 10-11 hrs a day. Also by the time I'd get home most nights the kids would be about 30 mins from bedtime (or in bed on the late)
The national manger was great and very understanding, and said they are very interested and if I change my mind at any point or am even looking in 12 months time for a change to give her a call.
So someone wants me. I just need to find that sweet spot with family balance, it's going to be hard and I've worked out some compromises I'm willing to make but essentially some family balance that I am comfortable with is a biggie.
I feel like a weight has lifted of my shoulders as I really wanted to take it but the thought that kept coming to. E was "the kids are only little once". I know I've made the right decision for my family but don't want to ruin all career options either. Certainly can't have it all can we?
Good advice wysiwyg, I'm going to really target my search better. In all honesty I want to have Dec/Jan off after I finish up at the end of Nov. it will likely be the only time I get the entire school holidays off with the kids. Finding a role early next year is my best case scenario. Fingers crossed!
OP - I had another knock back on Friday, seriously last week was so deflating. I was so low, but I'm realising there is something out there for me, but I need to work out what I am prepared to be flexible on. Your new PM sounds like a bit of a micro manager :(
Bad - it's hard to keep everyone happy isn't it? Work / Family, all you can do is your best, I hope your little ones are better
Teeki - I always used to enjoy traveling for work pre kids, now it's just a nightmare trying to juggle everything, I have been successfully avoiding it for a number of years now LOL. I was recently asked to go to Melb for a week to train the role they are making redundant here. I used the kids as an excuse as there was no way I was going to put nails in my own coffin so to speak!
So the amount looks right - I think I am confused by the Tax Free Threshold - as I was looking at the situation based on what I would earn by end of this contract if I didn't earn any more this tax year. So if by end of contract I am under the Tax Free Threshold then I would get the tax I have paid back right?:
Still not sure of the logic of it - if one of you earns 114,000 you need FTB B and the Energy Supplement - but if two of you combined earn 114,000 you don't need any FTB B and the Energy Supplement - I can see why a spreadsheet is useful. The fact is that in the end I am not sure what the finances would have to say for me to think better to not be working as I am too worried about prospects for the future if I don't.
MN - I wouldn't have taken a permanent role like you outlined either - I am doing about 50 mins each way now and away for about 10.5 on the three days and there is no way I would want to do it permanently or 5 days. I am sure your best case scenario will come along.
MN, bugger about the job! It sounds perfect except for the time away from home, and I'm so glad they're that interested in you and will be keeping you in mind. Fingers crossed you can find something just as good with better hours.
I had an interesting day today and need a little help. We are in the process of selling our investment house and reducing debt. It will mean I don't need to work. But, I was offered a job! It is perfect, with lovely people, a great small business, doing exactly the stuff I like from 9-3 two days a week. DH finishes work at 3 and the kids finish daycare at 3 so it's ideal. So, now I need to resign. That part makes me nervous. My line manager is interstate until Thursday, and then he works in the city an hour away. Is it ok to resign over the phone? What do I do?
Teeki, I think is fine over phone I have also done by email. The important thing is to notify the method is not important IMO. DH has also done over the phone. Email for me was easy as I was in another country (twice have done this way both in permanent positions). It isn't like breaking up with someone where over phone is a no no. If you were in the office and manager at next desk obviously better in person but as not then phone or email fine.
Teeki, personally I would give them the courtesy of a phone call, so they know the email is coming.