application form requesting childcare providers details? surely not right?

brians_daughter

DKLS wrote: »

How much harder would that be for a parent to accomplish the same?

For me it wouldnt be hard at all. I have 3 kids from 12 years to 10 months. In the last 4 months of my 'last real job'( ie career focused - i am now re training, so the jobs at the moment are bill paying)

I have Been to Germany for 4 days (on same day notice)

Worked 18 hour days for 21 solid days in order to fulfil client needs

Spent 2 weeks to-ing and fro-ing to France as i speak the language fluently - to assit with the set up of new contracts

These are the things that spring to mind ATM but given 5 mins i could think of many, many more. It is/was expected in my last position that i would be available at moments notice,and as an international company it was expected that I would be available for 5am conf calls (even with a 7 week old baby)

As you say, your wife NEEDS to be flexible, for the role in question it would be once a month max working til 8 to attend central team meetings - so hardly a daily requirement.If it was a regular requirement then i could understand in some ways (although i would never disclose my childcare providers details to anyone regardless of the position on question)

However, my previous employer never asked me to disclose my childcare providers contact details!

brians_daughter

oh..BTW just an update! I went for the interview, got invited to 2nd interview and told them I wouldnt be attending. They wanted to know everything and at times i felt the questions were not appropriate to the position on offer

Spendless

DKLS wrote: »

I think the questions are fair, My wife actively volunteers her child free status to prospective employers and in her line of work she needs to be flexible with her time.

Recently my wife has been:

At the office past midnight
Had 24hrs notice for a 3 day trip to NY
Been in the office regularly to 7-8pm
And last week 3 hours notice for a 2 day trip to Amsterdam

How much harder would that be for a parent to accomplish the same?

My husband could do that pretty easily. He went to work at 6.30am on Wednesday and didn't arrive home till 8.30pm. HE is a parent too.

mrcow

Spendless wrote: »

My husband could do that pretty easily. He went to work at 6.30am on Wednesday and didn't arrive home till 8.30pm. HE is a parent too.

Mine is often away for a week at a time - anywhere in EMEA- often with only a few hours notice. It's no harder for him than for anyone without kids.

Ms_Piggy_2

pixelation wrote: »

It is illegal - against sex discrimination laws. End of..

No it's not - unless they are only asking women the question (or men for that matter). As long as both sexes are being asked the same Q, it's not discriminatory.

Abbafan1972

brians_daughter wrote: »

oh..BTW just an update! I went for the interview, got invited to 2nd interview and told them I wouldnt be attending. They wanted to know everything and at times i felt the questions were not appropriate to the position on offer

What did they ask you?

I have remembered about a job interview I went to when I was about 19 or 20. They asked me if I was married or with a partner and if I thinking of having children. Now I think that is out of order. :eek:

andrealm

DKLS wrote: »

I think the questions are fair, My wife actively volunteers her child free status to prospective employers and in her line of work she needs to be flexible with her time.

Recently my wife has been:

At the office past midnight
Had 24hrs notice for a 3 day trip to NY
Been in the office regularly to 7-8pm
And last week 3 hours notice for a 2 day trip to Amsterdam

How much harder would that be for a parent to accomplish the same?

Many parents can and do work overtime and go on business trips. My husband is a parent and has done it. Not all can, it depends on their circumstances. Not all childless people would be willing and able to take on a job which required such a degree of flexibility.

Can I ask if you volunteer your own child free status to prospective employers?

Abbafan1972

Just being child free, doesn't automatically make you flexible.

mrcow

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

Just being child free, doesn't automatically make you flexible.

lol I don't think I ever really understood what flexibility was until I had children!

Probably goes for most parents I know.

Spendless

andrealm wrote: »

Many parents can and do work overtime and go on business trips. My husband is a parent and has done it. Not all can, it depends on their circumstances. Not all childless people would be willing and able to take on a job which required such a degree of flexibility.

Can I ask if you volunteer your own child free status to prospective employers?

Agree. A few years back my husband was asked to go on a Business trip to Las Vegas. His employers told him they would pay for upto 3 members of staff to go. DH asked the 2 people then working in his office.
1 was a single childless bloke in his early 20s, who lived with his widowed mother, so did not even have the responsibility of a pet that he'd have to make arrangements for. He didn't go, he said 'he just didn't fancy it'.

The other was a childless woman in her late 40's who had recently married. She said she wasn't going either as her new husband would be jealous(!).

So 2 childless people asked and declined, the only person who went was hubby who is a parent.

Obviously not all single and childless people are like this, just like not all people with children have issues surrounding their care!