Decline Job Offer! Am I mad?

Hufflepuff_2

Hi Everyone,

I went for my first interview in 24 years on Monday and got offered the job the next day! (lots of advice received from this forum on interview skills).

When the job was advertised it said 'term-time working will be considered' and on the application I put term-time as my preferred working pattern but would be willing to be flexible with hours.

I got offered an interview and i naturally assumed that they must be reasonably happy with my choice of working pattern. During the interveiw they asked me about the hours I could work and I said I was willing to flexible again.

Then the next day the HR lady called and offered me the job when I asked about term-time working she said that I hadn't mentioned it at the interview and she would discuss with the department and come back to me - they then said they were unable to accept term-time but the job offer was still open to me. Its such a shame because its a great job at my local uni in the admissions office.

I am going to ring up in the morning and decline the job because although its only mornings till 2pm everyday it means that for most of the school holidays I will be a work and after a great deal of soul searching my children are more important to me.

Do you think I was naive in expecting the term-time working and when should I have made it clear that this was the working pattern I expected - I'm going to put this dowm to experience but would like to handle better in the future.

Thank you

Huff:)

Googlewhacker

Hufflepuff wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

I went for my first interview in 24 years on Monday and got offered the job the next day! (lots of advice received from this forum on interview skills).

When the job was advertised it said 'term-time working will be considered' and on the application I put term-time as my preferred working pattern but would be willing to be flexible with hours.

I got offered an interview and i naturally assumed that they must be reasonably happy with my choice of working pattern. During the interveiw they asked me about the hours I could work and I said I was willing to flexible again.

Then the next day the HR lady called and offered me the job when I asked about term-time working she said that I hadn't mentioned it at the interview and she would discuss with the department and come back to me - they then said they were unable to accept term-time but the job offer was still open to me. Its such a shame because its a great job at my local uni in the admissions office.

I am going to ring up in the morning and decline the job because although its only mornings till 2pm everyday it means that for most of the school holidays I will be a work and after a great deal of soul searching my children are more important to me.

Do you think I was naive in expecting the term-time working and when should I have made it clear that this was the working pattern I expected - I'm going to put this dowm to experience but would like to handle better in the future.

Thank you

Huff:)

How old are your kids?

DCFC79

Have you looked into childcare as to how much it would cost for 4 or 5 hours a day

jackomdj

I suspect that the advert went out with a standard admin job's "term time only" statement as Uni admissions offices are fairly busy during the summer holidays for all those going through their options if they did not get in their first choice Uni.

If you are interested you could ask if you would be able to have it written in to your contract that you would be able to take 2 days holiday each week, leaving you with 3 days childcare to find. They may or may not go for it but worth a try.

Hufflepuff_2

Ok, thank you,

Do they actually have term-time jobs at a university then? I daren't ask them for anything else, I already feel like I've done something wrong in asking about term-time hours.

I would like to decline but if possible remain on good terms and maybe appy for other jobs there in the future.

Huff

alunharford

A job at a University is likely to have about 35 days a year of paid leave.

If you accept the job and say you can start on September 6th (or whatever date your children start school again) then you will have enough leave to make it through probably until the next summer holidays. By then (assuming they think you're good) you should be able to negotiate yourself some unpaid leave - it takes time and money to recruit.

Even if you can't, the worst case scenario is that you'll be in work for 10 months.

If you want the job, I think you'd be mad to turn it down over this - it's a relatively minor issue to deal with after 9 month in the job.

Googlewhacker

Thing is, you work till two you will have from what 2.30 till bed time with your kids which is still loads of times and if they are teenagers (as you've not said) a) they will sleep till late in the morning and b) they prob won't want to hang around with their folks anyway that much

Oldernotwiser

I do think that it's difficult to advise you without knowing the ages of your children. The situation will be very different if they're 3 than if they're 13!

I agree that you would be mad to turn down an opportunity like this just because of the holidays.

kurjam

the way things are at the minute i would accept and see how you go.
its so hard to get a job for most people.

congratulations and good luck.

Hufflepuff_2

Hi,

My girls are 6 and 8 years old. I would get 26 days annual leave and there are 13 weeks of school holiday. That means they would spend the vast majority of their holidays in some form of child care which I don't think I could live with. To be honest I wouldn't have applied for the job if it had not said 'term-time working will be considered' its every Mum's dream job.......?

Thanks for your advice everyone

alunharford

You're thinking about it on a year-by-year basis, which is irrelevant. In the next 10 months your kids will have 7 weeks of school holidays.
You'll get 26 days of leave + bank holidays. The vast majority of bank holidays are during school holidays.
By the time you run out of annual leave you'll be in a good position to get unpaid leave over the summer holidays (which is pretty normal in an academic environment).