Working with a young family

I'm an accountant too - even though I don't have a young family I value a good work life balance and hate the unpaid overtime that our industry seem so keen on.

I found it to be really bad in practice - but that was due to client deadlines, I then went into my first job in industry - and there was generally 1 week a month with long hours, I have moved again and i have to say that 95% of the time my work really is 9 - 5 now (but the company I work for is strict - no flexitime, pay docked if 3 minutes late, not as many holidays etc - but the normal working hours are a massive bonus!)

Look for a job as a management accountant away from practice.

My brother in law works a lot and is expected to do so (high flyer with a six figure salary etc) but he very rarely misses bath time. My nieces bed time is meant to be 7pm but is generally closer to 7.30pm. My brother in law is a 20 minute commute away so he leaves work about 6pm and gets home in time for one episode of Peppa Pig, bath time, book and bed.

Quite often after my niece has settled he will get his laptop out and do work at home or will even return to the office for a conference call with China if necessary! He also goes in early some days so that he can come home early. He also takes my niece every other Saturday to do a daddy and baby activity (mainly going to splash pools and playgrounds now she's bigger) and takes the occasional Wednesday off as holiday to pick her up from nursery and spend time with her. Sunday is nearly always family day and my sister, brother in law and niece do something together as a family. He works very very hard but between him and my sister they balance it out and my niece adores her daddy and the time they spend together - much to my sister's annoyance when my niece announces she can't play with my niece's toy because Dadda is the only one who can play with it properly!!

Scorpio33 wrote: »

I have worked in practice, and am now in industry. Most employment agencies tell me that 90% of workplaces would expect you to do overtime, so lazer - I think you are an exception to the norm.

Lazer - how did you find you current role?

I think my the exception to the norm too, and I work for a company I originally wouldn't even go for the interview for as I have always heard their reputation for being really strict and hard to work for, the recruitment agency talked me into going for the interview and seeing what I thought of the finance department - and the rest as they say is history!

PS - It's in manufacturing and from talking to few other people in Manufacturing - the hours seem to be more normal!

I do overtime as its required but it isn't very often.

Don't tell the agency you don't want to do overtime, just let them tell you about any available jobs and research the company yourself - the best way is to talk to people already working their.

Or alternatively - just apply for every civil service job that comes up in your area.

If I was starting over - I wouldn't do accountancy. It is far to much training, and as you have said it is really long hours normally, and despite the fact the everyone thinks we get paid absolutely loads we don't!

Scorpio33 wrote: »

Completely agree about if I was starting over - I would not choose accountancy.

How do you research the company if a job does come up? Without knowing anyone working there, it is difficult to judge what hours people work. I don't really want to go to an interview and waste people's time if they are not flexible with hours. Then in the interview, is it ok to ask "what hours do people actually work?" Then I could be turning down jobs that are good for me.

Also agree about civil servant jobs - but they rarely come up.

I have actually turned down roles that would see me having 6 figure salaries within a few years, for precisely the reason that I am happy at my current level - career progression is not that important to me, my home life is way more important and always will be.

I would do the same as you - the high paying roles aren't worth the stress and aren't worth giving up your time for - some things (actaully most things) are more important to me.

Sometimes the recruitment agency could put you in touch with someone who already works there (although this only happened once for me!), I think going for the interview is beneficial anyway as you won't know what you think unless you go - don't rule things out on first impressions!

Another very valuable source on finding out the real goings on about working hours staff etc are the auditors, and I was trained in one of the big 4 firms so ahve a few contacts in my old firm to ask about potential employers!

I wouldn't want to ask in an interview what hours do people actually work - firstly it looks as if you may be trying saying you never want to work over the hours and are a clock watcher, the alternative is to go ahead say nothing in the interview but after they have offered you the position mention the importance of family life and that you wouldn't want to working late regulary would that fit with their organisation as you don't want to accept the job and then find that it doesn't suit you.

I have my fingers crossed as am on the merit list for the civil service at the minute, so hoping something come sup but I'm thinking it probably won't (And all the positions would involve travelling - but with flexitime I would probably manage!)

Pawpurrs when is bedtime normally for your baby? I hear some people have a later bedtime routine so that the parents that works late gets to spend more time with the baby, but not sure how well this works.