Letter: You’ll never get a job if you admit to being a mum
Thursday 25th November 2010, 6:00AM GMT.
Letter: So, I finish my maternity leave after having my second child and have to sadly terminate my employment as I was unable to return to work doing the hours I previously worked.
Because of this, I have been constantly looking for other employment opportunities. As a result of not being able to find anything, I decided to contact Jobcentre Plus in order to submit an application for Jobseekers’ Allowance.
During the interview at the Jobcentre I found the lady quite competent and helpful until we came to my CV.
The advisor told me I should take off my personal details (married, two children) and my interests. She told me that if employers knew this information they may not employ me due to the fact I have children.
I then commented that surely that would be them discriminating against me and that it is my duty to be honest on my CV. She told me unless I was looking for a career working with children then I must take all of this information off as I could lose out on a job if they were aware that I have parental responsibilities.
I left the Jobcentre horrified and upset. If I thought I couldn’t feel any worse because of being in this situation I was wrong.
I was made to feel demotivated and discriminated against on the grounds of being a loving and hard working wife and mother.
Name and address supplied
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What you have not realised is that the existence of the Big Society relies upon a large proportion of the country working as carers. This used to be called motherhood in the apparently good old days and the unpaid role could be extended to cover elderly care running clubs like brownies and doing other voluntary work.
In the 1980s we had a woman PM who showed us all this could be done as well as being a paid working woman. (it is rather more feasible if your husband is very rich.)
‘Time is money’ she then said and mortgage interest rates shot up meaning that the paid working option became essential if you wanted to keep your house which of course many sadly lost and their marriages too.
The other thing you may find today is that if you have managed to get a few hours work you have to keep quiet about it when trying to get more work elsewhere. Employers only want you contracturally on short time but to be on tap for overtime if and when required so they don’t want you to have another job even if you cannot realistically manage on the hours they’ve offered.
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what happened to the thing work around the parent that never lasted long
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Welcome to discrimination against employers.
Job Centres are telling you not to give the full facts which means you will get an interview and then the firm cannot refuse you the job on the basis that you are a mother even if this means you are not suitable for the job you are applying for. This is the situation employers now face.
I gave a part time job to a mother because she wanted part time hours. It suited both of us. She was honest with me and she got the job.
As for your previous job, the employer must consider your request for a change in your working hours by law. They cannot insist on taking you back on the original hours without very good reason.
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Blame excessive legislation. Blame Harriet Harman.
In past times, companies may have been more accommodating and prepared to take mothers on.
And I am sure that they still do.
But because of red tape, “rights”, long maternity periods, constant litigation in the tribunals and courts, etc., etc., why would any company (especially small or medium-sized) take the risk of employing a woman, especially a mother?
Look at “role models” such as Natasha Kaplinsky who has done so much to ensure that employers are wary about taking on mothers.
Taken on a £1 million contract at Channel 5, she quickly informed them after her arrival that she was pregnant. She left for maternity leave after 6 months. After returning, she negotiated a ditching of the 5pm new programme but then left for more maternity after 13 months. She returned from that and then, 2 weeks later, announces that she’s quitting anyway.
During this period, she has appeared on-screen for just 252 hours, (five weeks, assuming a 48 hour week).
No wonder the Jobcentre advisor suggested leaving off your personal details – probably one of the more sensible ones, in my opinion.
It may not be said openly, but no SME in its right mind would engage a mother or young woman. They’re not allowed to ask the relevant questions in interview, so why bother taking the risk?
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What I was going to say has already been covered by Richard in post #3: that your original employers are required by law to give serious consideration to a request to return on a flexible basis.
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employers generally do do what they can but in this current climate its some what hard for companies to be able to slot you back in when there are no vacancies available.
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No doubt about that, but the impression I got from the letter is that she didn’t ask her employers about it, possibly because she wasn’t aware.
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I wrote this letter and there is a bit missing. The CV was 1 issue, but the other problem was the fact that i was asked not to take my children when “signing on” as it would show i was unable to find childcare when i found a job? I was told by the JCP staff that my claim could be challenged on these grounds??
As for my previous employer they did everything they could to help me go back within hours to suit but with the current financial situation it is very difficult for employers.
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Fair enough. It didn’t sound like that from the letter. Glad to hear they tried their best though.
I’m wondering what planet the JCP staff live on. Why on earth would anybody seek childcare for a fifteen minute once-per-fortnight appointment? That’s something you work out after you secure a job to pay for it.
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Lord Flight was right. You are just another example of a typical feckless work shy benefit scrounger spawning kids to get on the dole and milk the system for child benefit. You are a disgrace despite they’re being 5 applicants for every job. You and the kids better get used to the idea of the workhouse and living on gruel.
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What I find appalling is that the letter writer milks her previous employer by taking the maternity leave then resigning just before she went back.
You should be ashamed of yourself. If that’s your ‘normal’ behaviour you’ll be lucky to find a job.
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Did you two actually read the letter?
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oh ha ha! Calm down… My employers were always aware that i wouldnt be able to return to these hours but asked me to stay with them during my maternity leave as they would try and find me work before i was due to return.. therefore i took their advice and resigned!!
As for being Ashamed of myself, get a life!! I have always worked hard, and so has my husband im just someone that has come to a stumbling block! This however was never the point, it was simply the case of a complaint against jcp procedures.
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My employer asked me to stay with them till the end of my maternity leave in hope another position would become available. They were fully aware i wouldnt be able to go back doing the hours i was previously and advised me not to hand my notice in till the last minute so thats what i did!
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Gruel… mm! Im more than fully financially stable thank you, just looking for work and getting MY contributions paid back to me.
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You can get a job easily at McDonald’s admitting that you are a mum. Go and give a try and you will see.
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On the other hand, I and many others who do not have children have to cover for people who choose to have a family and enjoy paid maternity leave, paternity leave, half-days off/full-days off to look after their children etc.. – I think you should also see it from the employer’s point of view and fellow employees’ point of view. Remember, we should all be responsible for our own actions, including deciding to have children. If this compromises our chances of getting a job (it shouldn’t as long as you are not too picky), then ‘you pays your money, you takes your choice’, as they say – or ‘you make your own bed, so lie in it…’
The economy depends on reliable workforce, committed to the job in hand, be it in the office, in the classroom, in the hospital or where ever the workplace.
Perhaps parents to be, in some cases, need to consider the implications of starting a family a bit more closely and in the long-term, rather than it be a ‘life-style’ choice to keep up with friends and ‘conform to the expected – ie. having kids.’
Consider too, those who have, not out of choice, a long-term medical condition which restricts working opportunities, in a similar way. This then puts things in perspective.
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Dom, The poor woman can’t do right for doing wrong, if she stayed at home and claimed tax credits then she would be accused of being a benefit scrounger! I am a mum of 3 and luckily found a job that works for us-it wasn’t easy (156 people applied for 4 hours a WEEK for the one job I applied for!. Perhaps you should be thankful you have a job even if it is covering peoples days off etc or you could try going on the dole and seeing what its like in the REAL WORLD!!?? I presume you have no family or you wouldn’t be bitter about mothers/fathers spending the VERY short amount of time with there babies when they are first born??
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Well, what did you become a mother for?
There are plenty of men out of work who won’t force employers (and their fellow employees) to work round their kids.
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Totally agree. It frustrates me so much the attitude that parents have that we should bend over backwards for them just because they’ve got kids.
Why should employers, who are trying to operate a business incur the costs of having to replace or cover people when they disappear for a year to have a child?
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Have you read the letter? What the hell are you winging about that for to me! i understand there are worse things happening to other people!
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#9[The economy depends on reliable workforce, committed to the job in hand, be it in the office, in the classroom, in the hospital or where ever the workplace.]
Where did that work force come from, Dom? Oh hang on,some feckless parents thought in the long term back in the 1980s. The financial costs of parenthood have been well documented so without that committment which to be fair some put more into than others, where would your workforce come from today?
You can also rely on others who did have children to help care for you if you are unfortunate enough to be ill or have an accident and support your elderly parents who were feckless enough to have you!
chris p, rather sexist comment, don’t fathers have any home responsibilities?
Do children not have father’s too.
I can equally ask what did anyone become a father for?
You would certainly have a longer and more comfortable life without the responsibilty of parenthood.
BTW There are still plenty of jobs in the care sector that those out of work chaps obviously don’t want.
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I’m going back to work after having my second child. I will work weekends when I know that my husband and/or family are able to take care of the children. My husband is the main breadwinner and he works fulltime. My eldest child is three and so receives free hours at preschool. Although I would rather be with my family at a weekend we can’t afford to live on one salary unless we drastically change our lifestyle. I have a professional qualification, but I am prepared to work anywhere at the moment, as my priority is my family and not my career. Is the author of the original letter prepared to do the same?
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As the Author of the original letter i’m fully aware that my letter has nothing to do with your comment so therefore your question will never be answered… nor will i try and justify myself to you! Is there a problem with some people that cant seem to quite CLICK what this letter was about??
How you can call yourself a working mum when your not working i have no idea! The point is clear if you could take a min to actually read the letter!
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“I’m wondering what planet the JCP staff live on.”
Me too – during a recent period of unemployment I kept myself busy applying for jobs, doing some voluntary work with the local CAB and taking a part-time course. I clearly wasn’t eligible to claim JSA as I wasn’t available for and didn’t want to do full-time work, so did not claim any benefits and lived off my savings, but when I spoke to an “advisor” at the JobCentre re. general careers advice, he told me that I should have been signing on right from the time I was made unemployed. Apparently, in the JC’s view, to do otherwise gave the impression that I had spent the past few weeks in prison! Like the writer of the original letter, I left the JC feeling horrified and upset. Talk about being judged as guilty until proved inocent. Presumably, anyone who goes away for a holiday between jobs these days has to send the JC regular postcards bearing a postmark than doesn’t say “HMP”!
And those blokes who seem to resent flexible working practices for women with childcare / elderly parent care issues are in for a hell of a wake-up call when the retirement age for women goes up to 66: you are going to have to pull your weight when it comes to the care of children / grandchildren / Mum and Dad (in law), no more depending on your wife to look after your elderly parents or your Mum to look after your children (her grandchildren) while your wife is at work – the “old lady” will be out earning her crust, and will probably want to put her feet up for a well-deserved rest at the end of the day!
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oh my goodness how stereotypical are some people, and how black and white do they think life is!
I have never been out of work and as for benefit i may or not receive will be my own contributions being paid back! Upto people what they make of me but i know im an honest person that has always worked
The point of my letter was simply that i was shocked because i was advised to hide i was a mother on my CV and was upset that i was asked not to take my children into the jcp when signing!
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Some people just dont GET it. It is appalling you were asked to hide that you’re a mother! That is simply outragous!
To all of you complaining about a woman wanting children… How do you think you were made? You certainly werent paid for out of hard wages… you were born, my friend’s… your mother took it upon herself to get pregnant and have you? I doubt that all of your parents were able to just carry on with normal life. So just read the letter and accept… dont put your TORY idealology on this woman!!!!!
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Stay at home and look after your children till they go to school. If you can’t manage just send the B.M.W. back and manage with just the one car or use your legs.
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Whilst the Jobcentre Advisor may have had a point re discrimination, it is also fair to say that a CV should show an employer your relevant qualifications and experience, and your contact details.
That is all.
There is no need to put on your marital status, whether or not you have children, your religion or any other pertinent personal information – you do not even need to put your age on a CV.
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