NewEnglandLady
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2007
- Messages
- 6,299
Hi all. I've been wrestling with an issue and I would love some opinions/experience.
Background:
I currently work 4 days/week (@ 32 hours, not 40). I created this schedule in 2012 after my first child was born. It took some negotiating, but it's worked out really well for my family and I can honestly say that I work 9am - 5pm Monday - Thursday, which is not easy to do in my industry where 60+ hours/week is expected.
I really like my job. I like my company. I like my clients. The benefits are really nice (6 weeks paid vacation + 17 paid holidays), good health insurance, great maternity leave benefits, etc. So I'm by no means unhappy.
Only downside is the commute--while it is nice to have some downtime on the train (the ONLY time I get to myself during the day), I just feel like having a 1+ hour commute into the city each way is not feasible long-term. I had always planned to find a job closer to home once my kids were school aged (they are 3 and 1).
Situation:
I was approached by a company that is next to the town where I live. It's a good company and I can definitely see myself there for the next 10+ years. It's 14 minutes from my house, 6 minutes from daycare, 8 minutes from the preschool my 3-year-old is attending this fall. I was asked to do a short phone interview, which turned into a longer discussion over coffee and now I have a more formal interview next week. The opportunity is a good one, not one I'm ready to turn down. So the interview train has left the station.
The problem is that I'm very, very torn about giving up my 4 day/week schedule. Obviously I will do it for the right (long-term) opportunity, but I'm not sure when or if I should bring it up as an option with the new company. I don't want them to think that my first priority is NOT working. But on the other hand they approached me and this is a big consideration for me, so I want to be transparent about that.
Question:
Given that I have a formal interview next week, should I bring it up with HR that day? That I would be interested in working a reduced schedule or at least work from home 1 day/week. Should I bring it up if I receive an offer? Should I not bring it up at all and hope that in 6 months (if I take the job) that I can ask about it once I've established myself more? I would personally like to bring it up sooner in the interest of full disclosure, but I don't want to burn this bridge, either.
Thanks for making it through this, I always write more than I intend.
Background:
I currently work 4 days/week (@ 32 hours, not 40). I created this schedule in 2012 after my first child was born. It took some negotiating, but it's worked out really well for my family and I can honestly say that I work 9am - 5pm Monday - Thursday, which is not easy to do in my industry where 60+ hours/week is expected.
I really like my job. I like my company. I like my clients. The benefits are really nice (6 weeks paid vacation + 17 paid holidays), good health insurance, great maternity leave benefits, etc. So I'm by no means unhappy.
Only downside is the commute--while it is nice to have some downtime on the train (the ONLY time I get to myself during the day), I just feel like having a 1+ hour commute into the city each way is not feasible long-term. I had always planned to find a job closer to home once my kids were school aged (they are 3 and 1).
Situation:
I was approached by a company that is next to the town where I live. It's a good company and I can definitely see myself there for the next 10+ years. It's 14 minutes from my house, 6 minutes from daycare, 8 minutes from the preschool my 3-year-old is attending this fall. I was asked to do a short phone interview, which turned into a longer discussion over coffee and now I have a more formal interview next week. The opportunity is a good one, not one I'm ready to turn down. So the interview train has left the station.
The problem is that I'm very, very torn about giving up my 4 day/week schedule. Obviously I will do it for the right (long-term) opportunity, but I'm not sure when or if I should bring it up as an option with the new company. I don't want them to think that my first priority is NOT working. But on the other hand they approached me and this is a big consideration for me, so I want to be transparent about that.
Question:
Given that I have a formal interview next week, should I bring it up with HR that day? That I would be interested in working a reduced schedule or at least work from home 1 day/week. Should I bring it up if I receive an offer? Should I not bring it up at all and hope that in 6 months (if I take the job) that I can ask about it once I've established myself more? I would personally like to bring it up sooner in the interest of full disclosure, but I don't want to burn this bridge, either.
Thanks for making it through this, I always write more than I intend.