I'll try not to make this too long!
I'm currently on Mat leave until the end of August. I've been looking for a new job the past couple months. I enjoy my current position BUT it involves a lot of evenings and weekends. My husband is a golf pro so in the spring/summer/early fall also works a lot of evenings. We don't have any family in the area so would have to hire some sort of babysitter to watch DS during the evening. I HATE the thought of him being at daycare all day, be picked up by a babysitter and then spend the evening with them.
I was offered another position today. The hours are 8-4 Monday to Friday, it's a good job, the pay is slightly more. But it is a one year contract. And I would have to start in the next month - cutting my mat leave off early. And because of DH's field of work, he would not be able to take the remaining parental leave.
I don't know what to do. I think I would regret going back early but I also don't want DS to spend all his time in daycare/care of a babysitter come this fall.
WWYD??
Re: WWYD? (Job related)
Given the factors you stated ... I think I would take the new job even if you had to cut the mat leave short because its seems the positives outweigh the one negative.
Ah yes, I missed that part. Hm, I think I would still take it.
When we hire people for a one year contract 75% of the time it turns into a permanent thing.
I would either take the new position, or keep looking but plan to leave your current position. I agree with you- your current hours aren't ideal for raising a family and if you're willing to leave, you should. Not only will it be hard to leave your child under someone else's care for that long, but it might present a real logistical nightmare if you cant find someone reliable.
You have four more months, right? So if you don't want to return to work now keep looking, something else might come up between now and when you're supposed to go back.
Good luck!
I would take the new position. If you don't like it you can always go back on mat leave (up until your LO is 1). You could also take the time to find another job during the 1 year contract if it doesn't go full time. Worst case if you don't find something and at the end of the contract are laid off you would qualify for EI and be getting exactly what you are on mat leave right now. So you are no further behind to be off for 3 months on EI a year from now if you don't find work and have to look for a little bit.
For me the biggest deciding factor is that you won't be working nights or evenings.
This. I think Jen's arguments re: EI and the contract position are pretty valid. I know a lot of places do turn contracts into permanents, which would be ideal (I'm assuming). Plus even though you would be cutting mat leave short, it is only for a month, and a month of your son at daycare during the day may be better than him being there + some evenings and weekends if you return to your previous position.
Good luck!
I'm the odd one out, but as someone who currently has a contract position (that is ending in two months) I would say stick with your current, permanent position. I'm finding that there aren't many full time permanent positions out there, so if you've got one, hang on to it.
Good luck!