How much is flexibility worth re: jobs....

[Soror]

So, if I let dd3 go to school I'll be looking at getting a job. An old friend has recommended a job for me(she's worked there for a few years). The pay is not great -company car, laptop, health and life insurance I believe are the extent of benefits. But on the plus side I would make my own schedule and be able to work from home about half the time. I don't want to work at home FT but doing it PT sounds kind of ideal. Lots of lee way with vacation and sick time. I could make more if I got on at a factory or something but I don't get flexibility and I really don't want a repetitive job stuck inside all the time.  Seems like it might be a good fit for next year and resume builder (although I'm really not certain if I want to continue with social work for the long term).  

[Melissa Louise]

Flexibility in a time of life where you're not really able to go and do the FT Mon-Fri thing is worth a lot.

Sounds worth trying, at least.

Being in employment is better than not, when it comes to 'seriously' looking for work.

[fraidycat]

IMO, flexibility is worth a lot.

But, it depends on your reason for getting a job. If you need a big cash infusion, quickly, then a less flexible, but higher paying job might be better.

If this a more of a "get back in the saddle" and have a little money to play with, then it sounds ideal.

[regentrude]

Flexibility is very valuable!

Is it work you would enjoy?

[Katy]

When your kids are first back in school, flexibility is everything. Signed, the mom that has had one child emergency room visit and two pediatric appointments so far this month, with at least one more & probably two just in January. 

[Storygirl]

Flexibility is really important!  -- signed a mom who still has to be available A LOT for the needs of my juniors and senior in high school.

[Scarlett]

Flexibility is one of the reasons I have stuck with my boss so long. He literally never cares if I need to make changes . Even when I had to go to  work at his business full time during the pandemic…at a front desk job….he gave me zero issues when my parents were in a horrific accident and i was  MIA for weeks. 
 

It is very very valuable imo. 

[Harriet Vane]

Flexibility is absolutely everything when you are still raising kids. I'd definitely place a high priority on it. When ds went to high school and when we had a foster child with an uber-complicated case, I thanked God repeatedly for my flexible, asynchronous, remote work. Now that there are no kids in the house (at least until the next foster placement at some point), it's not as needed. But when running two kids-in-the-house all over and trying to visit and care for one college kid, the flexibility of my job was cherished and irreplaceable.

[fraidycat]

FWIW, my part-time job is not flexible. At times it is tough to take care of all the home/people/pet needs, appointments, etc. The one good thing is that my schedule is very consistent unless I pick up an extra day to cover for someone. DH also only works part time, so he is often available for things that come up when I am not and both of our kids are semi-independent with driver's licenses and vehicles of their own. Even with all of those factors, it is still tough at times to keep it all running somewhat smoothly.

[Drama Llama]

I loved teaching so much.  It was my vocation, and is very much my identity.  I left for a job I like OK, that doesn't pay more but gives me much more flexibility, and it was so worth it.  I still miss the classroom, but being able to take a kid to the orthodontist, or therapy or allergy shots, or more therapy, is critical for me at this point in my life.  Plus the fact that I can drop off and pick up from school if need be is very nice.  

[BlsdMama]

I have no idea how we’d function without DH’s flexibility. 

[BusyMom5]

I feel like one parent needs to have a flexible job while kids are in the house.  If your DHs job is demanding- and it is, especially with going to college- then you need a flexible one so you can still manage the house and the kids.  

 

[Tap]

I took a step down at my employer gor more flexibility. Being able to work from home has saved me more than I lost in wages. Less work clothes, less transportation costs, more cooking at home, more time saved by not commuting, not using leave for doctors appointments, less exposure to others illnesses etc. 

[SKL]

For me, a single mom whose kids lack their own transportation, flexibility is huge.  It might not be so important if I had a spouse who could coordinate the kid things with me, or if my kids were ready/able to take themselves everywhere.

Flexibility is a double-edged sword.  It can mean that yes, I'm there for my kids' health appointments, I can say yes to activities that happen between 8am and 7pm, etc.  But also, it means that we don't have guaranteed family time every day.  Work that wasn't done during the day needs to get done in the evening or overnight.  My plans to review my kids' homework, eat dinner together, etc. are often nixed.

Benefits/costs of flexibility depend in part on your ability to focus, prioritize, compartmentalize.  If you tend toward procrastination (I have 24 hours to finish this 6 hour job, so I'll just watch a documentary / read a book / take a nap / ...) it can be easy to mess up your quality of life.

Edited January 14, 2023 by SKL

[SKL]

After thinking some more, I don't think the value of flexibility is going away when my kids get a car.  As my folks and siblings age, I can see needing to be there for them more.  Even 20 years ago when my mom needed emergency surgery, I packed my laptop and worked at the hospital so that I could be there with my family and see Mom when she woke up.

And I also value the ability to take time for community service, with or without my kids.  Not to mention my own health appointments.  And my hobby of traveling.

So yeah.  But for me, the amount of pay is also less of an issue at this point in my life.

Edited January 14, 2023 by SKL

[Laura Corin]

For me it's really valuable. On my days working from home, just being able to take a walk during a sunny spell brightens my day.

[Clemsondana]

If it is a minimal-time job, then you can often get by without flexibility.  I teach at co-op on Thursday mornings - no flexibility at all.  But, it's also one morning so there is a lot of time to play with (and they would quickly find a sub to implement my emergency watch-a-video plan if there was a crisis).  For something that is more than a very small time commitment, flexibility is huge.   it may be the best feature of spouse's job - he has some parts that are completely inflexible and there is a good bit of travel, but for a good job it does have a surprising amount of flexibility.  

[DawnM]

12 hours ago, Soror said:

So, if I let dd3 go to school I'll be looking at getting a job. An old friend has recommended a job for me(she's worked there for a few years). The pay is not great -company car, laptop, health and life insurance I believe are the extent of benefits. But on the plus side I would make my own schedule and be able to work from home about half the time. I don't want to work at home FT but doing it PT sounds kind of ideal. Lots of lee way with vacation and sick time. I could make more if I got on at a factory or something but I don't get flexibility and I really don't want a repetitive job stuck inside all the time.  Seems like it might be a good fit for next year and resume builder (although I'm really not certain if I want to continue with social work for the long term).  

Wait, you have me at company car!  😂  I want a company car.

Is there any sort of retirement benefit?   

[Soror]

9 hours ago, fraidycat said:

FWIW, my part-time job is not flexible. At times it is tough to take care of all the home/people/pet needs, appointments, etc. The one good thing is that my schedule is very consistent unless I pick up an extra day to cover for someone. DH also only works part time, so he is often available for things that come up when I am not and both of our kids are semi-independent with driver's licenses and vehicles of their own. Even with all of those factors, it is still tough at times to keep it all running somewhat smoothly.

Yes, that is def a concern- unless I do a job like subbing- even a PT job is likely to be lacking in flexibility. 

13 hours ago, Katy said:

When your kids are first back in school, flexibility is everything. Signed, the mom that has had one child emergency room visit and two pediatric appointments so far this month, with at least one more & probably two just in January. 

Ugh, you've had quite the month 😞

13 hours ago, regentrude said:

Flexibility is very valuable!

Is it work you would enjoy?

It is very hard to say as I've not done this specific job and not worked at SW at all in 18+ years. That being said, from my understanding, it seems to have a decent amount of the things I did previously enjoy as a Social Worker in my other jobs. 

4 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

For me it's really valuable. On my days working from home, just being able to take a walk during a sunny spell brightens my day.

Yes, the ability to go in and out as the weather allows would be really nice. And not having to get dressed for work- bonus!

31 minutes ago, DawnM said:

Wait, you have me at company car!  😂  I want a company car.

Is there any sort of retirement benefit?   

LOL. So, I'm torn on this perk. I just upgraded my car last year- it's not fancy but much nicer and newer than I'm used to and I quite like it. I'm pretty sure the company car is newer but not as nice. I'm thinking well that's good to keep miles off my car but I love my car! No retirement benefits which I'd much rather have! I know most places don't have them but long term if I continue working I'd ideally like to find a job that does have some more benefits but I know I'll have to give up some flexibility to get that.

8 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

I feel like one parent needs to have a flexible job while kids are in the house.  If your DHs job is demanding- and it is, especially with going to college- then you need a flexible one so you can still manage the house and the kids.  

Once dh graduates he will have a lot more flexibility it is just now all of that is used up on working around his college schedule. This spring he is not working at all Monday or Wednesday- which doesn't leave a lot of time to get his work done without having to work on the weekends which is usual homework time. Next school year may be worse or better depending on his school schedule- so ya I've got to have flexibility. After he graduates, he can set his own hours without worrying about college schedules. He can leave work if needed- like run for appointments etc. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by Soror

[Hilltopmom]

I was teaching part time and flexible (early intervention, made my own schedule each week with families). That was amazing with kids in school because of the needed dentist, dr, sick days, etc, etc

Now I’m a ps classroom teacher- benefits and pay are WAY WAY better but the lack of any flexibility sucks. 
Go for flexible to get back into the workforce 🙂

[Ottakee]

Flexibility is huge for me as a single parent with 4 young adults with special needs.   Technically my job isn’t super flexible as it is 8-4 M-F working in special Ed but we get summers off and some breaks.  I also get 10 sick days and 2 personal days and we can flex a bit of time before students come or after they leave.  This works for me.

yes, the pay is less but it works for me to be able to help meet the needs of my kids 

[Soror]

Thank you ladies for helping me think about this and get some fresh perspective. I've had a hard time making up my mind about lots of things. I've not been making progress rolling things around in my brain over and over. Dh just says it is up to me.

I'm not sure what I want to do long term. Do I want to keep working once dh finishes and makes better money? It will be a good size salary boost when dh finishes school but we won't be rolling in it. Besides the fact we're just getting started in the expensive times.

 if I work do I want to do SW or some other field. I've thought about going back to school (certainly after dh finishes) but haven't thought of a career that I'm just dying to have. I've thought about something in forestry or similar although my degree is not in that. I'm somewhat interested in finances too but don't want a desk job. 

But I really think I need to focus on the short term for the time being because I don't think I'm just magically going to figure that out thinking about things. I know right now we need some extra money, at least until dh graduates in 1.5 years. I also will need a lot of flexibility. I don't need the highest paying job. I also have to consider ds' financial aid because of our income he qualifies for a decent scholarship so if I put us over a threshold for that I have to make quite a bit more to make up for that.

I'm going to continue to find out more info from friend about the job and talk with dh. I've not even discussed this with him as he's been gone for training this week (usually a once a year occurrence for him). (And obviously I've got to figure out the whole school situation first!)

Edited January 14, 2023 by Soror

[historically accurate]

I work 2 part time jobs - one 20 hours, a set schedule M-F mornings, and one 8 hours, two afternoons a week (for the most part, my choice of which 2 afternoons). One of my bosses has offered me full time with benefits (I currently have none at either job). Both bosses have offered me more hours if I wish, but I just can't do it right now even though we could really use the money. Currently, I can flip my schedule if needed and work in the afternoons if needed. Typically, I run family members to about 6-10 medical appointments a week, so flexibility is VERY important to me. Even with having 3 afternoons free a week, I have trouble fitting all appts and homeschooling and homemaking in. More flexibility is a wonderful thing when you have kids.  However, most people don't have as many appointments as I do so take it for what it's worth. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by historically accurate

[Hyacinth]

Another vote for flexibility being a priority! I work FT remotely and while I have some time-restricted obligations with Teams meetings and such, the fact that I don’t have to rush around in the morning to get ready, don’t have to wear shoes, don’t have to deal with traffic….and that I CAN stop and chat with my neighbor when I see her outside, can putter in my garden for a few minutes each day, can take a walk when it’s nice, can manage the doctor appointments/grocery shopping/household stuff that comes up….it’s EVERYTHING to me. 
 

Is there a downside to taking this job? At least as a “for now” option? 

[Hilltopmom]

Other than kid and my own dr appts type stuff- there is household stuff too… like we need our dishwasher fixed. Guy can come next Friday- “sometime” during the day. I do not want to use one of my personal days (I only get 2) to wait around for repair guy!

At Dh’s last job, he could’ve run home for the time or spent the day working from home. He just started at a new company so he’s not going to do that and, as a teacher, I’d have to take the whole day off.

Luckily, my parents live on our street and can hang out here for the day, but otherwise one of us would need a day off for something like this. 
Flexibility is so important! 

[J-rap]

Since you don't have a strong feeling about which choice to make now, I'd choose the flexible since it sounds less stressful and more accommodating.  You can see how that goes and always change your mind as life plays out and your goals or needs become clearer.

[pinball]

15 hours ago, Soror said:

So, if I let dd3 go to school I'll be looking at getting a job. An old friend has recommended a job for me(she's worked there for a few years). The pay is not great -company car, laptop, health and life insurance I believe are the extent of benefits. But on the plus side I would make my own schedule and be able to work from home about half the time. I don't want to work at home FT but doing it PT sounds kind of ideal. Lots of lee way with vacation and sick time. I could make more if I got on at a factory or something but I don't get flexibility and I really don't want a repetitive job stuck inside all the time.  Seems like it might be a good fit for next year and resume builder (although I'm really not certain if I want to continue with social work for the long term).  

So this is social work and not a sales job?

Bc a sales jobs that depended on commission would be a no-go for me no matter how flexible

[Soror]

8 minutes ago, pinball said:

So this is social work and not a sales job?

Bc a sales jobs that depended on commission would be a no-go for me no matter how flexible

No, not a sales job, that is not anything I'm remotely interested in

Edited January 14, 2023 by Soror

[Hannah]

Another vote for flexible.  I also think that doing something familiar while your kids still need a lot of your time means that you have the mental capacity to deal with their needs.  It takes a lot of energy to start in a new job and even more in a field you're not familiar with.  If you've done social work before, even many years ago, you will know what is expected and the learning curve would not be so steep. 

You can always start qualifications or training for your 'later-years career' once you're back in the stride of working and feel that you have the time, energy and money for it.  

[Soror]

1 hour ago, Hyacinth said:

Another vote for flexibility being a priority! I work FT remotely and while I have some time-restricted obligations with Teams meetings and such, the fact that I don’t have to rush around in the morning to get ready, don’t have to wear shoes, don’t have to deal with traffic….and that I CAN stop and chat with my neighbor when I see her outside, can putter in my garden for a few minutes each day, can take a walk when it’s nice, can manage the doctor appointments/grocery shopping/household stuff that comes up….it’s EVERYTHING to me. 
 

Is there a downside to taking this job? At least as a “for now” option? 

 

50 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Since you don't have a strong feeling about which choice to make now, I'd choose the flexible since it sounds less stressful and more accommodating.  You can see how that goes and always change your mind as life plays out and your goals or needs become clearer.

The down sides would be working period 🙂

And I have to decide for certain if I'm going to let dd3 attend school. That's the big part of this. I had just planned on working this summer if I was going to continue hs'ing dd3. I had thought if/when I had all in school I'd likely look for something in the school district for the hours/days but honestly I don't think I want to work in a school. So, then I thought perhaps I'd just sub - lots of flexibility but even worse pay and not sure if I want to do that either. 

Another friend mentioned a forestry job but although I like the sound of the job more and it is slightly better pay there would be a daily commute and very little flexibility- especially starting out.

So, step one- decide if dd3 is going to school next year!

[Soror]

6 minutes ago, Hannah said:

Another vote for flexible.  I also think that doing something familiar while your kids still need a lot of your time means that you have the mental capacity to deal with their needs.  It takes a lot of energy to start in a new job and even more in a field you're not familiar with.  If you've done social work before, even many years ago, you will know what is expected and the learning curve would not be so steep. 

You can always start qualifications or training for your 'later-years career' once you're back in the stride of working and feel that you have the time, energy and money for it.  

Good points. I already feel very stressed about starting work again. It feels like so much work to pick a new career and figure out education and training for it. But if/when I decide to go back to work and am back to working it won't be nearly so daunting.

[KrissiK]

Another vote for flexibility. I have a full time work from home job. The hours are relatively flexible, but I do work 40 hours and I need to be available during business hours. However, if I have my laptop and WiFi I can work, so I have worked in waiting rooms of doctor’s offices and a variety of other places. I can pick my kids up from school, go to soccer games, etc. I do work mostly from home, but sometimes if that is too distracting I go to the library. I’m finding that’s a great place to work because they don’t mind how long you stay and they have WiFi.

[Ali in OR]

That honestly sounds like it might be the ideal opportunity at this time with everything else on your plate. I love my full time teaching job but I'm thinking it's a good thing it didn't overlap with having kids at home. I have no time for anything else.

I didn't reply on your other thread about placing youngest in school. I know that's not an easy decision. From the perspective of hindsight, I either could have or should have put my youngest in school at about 6th grade when she was the only kid home. Both girls see advantages they had homeschooling (hey, they know grammar! No one else knows what a noun or verb is. They can do math too), but they also felt they missed out on social development. From my perspective they adjusted and did just fine in that area but they are the ones that actually felt it and it wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world for them to have been in school earlier (both did a few classes in middle school and full time in high school). Good luck with the decision-making and path-finding--I know it's not easy or obvious.

[Storygirl]

I know this is not relevant to your specific question, but there is also HUGE value in not having to launch a job search and having a job opportunity land in your lap. If you let this one go by, there is no guarantee that you would find something that you like better.

And there is value in having a current job on your resume while job hunting. And each job will come with aspects that you don't care for.

So, to me, there are few downsides to this option, and several pluses, if you decide that you are going to go back to work.

[BusyMom5]

If you are just schooling DD3 as a 5th grader, and this job is so flexible,  you could probably do both.  If that's possible,  don't worry about the school decision and follow up on the job if iys one you can see yourself enjoying.  

Best of luck!  You are a great mom!  

[Ann.without.an.e]

Flexibility is worth a ton for me personally. I do part time contract work for that reason. Most of my work is actually with the same client but I'm not an employee. I dictate my own schedule and couldn't imagine having a rigid schedule that is inflexible with all the flexibility my family needs from me. I know many have to do it, but I have no idea how and my hat goes off to them. Also, my DH has a pretty high demand job and works a lot. So I must have flexibility. I wish I had benefits, that is my only downside. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by Ann.without.an.e

[SKL]

Yeah, another benefit is that the workplace is often where we figure out what we want and don't want in a career.

[Hilltopmom]

Adding that if eventually school works out.. you can do social work for a school so still have the school schedule but do social work. We are hiring more social workers lately since the needs are so high.

[lmrich]

another vote for flexible. And a vote for taking a job where a friend works and recommends.

Best   of luck!

[Soror]

9 hours ago, Hilltopmom said:

Adding that if eventually school works out.. you can do social work for a school so still have the school schedule but do social work. We are hiring more social workers lately since the needs are so high.

I've thought about it but I just don't know that I want to work in the schools. I like the idea of the schedule and that is it. I mean I've spent so much time thinking of jobs in a school I might want to do and I can't think of any. Maybe I'll change my mind but as of now it is not appealing.

13 hours ago, SKL said:

Yeah, another benefit is that the workplace is often where we figure out what we want and don't want in a career.

LOL--- too true-- sometimes you have to go through what you don't like to figure out what you do like.

16 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

If you are just schooling DD3 as a 5th grader, and this job is so flexible,  you could probably do both.  If that's possible,  don't worry about the school decision and follow up on the job if iys one you can see yourself enjoying.  

Best of luck!  You are a great mom!  

(we talked about this irl but for everyone else)---  While I think I could homeschool her and do this job I don't think it would be fair to her to keep her home and take a FT job, even if it is flexible. Dd2 would be gone and she would really be on her own. It wouldn't be as big a deal on days I worked at home as I could probably get most done before she gets up but on days I had family visits I'd just have to leave her on her own and at 10/11 I'm ok with that a bit but not as a regular occurrence besides the fact it would be even more lonely for her. Now, if she was older and wanted to stay home and hs I'd be ok with it but her being younger and me forcing her to be home- I don't feel good about that.

Edited January 15, 2023 by Soror

[Soror]

More information from friend---

- dress code for home visits- jeans and t-shirts-- so no special wardrobe required

- gas and office supplies are also supplied

---------------------------

I finally got a chance to talk to dh more about working, this job, school etc. He says that he don't care if I work or not. However, I'm the one that manages the money. We have enough to cover everything but it is tight.  To add to that while we have some money set aside for various things-- house, car, etc expenses it is not as much as I'd like because sometimes a bunch of crap happens all at once-- like everyone else that has a family and home we've been through this more than once-- and I know how quickly it can add up. I also know that it is wearing to keep a tight budget- not so bad for short-term but longer term it is hard. I don't have much left to trim here. It wasn't as tight but the last couple of months things were cut back at dh's work and the outlook is that it will continue for the foreseeable future- maybe until dh graduates in 16 months.

I need to sit with it a couple of weeks. It's a lot of big decisions.

I know:

--dd3 wants to go to school and I've already told dd2 she can go next year

--we really could use the money- I'd originally planned to work this spring and summer but that will obviously only get us so far. 

--this job- which from my understanding I have a decent shot at getting-- sounds as tolerable as any job I've heard about and seems like a good fit for our current situation

[KungFuPanda]

My job isn’t that flexible but but it’s two ten hour days (Weds and Thurs) then I have 5 days off. Those two days are locked up, but I’d rather do that than have more work days. I have swapped with co-workers or just given them my days before. It’s also very freeing to have a job I could walk away from without any real consequences. I like having 5 non-work days to get everything done. I couldn’t pull off more work days without hiring help at home. 

[katilac]

Apply.

You can always decline if it is offered, but you don't want to wait too long and have them fill the job.

[Harriet Vane]

59 minutes ago, katilac said:

Apply.

You can always decline if it is offered, but you don't want to wait too long and have them fill the job.

Yes, this. 

[Soror]

Working on the application and resume. Oh vey. Trying to figure out how to get details of past work with the state because I can't remember specifics. My memory is so bad. I can get years from my SS history but that doesn't tell me much. I've been searching on old threads here for making a resume after hs'ing. Not fun.

And it asks for requested salary. I'm putting down the max they list, although I feel somewhat bad about it because I worry it will hurt my chances but the range is only a few thousand and still not much.

 

[Harriet Vane]

1 hour ago, Soror said:

Working on the application and resume. Oh vey. Trying to figure out how to get details of past work with the state because I can't remember specifics. My memory is so bad. I can get years from my SS history but that doesn't tell me much. I've been searching on old threads here for making a resume after hs'ing. Not fun.

And it asks for requested salary. I'm putting down the max they list, although I feel somewhat bad about it because I worry it will hurt my chances but the range is only a few thousand and still not much.

 

Do they accept resumes? While most companies do want resumes, some companies want all the resume information on their own forms and will not accept an attached resume. 

[Soror]

39 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

Do they accept resumes? While most companies do want resumes, some companies want all the resume information on their own forms and will not accept an attached resume. 

They want a resume and application.

[fraidycat]

On 1/15/2023 at 6:54 AM, KungFuPanda said:

My job isn’t that flexible but but it’s two ten hour days (Weds and Thurs) then I have 5 days off. Those two days are locked up, but I’d rather do that than have more work days. I have swapped with co-workers or just given them my days before. It’s also very freeing to have a job I could walk away from without any real consequences. I like having 5 non-work days to get everything done. I couldn’t pull off more work days without hiring help at home. 

This is the only way I can make my job work for us, too.

I work Thu, Fri/weekend off/Mon, Tue/8 days off. 8.75 hr days. I get some downtime at work, but cannot actually leave the office, even for a lunch break.
 

I technically could work more days, but we have so many house projects on the go that nothing would get done and I would hate everybody and everything, including my job and my house because I'm getting older and do not have the energy I once did to keep going sunup to sundown.

Edited January 17, 2023 by fraidycat