To work or not and childcare

Following on from my previous post, I took a .25 post in health service which is about 8 hrs per week. Had been given to understand that I would be working from 8.00 a.m. untill 6.00 pm for 4 days per month, and that I would know the days I was working at least a full week before so that I could arrange childcare cover. Today, I have been informed that I could be working from 2.00 p.m. untill 10.00 p.m. or from 10.00 a.m. untill 8.00 p.m., and that I would not know the day of the week I was working untill the Friday morning beforehand. As a single parent with a childminder, I can't do this and explained this to them. I don't have any family support or back-up from their dad. Also, if I was to work late in the evening, I would not be able to continue my internship programme for my psychotherapy training as it is on a Thursday evening, and this would prevent me from finishing my training.

My question is that I don't know what I should do? I can't work untill 10.00 p.m. due to childcare, the original hours were day-time hours and my childminder wants to know a week ahead which day I am working so that she can plan her family life also.

I do have some savings and maintenance for my children, and a small income from family business which would get me through another 18mths to 2years. However, I'm conscious that I'm in my mid forties and if I don't work now I might not get a job in 2 years time, or the situation could be a lot worse. Yet, I can't work late in the evening and I have childcare to arrange. I also don't have great physical health so that is a factor also.

Comments/advice welcome as I need to let the HSE know if I am not takingn the position early next week.

Thanks.

Can the HSE offer you day time hours? They could accommodate this. Otherwise, you are answering your question by saying you can't work these hours.

To put it bluntly, no, you cannot work these hours as you have explained. The difference between wages and childcare costs must also be not significantly great so I would think you need to inform them. Perhaps if they see you are serious they may re-consider but I recall a while back that you were also having managerial problems so this may just be their way of letting you go. To be honest, do you really need the hassle.

You need to push back on this quite forcefully. When you say 'given to understand' do you have anything in writing, or email? Can you talk to your union if you are a member?

Can you work in another part of the organisation at all?

To work or not

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I think I am going to ring them up again on Monday and state that I definitely can't work those hours and that I need a week's notice in relation to the days I work if they are not to be set days due to childcare. Felt quite thrown about it yesterday and today. It's more difficult to be assertive when I know there are very few jobs out there.

Elcato - it's a different HSE area so no managerial issues. One of thte head honcho's appeared really accommodating when we discussed my days initially, but the other head honcho who does the rosters wasn't nearly so accommodating!

Thanks.

I know you'v a childminder already but if she (or he) can't accommodate you perhaps another childminder can, i know plenty people with nighttime childminders. Good luck with your phonecall.

To work or not

Thanks, Sandals, for your reply. Will talk to work on Monday and after.wards childminder if they are still insisting on doing unusual hours. I don't know whether it would be worth it if childcare is costing almost as much as I would earn. However, others have said it is always better to be employed even part-time and even if childcare costs consume most of my wages, as I will still be getting experience and am more employable once employed. So big decisions ahead!