Went on a job interview, can a boss require you to have back up sick childcare? - Page 2

[HappyMommy2]

I don't know, people. In theory, it is fine to be so picky and high-brow about this company, saying you would never work for them. But reality bites. Mamas need jobs. Families need money.

And finding any company thrilled about tons of employee time off just isn't realistic ... especially in today's economy. I would be more likely to chalk it up to the interviewer's ignorance. Might not be an indicator of the company as a whole.

[~ Wonderful Life ~]

Yes, it is illegal to make a hiring decision based on your child care situation. It is none of their business. They can tell you their attendance expectations and then ask if you are able to meet those expectations, but they cannot make a decision based on your parental status or your child care situation.

I would never want to work for that company. Sorry you had to go through that.

Good luck in your job search.


ETA - I have no idea how I added the smilie blowing the party horn....??!! Didn't mean to do that and don't know how to change it!

[jess152]

Originally Posted by The Harpy

Think of it from the employers POV, if you hired an employee, you expect that occasionally that employee will be sick. Now, if you hire an employee, she has 3 kids, and no back up sick care, she could feasibly be off for upwards of a week caring for 3 kids who get sick from school 2-3 times per winter.

I'm a mom with a DS in daycare (who brings home every bug that passes through) BUT I'm also an employer who hired a single mom of two to work at our small business. She was home 1-2 days (out of 4) EVERY week to take care of her sick kids! It was not fun having someone we knew we couldn't count on. It's an awful situation to be in for everyone involved, but from my POV it is our livelihood that's affected too. We have a very small business and we needed her to show up.

OTOH, I would never ask that in an interview, personally! I wouldn't think that the employer would not hire you for just that one reason though. That sounds unreasonable.

[CookiePie]

Originally Posted by HappyMommy2

I don't know, people. In theory, it is fine to be so picky and high-brow about this company, saying you would never work for them. But reality bites. Mamas need jobs. Families need money.

And finding any company thrilled about tons of employee time off just isn't realistic ... especially in today's economy. I would be more likely to chalk it up to the interviewer's ignorance. Might not be an indicator of the company as a whole.

I totally agree, it makes me uneasy to know their attitude about sick time, however I need a job! This particular job paid better than I had hoped with a benefit package that was also very desirable. If I did get this job, it would really change things for us in a big way!

I should hear by the end of next week.

[CarrieMF]

Actually, I am a legal secretary (albiet in Canada) and it isn't illegal for them to ask that at all. To be honest, they are entitled to be aware if you have back up childcare otherwise you are potentially looking at an employee who is going to have unreliable attendance and that is a risk most employers are not willing to take.

Think of it from the employers POV, if you hired an employee, you expect that occasionally that employee will be sick. Now, if you hire an employee, she has 3 kids, and no back up sick care, she could feasibly be off for upwards of a week caring for 3 kids who get sick from school 2-3 times per winter... which means you have an employee not there for 2-3 weeks just in the winter, not to mention during the other months.

And yes, my spouse has been asked the exact same question, and I have asked new secretaries that exact same question myself when doing interviews....

Just because you work in a legal office & you have asked the question yourself does not make it legal.

Yes from a Employers POV it is a pita to have someone who has to leave because their kids are sick, but that POV means they should only hire single men.

OP - If you want/need the job & feel letting them know you have backup childcare would help your chances then call them & simply state - backup childcare will not be a problem. You do not have to tell them anything about your dh's job or dh's boss potentially letting dh work from home.

[GuildJenn]

Originally Posted by CookiePie

I totally agree, it makes me uneasy to know their attitude about sick time, however I need a job! This particular job paid better than I had hoped with a benefit package that was also very desirable. If I did get this job, it would really change things for us in a big way!

I should hear by the end of next week.

I know I'm coming in late to the discussion but is it a job where you have to be in the office to get the work done? Because what might also help is to share your plan for how you would get your work done no matter what, like "I have backup childcare but if I did have to be out of the office I would answer email regularly and work at night."

Not that you should have to, but if you really need this job that might be one way to approach it.

My guess is that there has been a issue in the office recently with someone and it was on the interviewer's mind. This doesn't excuse it, but likely they just want to hear that it won't be such an issue again.

[Michelle Renee]

I am not sure what to say OP but my DH during interviews offered up that we have a Nanny and was _always_ available, implying he would never miss for sick children issues. With the economy as bad as it is - he wanted to show reliability.

I would not hesitate legal or otherwise to be strive to be able to answer that - find a local person via CL to be backup or a date night sitter. If it meant having someone over once a month so they knew your kids so you had childcare and could work and put food on the table - I would do it.

We are just coming out of a lay off though and financial disaster and if one of us had to beg for a job we would.

Good Luck!

[CookiePie]

Ok, so I didn't get the job. It came down to me and another, the boss really liked me and would like to hold my resume in case anything else opens up or possibly to temp if they need help. I'm actually considerieng getting in with a temp agency so taht I don't have to worry about my upcoming travel plans.

[cycle]

OP, I realize I'm late to this discussion and that you didn't get the job, you are probably better off. We as working moms should be standing up to this kind of discrimination, it is not OK and not legal. You should report this company so that they don't continue this practice of asking illegal questions. Employers are taking advantage of the bad economy to treat employees badly and its not OK. Ugh, it makes me sick, please report them.

[KCMommy]

I can see the employer's POV, and while I think it is rational for them to consider that sort of thing, I wouldn't have asked that kind of personal question in an interview myself. The employees at my business that have children absolutely miss more days than those that do not, however, I have a staff ratio and substitute list that enable us to carry on without them. That is not something I would hold against a potential employee.

But, at the risk of being heavily flamed, I just don't think a person should take that sort of job if they know that other circumstances in their life (such as needing to care for their sick child) are going to make them unable to perform the work required. If you were a surgeon, you just can't quit work half-way through the day because your DCP called to say your child is ill.

I was an industrial radiographer, pre-motherhood. I lived in remote camps, hours from any settlements, and worked well over 80 hours a week, for several months at a time, without a single day off. If anyone on our crew was sick, we STILL had to work. We had days we were throwing up in the ditch at work, but failing to appear would have meant shutting down the entire job, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment and dozens of workers sitting idle. The pay was great, I liked the work.. but should I expect that my employer would keep me after having children and somehow bend the job to suit my status as a mother? Does that make them bad or anti-women? No, I just re-trained and found a family friendly career as a commercial daycare operator so I could be with my children and still pay the bills. I know that I will never having the earning power I did in my non-family-friendly career, but I made that sacrifice when I chose motherhood.

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by KCMommy

I know that I will never having the earning power I did in my non-family-friendly career, but I made that sacrifice when I chose motherhood.

This is exactly what anti-discrimination legislation is intended to address: the belief that it's always the mother that has to take a pay cut and keep a "family-friendly" career. Did the father not also become a parent? Who expects him to take a pay cut and retrain for a family friendly career?

I agree that some jobs aren't suited for parenthood. But I don't think that means just motherhood.

I'm not addressing you specifically, as I don't know your circumstances. Some moms are single moms. Some families rely on one person's income more than others.

But it shouldn't be assumed to be the mother's job to take the pay cut and the family-friendly career.

[Ellien C]

Originally Posted by sanguine_speed

But it shouldn't be assumed to be the mother's job to take the pay cut and the family-friendly career.

Bingo, baby!



To the OP, I would report the hiring managers questions to the EEOC if you were in the US.

[Ellien C]

and for good measure - see here:

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/i...tal_status.cfm

"Questions about marital status and number and ages of children are frequently used to discriminate against women and may violate Title VII if used to deny or limit employment opportunities.

It is clearly discriminatory to ask such questions only of women and not men (or vice-versa). Even if asked of both men and women, such questions may be seen as evidence of intent to discriminate against, for example, women with children.

Generally, employers should not use non job-related questions involving marital status, number and/or ages of children or dependents, or names of spouses or children of the applicant. Such inquiries may be asked after an employment offer has been made and accepted if needed for insurance or other legitimate business purposes.

The following pre-employment inquiries may be regarded as evidence of intent to discriminate when asked in the pre-employment context:

Whether applicant is pregnant.
Marital status of applicant or whether applicant plans to marry.
Number and age of children or future child bearing plans.
Child care arrangements.
Employment status of spouse.
Name of spouse. "

[LynnS6]

In the future, the response you want is:

"I will be able to meet your expectations. My childcare arrangements are between me and my providers."

If you've got a new job, your dh is going to have to step up and do more childcare. It's not fair to assume that you, the mother, will take care of the kids all the time when they're sick.

Some cities have daycares/agencies that specialize in sick-child daycare. Most will send someone to your home (at an outrageous price, but if you're desperate, you're desperate).

[One_Girl]

This article has a lot of good info about questions that can and can't be asked. Childcare arrangements and having children in general is on the can't ask list.

http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/forms/w...rsionmay05.pdf