So Greta and I had it all figured out: we were each going to ask to reduce our workweeks to four days, with one of those being a work-at-home day. That way, each of us would be home with Seamus two days a week -- and on Fridays, we would take him by train up to Milford, where NanaBanana would watch him for the day.
In the past, my bosses have been totally cool and accommodating when it comes to time off and stuff ... but this time, they said no. Or rather, they said, "Here's our counteroffer: if you reduce your hours by one day a week, we'll cut your salary by 20%. And you can't work from home." Or, in other words: "Here's our counteroffer: nothing."
Greta still hasn't talked to her boss, but we're sort of screwed now no matter what her boss says ... I don't think she's going to be able to only come in *two* days a week, and spend the other three at home after her (three-month) maternity leave is over. (Guess what I get for paternity leave? *One* week.) And we don't want to put Seamus in daycare when he's three months old!
Any suggestions, people?
family
- granny franny's chronicle of mountain living
- aunt lizzie's blog
- get your math mojo workin'
- seamus' maternal great-grandmother is a talented artist
- caitlin at college
- nanabanana's chronicle of seamus' first five months
- granny franny's european odyssey
- young wes in england
- joe's vacation blog
- miss lily down under
neither chilluns, nor family, nor friends
archived schmooicity
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2006
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November
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- Wonder Boys
- Attack Of The Pecan Tart Eater
- Giving Thanks...
- Off to Gloucester for Thanksgiving! Quick Post!
- Uh-oh.
- Seamus! We want to meet you!
- The Best Shower Gift Ever
- Frogs and the red sweater
- All Swole Up
- Amazing Science Facts!
- The Trip to Bountiful
- Mango Bear thanks you
- The Adoration, or, Please Leave Us Alone, People
- Baby boom
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November
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1 comment:
Ohhhhh groan, Jim and Greta, this sucks!!! I have been through this twice. You both probably want to say 'Take this job and shove it, I ain't workin' here no more.'
You may have to take the lower pay idea, Jim. Look at it this way, once you have a baby, you spend less on recreation and entertainment. You only buy diapers and go home...and you are happy and excited about that!
I put Wes in daycare at 5 months and sobbed. But here's what I did. I left him with another mother who had a child around the same age and was also breast-feeding. So she knew what to do carewise and schedulewise, and she respected my wish to breast-feed/bring her bottles of pumped milk. The downside was that she charged me a lot, $10/hour in those days. But she said "I will treat him like he was my own," and that comforted me. (For her, it was also a good situation; she had quit her job and needed SOME income.)
Greta may be able to get more time off and still keep her job if she explores: unpaid leave...disability leave...working some from home...quitting and becoming their favorite freelancer.
Just some late-night ideas. Maybe some more later.
The damn work world just isn't parent-friendly. Even in 2007. It's better than it was, but there is tons of room for improvement.
Sigh,
Love,
Sniff,
Teri
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