Part-Time, Full-Time, Temping: The Options for Moms Returning to Work
Pregnancy and motherhood are joyous times in the life of a woman. Unfortunately, it often signals a halt in one’s professional aspirations. However, once you have taken the time you need to take care of things at home and it’s time to get back to work again, it is common to be confused regarding the kind of hours you should be doing. After all, there’s still a child that needs your attention, but it isn’t always a feasible option for every mum to totally give up on earning for years. To help you decide, let’s take a detailed look at the parameters of part-time, full-time, and temping jobs to find out what would be an ideal fit for the circumstances.
Full-Time Jobs
In order to be a full-time employee, one needs to work for at least 35 – 40 hours every week and while there are no set upper or lower limits for this, it is the minimum number of hours which will be expected from you, if you get a full-time job. If you have a very young child at home, it may not be the best fit. On the other hand, full-time jobs will pay better and will likely have other benefits as well. Even with the extra money and perks, full-time jobs may not be the best fit right away, unless your children are old enough to be left with a sitter or other family members for a long time. Just in case you are ready to go back to a full-time job, it might be a good idea to check with your previous company first because they may have special provisions for returning employees.
Part-Time Jobs
It is difficult to define a part-time job in terms of work hours in the UK as they vary a lot, depending on the company’s employee policies. Nevertheless, part-time employees don’t need to work for as many hours as full-time employees, making it a good fit for mums who are looking to ease back into work life. As expected, the reduced hours will also mean that you will be paid less and there won’t likely be any benefits either.
Temporary Jobs
Temporary jobs or what is popularly known as “temping,” happens to be the best fit for mums getting back to work in most situations. Finding the jobs themselves are quite easy as all you need to do is sign up on the Staff Heroes website with the skills and experience you have for the type of job that you are looking for. Businesses all around the UK are always looking for extra hands during the busy seasons and even during holidayswhen most of their permanent employees are on vacation. It beats working as a part-timer with low pay and no benefits because you will be earning more and temp jobs offer a lot more flexibility in general.
As companies don’t have to put you on a permanent payroll right away, the demand for temporary employees is almost always pretty high. That same high demand also ensures that there are always other options for you to find employment in, once the tenure of the present one comes to an end. Temping offers the opportunity to learn new skills, earn experience and form new job networks again as you slowly prepare yourself for getting back into full-time work, but most importantly, it keeps you in control.
Getting back into work after becoming a mum is not only about the time on your hands, but also about readjusting to the changed circumstances and situations after the gap. Getting back into full-time work right away might be alright for some mums, but it is never a bad idea to take it slow and get adjusted to the changes and the new pace with a temp job or through working part-time hours first.
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