Professional dilemma?


sorabji.com: I need advice: Professional dilemma?
THIS IS A READ-ONLY ARCHIVE FROM THE SORABJI.COM MESSAGE BOARDS (1995-2016).

By patrick on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 05:37 pm:

    Situation: Nico is having to consider going back to work. Despite the fact that the company is still selling, quite well actually, she is still having to consider otherwork for various reasons.

    We both are looking to make more money and she has an opportunity.

    Its with a French company that manages financial services for the apparel business. They want a west coast rep. Essentially it would be a home-based/small studio/office set up. She would seek out new clients in which to offer the company's services to. She did a phone interview. BANG! Sold them. She did the first face to face interview this week. BANG! She sold them even more in a 2 hour interview.

    They are totally impressed because
    A) Shes written a very astute business plan B) She speaks French C) She has managed a successful design line D) She has decent work experience in apparel financing

    Now the president is coming to LA from France to interview her.

    She would be required to travel to the French Alps for 2 weeks to train.

    It all looks really promising.

    The dilemma is this:

    Should she reveal shes pregnant? Considering it will be a mostly home-based job it would be ideal for an expectant mother.

    Of course they cant fire her for being pregnant nor are they allowed to ask it in an interview (i dont think).

    If she reveals after hire, the backlash could occur in more subtle ways.

    She could reveal now and they would be totally cool with it, knowing that she wouldnt be out of the loop for more than a few weeks in April/March.

    Shes not showing yet, but theres the idea of intentional deception thats buggin her to death.

    Should she tell? Should she wait until she gets the job?

    Its an ideal job and would totally ease so much worry and tension.

    thoughts?


By Platypus on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 05:41 pm:

    That's a tricky one.

    It's one of those things where if the company says "are you preganant," she would say "yes," but should she go out of her way to mention it?

    I don't know. Maybe she should casually ask if the company thinks preganancy would present any unusual challenges for her? It does seem like something that would be good to mention, just to be upfront about it. I mean, they can't not hire her because she's preggers...


By patrick on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 05:46 pm:

    "they can't not hire her because she's preggers..."

    sure they can. they just dont have to say THATS the reason.


By kazoo on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 05:56 pm:

    Could she offer the fact that she wants to secure home-based employment now because she wants to be able to stay home with her children when she has them...you know...being kind of vague as to when the wee bairn would show up?


    It's tricky. I don't know. But I will tell you, we had an editor who did all her work (save for the weekly editorial meeting) at home to take care of her children, but she still took a regular maternity leave when she had her babes, and then still had to have a baby sitter for several hours during the day. She may be out of the loop for more than a few weeks. Does she have a sense of the work-load? If she's expected to do 40+ hours at home...that is going to be quite a strain.

    Christ, I can't imagine. By the way, I was wondering last night if nico was showing.






By patrick on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 06:04 pm:

    she shows to me...but thats because i mapped her body like fuckin Christopher Columbus ages ago.

    Shes still able to wear her jeans but shes having to look at other clothing options.

    We felt it kicking and squirming the other night...and yesterday at the midwife appt. we heard its heartbeat with a (audio-only) ultra sound...shit what are they called?

    I assume the work load will be 40+ a week.


    But to the job scenario....i suppose she could hint at it as you suggest...but thats still enough to potentially scare men from hiring, thinking in the back of their mind shes looking to spawn so she may not be the best option.


By kazoo on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 06:14 pm:

    I was thinking that...god, just being a woman around this age and married is enough to scare some men from hiring.

    I would say that it might scare some women from hiring too having worked for a corporate manwoman before.

    Though, she kind of wore that pro-corporate mommie ca-ca as a badge of honor.

    Never mind me...


By agatha on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 06:36 pm:

    i don't think that she should take that job.

    not that you asked that, but i'm going to say it anyhow.

    she will be out of the loop for a lot longer than a few weeks, you can be sure of that.


By patrick on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 06:37 pm:

    is that your only reason for not taking the job? because of what will happen in march/april?

    did you work when carrying?


By patrick on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 06:37 pm:

    and i did ask....for advice.


By eri on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 07:28 pm:

    This is a tricky one Patrick and not one that we could give you an answer for. She will know which is the better way after talking to them more. If she is at ease with them, it will be allright. I did this once, at AT&T and they told me that my job would be temp and when I went on maternity leave I would have to quit. Fact was, I didn't have to quit and my job was waiting for me. I stayed there three years. Then again, I interviewed for another job before AT&T when I was 5 months pregnant and I thought I was showing but I guess it wasn't that much and they just fell to the floor laughing when they found out I was 6 months along and gave me whatever shifts I wanted and started me at a higher pay because I was expecting. It is really a judgement call that only Nico can make. It depends on how comfortable she is with these people.


By agatha on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 07:39 pm:

    i worked, but this job sounds like it might be a lot more all-consuming than you are making it sound. the travel bit is the tip off, for me. i took two months off after i had cleo, i think, and then only worked part time after that.

    i worked up until about two weeks before i was due, full time. i couldn't afford not to.


By patrick on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 07:47 pm:

    thats the thing...she (we) can't afford to not work.

    Im think more and more that perhaps she should tell them after this next interview and if they still want her, understanding of the time she will need its perhaps a positive sign.


By agatha on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 08:16 pm:

    i agree. it will either scare them off, in which case i would take that as a sign that the job will be too much, or they will be supportive, which would indicate that they will be flexible with her new mother status.

    she should tell them, and then see what happens.


By Fly on the wall on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 06:37 pm:

    Do not volunteer the information. Also, it is illegal for them
    to even ask if the interviewee is pregnant. Check out this article:
    http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/interviewing/19971231-washington.html

    From the article:

    "Virtually all states have laws or regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national
    origin, ancestry, medical condition, physical handicap, marital status and age (40+). Generally, questions on
    employment applications or in interviews about national origin (including questions about your native language) are
    illegal. Employers also can't ask your marital status or the number and ages of your children and dependents. Nor can
    they ask questions about pregnancy, birth-control use or your plans for having children


By patrick on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 06:42 pm:

    thanks fly. we are aware of the laws.


By agatha on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 06:42 pm:

    legally, i agree, but my main concern would be that the job might prove to be too much for a new mom. i guess she could always quit if it was too overwhelming.


By patrick on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 06:56 pm:

    just because a law exists, i see no reason not be reasonable.

    If you know something is going to hinder your work performance within a matter of months be it a prolonged vacation, leave of absence, some sort of surgery or whatever i think its appropriate, courteous and professional to advise your employer. Just because the law says you dont have to tell them doesnt mean you shouldnt.


By kazoo on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 07:53 pm:

    It's incredibly difficult. Some companies will be incredibly accomodating if they want you bad enough. Others...not so much.

    BabiesBabiesBabies. My head is spinning just thinking about them.


By Nate on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 10:40 pm:

    could you have a couple extra? i hear that people with IQ greater than 120 are having fewer and fewer babies, and i'm not really planning on any.


By patrick on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 11:25 am:

    we talked about this. I spoke of your POV agatha, be one of opposition. But she's going ahead with the interview with the Pres. next week and not revealing anything.

    its entirely possible people don't find out they are pregnant until they are 3,4 months into it. She feels thats still an appropriate and fair amount of time. Of course if the job ever becomes too demanding....fuck it.

    moreover, she reminded me, its a French-based company.

    Like the Japanese, the French can be fairly patriarchial at times. They tend to be a little more traditional in some aspects, such as family. So she fears her chances would be hindered if she reveals anything.

    We'll see what happens!


By Nate on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 12:24 pm:

    my mom works for a massive french company.

    fuck the french.


By patrick on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 03:02 pm:

    your mom works a massive french what?

    damn.


By Nate on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 03:32 pm:

    my mom works fora massive french company.

    unlike your mom, who needs to work on keeping her teeth off my cock when she's down there earning.


By patrick on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 03:35 pm:

    at least she has teeth holmes.

    i now know where the L*** family tenet of "fuck the french" comes from.


By Nate on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 07:11 pm:

    naw, it preceded that.


By patrick on Wednesday, October 30, 2002 - 11:06 am:

    she got the job. she accepts this morning.

    now she's on a fast track to spend two weeks in France, 1 in NYC. Company car, expenses paid etc. The salary is pretty darn healthy.

    This takes a huge monkey of our back.

    She figures there isnt any need to tell them until Jan or so. It shouldn't affect her work at all until late Feb, March. In the meantime i will pick up the slack with mille nico. we are marketing the spring 03 collection very soon. its a strong collection. the short term plan is to use this income to pick up the slack with mille nico, provide some temporary relief.

    Im kinda jealous I wont get to go to France. Im so ready to go back to Europe. But Im seeing my role growing at home. The income with this job is so good i could quit my job and be a stay-at-home dad if need be, but I won't, at least not right away.

    Do any of you actually know any couples with a stay at home dad? How does it work? Do you sense an underlying sense of resentment from the female perspective?




    Oh and you can now be assured we will be fucking the french from the inside out now.




By Platypus on Wednesday, October 30, 2002 - 05:33 pm:

    I know a couple of folks with stay at home dads. It works well for them. No resentment on the female side. In one of the cases, though, it was one of those things where she had a much better job than he did, and didn't really want to give it up...Not having children, I'm not much of an expert on this stuff, but I think having a parent around a lot during the first few years is a good idea. I remember that's what my parents did--my mom was a printer, and my dad stayed at home with me. Of course, they were also caretaking a big ranch, so he was actually doing stuff on the land, but he hauled me around. There are pictures of him cutting down trees and stuff with me hanging out in my baby thing. They're quite cute.


By agatha on Wednesday, October 30, 2002 - 07:16 pm:

    dave and i both worked, but we worked opposite hours so there was a lot of time that he was flying solo with cleo. it's not the same, but we didn't really have any problems aside from utter exhaustion. when she got a little older, i was going to school full time and she went to the childcare center at my school, and although dave didn't make me feel this way, i felt a little funny about going to school while dave was working all the time. really, i think it was the best thing at the time, though, looking back on it now. we were really broke, but whatever.

    tell nico congratulations. i hope it works out nicely, it sounds cush.


By patrick on Wednesday, October 30, 2002 - 07:25 pm:

    well if i could get off my ass and establish myself in the freelance photography world, assisting or shooting we could alter our schedules.

    if mille nico continues as it is, i have no doubts it will be come a success. each catalog is getting stronger. we ship more and more units with each one. its bound to bust anytime now...so naturally, THATS the ideal, a business that circulates enough money to ditch my job, and rotate our efforts to see to it milkdud is always with one of us.


    on an entirely unrelated note, read what angry sam sent me to day...i thought this hilarious and sweet: (for those of you who have been here long enough, this should make sense to you)


    in an email:

    you know like many bitches and rants and ideas of mine, if only I had a bigger forum than You and Nico, I'd have my own damned talk show by now. Once Milkdud can read, I guess that'll make it three dedicated readers. Although with kids, Milkdud will probably revolt and become a
    Christian right wing zealot. I can hear it,

    PAT - "Get that poster of Jesse Helms off your bedroom wall."
    Milkdud - "But dad, I don't wanna be a punk rock left wing nut. And I wish you and mom would stop doing B.H.'s in front of my church group."


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