Craigslist, Gender, Job Searches, Kids, Women's Issues

Would You Hire An Attorney Who Needed To Bring Her One-Year-Old To Work?

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It’s a dilemma that women have faced for a long time: some of them need to work and take care of their children at the same time. During the recession, the problems for working mothers have been exacerbated. There are fewer jobs, but day care is just as expensive as ever. What are you supposed to do when caught in that bind?

On Craigslist, there’s an attorney trying to find work — which is difficult enough in this economy. But she’s carrying extra baggage: she’s got a one-year-old baby that she says she needs to bring into the office with her every day. She claims she was able to bring the baby into work at her previous office, without a problem. And if there are firms that provide on-site day care, it obviously wouldn’t be a problem.

But if a firm doesn’t have those facilities (either because it is too small or because it decided not to care about such things), then would the firm even give this woman a shot? I mean, we’re talking about a one-year-old, germ-infested, bundle of bawling, in a legal office. Does anybody want a piece of that?

I sure hope this lady is one hell of an attorney…

Here’s the ad that was posted on Craigslist:

Sponsored

Alright, a couple of things:

1. It says she’s married, so I hope, I sincerely hope, that there is a man out there — a real man — who is also asking employers to accommodate his need to bring his kid into work every day if that’s how this family has to roll. Because it would be total bullcrap if we’re sitting here in 2011 and there’s some dude who needs the benefit of two incomes but is placing all the child care responsibilities on his wife.

2. It’d be nice to live in a society where most employers had a system allowing parents to drop their kids off at the office.

3. But we don’t live in a fairytale land. In the real world, taking care of a baby during a deposition sounds distracting at best. In the real world, keeping an “open mind” about the situation is a lot easier said than done. In the real world, there are plenty of female attorneys who do not have to make every day “bring your brat to work day,” who are also willing to work part time for $50K.

Hopefully this woman will find something. Or maybe her husband will. Or maybe one of them will make enough so they can afford day care, because right now it looks like she’s in a really tough spot.

Sponsored

Seeking part time attorney’s position with daycare allowance (NYC) [Craigslist]

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