I'm not a working Mum anymore (Granny now!) but I think that in the private sector there's more flexibility. My employer has been great in the past year when I've needed to be home due to family circumstances. He hooked me up with remote connection to my computer at home so that I only needed to go into the office a couple of days a week.

In general I think most Mums opt to work part-time, which of course means no benefits in most cases. I don't think there is a hard and fast answer to your question, so much depends on the employer.

Mum = Mom

Rich.

Do they expect you to work longer hours than which you are contracted as well - like in the UK? Here, you get dirty looks if you leave at 5pm...

Suze

I didn't notice it so much in the UK. Even managers buggered off pronto. I found that it was a case of entitlement - 40 hours is 40 hours, no more, no more, take every break, claim every expense, use every scam, etc.

Here in the vastness of Corporate North America Inc presenteeism is just one way of keeping one's job. The other methods are to grovel to the boss, play politics, dish dirt, play golf (badly, preferably, so the boss man/client can win) etc, ego-prop, the usual mechanisms of everyday snivilisation in the private sector.

Rich.

:scared: not sure i am going to be a police officer in edmonton then?!! oh well i hate my job anyway! what about little jobs?, simple ones like working in a shop or something, are they flexible with part time workers? i dont want a "career" anymore but i will need to work a little for some "fun" money..

On the flip side of this... many Canadian women have chosen to (attempt to) avoid/subvert gender discrimination in the traditional work place by starting their own businesses. I only know two Canadian women who have jobs working for someone else in Canada, the rest are self-employed / have their own businesses / are their own bosses. I personally, have never had a full-time job working for da man and I'm doing alright thank you very much <rubs lucky stone>.

I already said this, but the job market is not the same as the UK. There are no such things as "little jobs" here and employers and co-workers will get very offended if you refer to their meagre offerings and jobs as a way to earn fun money. Minimum wage jobs are competed for like any other job here; you will be up against students and locals with experience in their community and they get hired before the immigrant. You will have to show some special skill or shine at an interview to get even that "little job" offer. It's whole different mindset here....

I can testify 100% to that....I was very lucky to get my own funky thing and it took 6 months of tooth pulling to get fixed up. The market in BC may be strong, but strong in terms of what ? Minimum wage jobs, $15 a hour jobs, construction jobs, part time jobs, jobs working for arrogant pricks and myopic control freaks and stuffy authoritarian old school fossils - hmmm all very appealing

Don't get me wrong there's good openings to be sought after at all levels but even for a grunt job/entry level opening, as a newly arrived tea-drinking soccer-worshipping funny-sounding confused and bewildered Brit you come way down the pecking order. Need luck, persistence, flexible attitude, prepared to start lower paid and prove yourself, and be interviewed by someone who'll give you a chance to show yourself.

My 2c of reality.

Rich.

hmm sounding concerning!!! looks like run-your-own-business time then or be a stay at home mom... never a bad thing!

Wow - I can't believe the doom and gloom here. As someone who used to work in Vancouver and has 3 sisters working in the Lower Mainland - if you want a "little" job and you speak english and are presentable then you should have no problems. If you aren't looking for a career you will be able to find something - in one day out in Vancouver we counted 11 help wanted signs in and around Robson Street and that's without going to the mall. One of my sisters runs a restaurant and they are crying out for help - which pays $15/hour for waitresses and are willing to employ people on a part time or limited basis.

I guess it depends what you're looking for - if you want a couple days a week vs a couple of hours every day - your going to have a much harder time finding the couple of hours every day.

HTH!

I missed the OPs note that they were looking at Victoria.

I guess we don't all live in the throbbing metropolis (can Victoria be described as such?). My words of caution therefore apply to those seeking to live/work out in the bush away from the diverse and overcrowded masses.

Rich.

The British Expats Doom and Gloom cloud once again appears from nowhere

LOL - i'll get me brolly!