Back to Work
April 4, 2006 by kate baggott
Filed under Finances
I am not ready to go back to work full time, but I know I want to. The trouble is, my career was in transition before I had children. I’ve been piecing together a living through a combination of writing, consulting and teaching since our move to Germany four years ago.
I love self-employment and freelancing, but it’s harder to do when the working people around you are getting six weeks paid vacation, more respect for having a “real job” and financial security through government employment insurance and other forms of labour protection. And the multi-tasking, endless quest for the next job gets to me.
According to a report from the British government, mothers returning to the workforce have a harder time finding jobs than other job seekers. The Guardian decided to help one mother on her job search with advice from many expert sources.
Trouble is, the solutions look a lot like my patchwork quilt of short-term paying gigs of various kinds. Even my babysitter demands more job and income security than some of the arrangements offer…
I, on the other hand, have had it with being employed and am seriously thinking of freelancing. Anyway, because of all the reforms, the benefits we enjoy are becoming less and less. I’ve heard from my German colleagues that Merkel and company are planning to approve even more. Yay for companies but bad for employees.
Anyway, as I am now pregnant again, I noticed that there are indeed changes when it comes to what the krankenkasse covers. Ugh!
Absolutely Melissa. I really noticed a difference between the first and second pregnancy in terms of treatment and coverage too.
I think both employment and freelancing have their benefits and drawbacks. I just wish there were more balnce in the working world today.
“balance in the working world”
we can dream haha