Any HR folks here? Input please?

I have a question for any HR folks (Human Resouces) that might be willing to offer me a tidbit of advice?!

I took a job within the last six months and have decided it is just way too stressful of a job for me at this point of my life. I don't have any personal time coming yet, so I can't really take off work to go to interviews/pursue other opportunities etc.

What's the best way to handle something like this? Should potential employers be willing to meet with me outside of normal business hours, or do they take the opposite viewpoint and think that if I'm really interested in a position I will find a way to take off work?

Stuck between a rock and a hard place. I suppose if I told my current employer that its turned out to be much more stressful than anticipated and I tell them I'm looking for other opportunities, they'll boot me out the door? Would I be able to collect unemployment then until I can land another job?

How do folks puruse other opportunities if they just can't get off work?

Thanks!

I think most prospective employers will understand that if you're presently employed, it can be difficult (if not impossible) to ask for time off to go on job interviews. (And they *should* appreciate that you'd give them the same courtesy if you were working for them and seeking other employment.)

I worked in HR for several years - as a manager, I was always willing to meet with potential candidates before work, at their lunch hour, or after 5 to accomodate their work schedule. I really can't get into quitting vs. termination and unemployment, since I was in a specialized area of HR, and only dealt with employment law as a manager (I had an HR generalist on hand to guide terminated employees through the labryinth of questions surrounding their unemployment eligibility.)

Perhaps they'd meet with you during your lunch hour. Or perhaps, one afternoon, about 2 or 3 p.m., maybe you could "get sick" from something you ate and have to leave work. Maybe one morning, on the way to work, you might "have a flat tire". Sneaky ways around the lack of time off, but it's survival of the fittest and you gotta do what you need to do.

It's my experience that once you submit your resignation, employers are then "anxious to be rid" of you. And often you're treated as a traitor. So I wouldn't tell them about it until a new job is secured.

I'm not sure about the unemployment laws, but I believe that you must have been working for at least the last 5 quarters (one year and 3 months). Your employment can be at several different jobs during that period. But if you haven't worked in years and then got this job that you've had for 2 months, I don't think you'd qualify, but check the laws with the unemployment office. Someone can tell you over the phone I think.

Your unemployment pay, if I remember correctly, would be 60% of the average of your pay during the 5 quarters. Don't quote me on that though; it may be different these days.

Even if you quit (rather than being fired), you can draw unemployment for certain reasons. Not sure what they are. But if you file and are qualified, your employer can contest it and you have a little hearing--nothing major. The main thing is to show up. (Often employers "forget" to show up so you win. If you don't show up, they win.) If everyone shows up, an unemployment officer will hear both sides and then decide if you will get unemployment compensation.

Best of luck to you in whatever you do. The odd thing is, it's easier to get hired if you already have a job. Employers see you as "marketable" if you're already employed. If you're unemployed, I guess it sends a signal that something is wrong with ya so they dont' wanna take a chance on you. But it's difficult, as you've said, to look for a job and do interviews if you're employed. So it's a Catch-22.

Seedsower, unemployment laws vary from state to state. Although I was management, and hesitate to give such underhand advice, but I would come up with an excuse to schedule an interview. I always looked at someone "employed" as more desireable than someone who wasn't. A flat tire, a sick baby, mom sick, etc, are good excuses, although you will not be paid for the time, I think still worth it in the long run. Good luck to you.

I'm sorry, but I really have to disagree with making up excuses, unless a prospective employer absolutely, positively will not meet with you outside of your work hours. And if that's the case, I'd ask myself if I really wanted to work for someone who would compel me to lie to my present employer just to get an interview.

I've seen employees get caught in lies they told to take off for an interview, and they were fired on the spot. (Lying to your employer is a really bad idea, no matter what your motivation.) The worst luck I ever heard was an employee who got busted in an airport 400 miles away from her office. She had called in sick to fly to an interview, and just happened to run into her boss making a connecting flight.

IMHO

If one of the people that work for me came in to my office and told me that the work load in their position was more then they can handle or that it was causing undo stress I would first try to see if they wanted to try and work it out within the company first and then if they felt they needed to leave then I would allow them the time to take off from work to attend interviews but would ask if they would try and do it during our down times or when someone else could cover for them.
I would rather someone be honest with me then to sneak behind my back, and if I received a call from a potential employer either during this job search or in one that happened down the road I would be inclined to express my feeling on this matter.

I hope you find a solution soon. Best of luck to you.

Casey

My inner convictions tell me I'm not going to land a job to suit my personal needs if I have to lie in order to get it. I guess I was just looking for advice as to how employers/HR people look at applicants who refuse to take off work to interview. I've missed out on a couple good opportunities in the past couple years because I couldn't take off work....so it just seems so far that employers aren't willing to make the sacrifice to meet outside of normal business hours. Recently I had a call for an interview and the HR person said they might be able to meet outside of regular hours, but just to get things out in the open they wanted to know what wage I was looking for. I thought that was fair, since they didn't want to use their valuable time for an after hours interview and then find out they weren't offering the wage I needed. I will continue my search...it definitely appears to be an employers market, because I just read an ad that said "this high paying position...." (ie: $10.00/hr). Geesh!

Thanks everyone!