My wife moved from fulltime and highwage at a hospital to 1 to 2 days a week at a local pediatricians office when we had a few kids. The arrangement was accepting a lower pay in exchange for part time work on a set schedule of 1 day during the work week, and 1 weekend every other weekend. My mother watches the kids during the work week, I watch them on my saturday off. My wife made this change to be present in my kids lives and not ship them off to daycare every day after I got a great raise.
This employer is the type to seek the work “family” and to have get togethers and dinners to make workers feel guilty about seeking wage increases or looking for other work. During the past 2 years with all the covid stuff, the amount of patients they saw basically tripled, so did work, and it was quite high risk due to near constant exposure to covid. No significant raises were given (less than a dollar), and subsequent loss of workers ensued since much higher paying jobs were available. They began to push my wife to work more days, but that would not be possible because you cannot just walk in and sign up at a decent daycare and begin an erratic schedule. My mother was also not available for more days.
A few times over the past 2 years, they would schedule my wife for more days and my wife would have to get a baby sitter and pay for an extra 30min-1hr before and after work for her commute, plus her lunch time, the baby sitters $20/hr ends up matching my wifes 8hrs of 24$/hr. Plus a tip and gas, we end up in the hole.
Now I have to set up a bunch of toys, wrap presents, do some last minute shopping, and build a fucking trampoline somehow before Christmas when I work full time, have to watch the kids on Saturday, and my wife is unexpectedly working for the 3 days before Christmas for a net loss of $100. Bro fuck that.