Possible Unemployment.

nikki2804

I need a little bit of advice please. Bit of a long post sorry.

I have been with my employer for 4 years. Have been off on maternity leave since May 2009 and I am due to be returning in March 2010. From October 2008 (when I found out that I was pregnant) I have made it clear that I wanted to move onto the PT student shift when I returned. For the last 18 months I have asked that this request be put through but I have always been told that it was too early.

I was told last week that I had to go in for a meeting to discuss what hours I wanted to work etc. This happened on Wednesday (yesterday).

I went in and reported to my team leader who told me which meeting room to go and told me that I would have a "one to one" meeting with HR which meant she did not need to accompany me. I went to the meeting room for the desginated time (1.15). The HR woman appear at 1.30 and had brought along another person (a trainee but to take notes) so it was technically 2 on 1.

I advised which hours I wanted to do which are Friday, Sarurday and Sunday (the student team also does a Monday night but due to childcare issues I really can't do this and was willing to make up the hours on the Sat/Sun which another advisor does)

I told them this information (including that I could not afford to work FT due to childcare costs) and they noted all this down. They told me that they would not just move me onto the student team as they are not allowing switches atm. They could however put through a 'family friendly' request (only one request a year). This is then sent to a HQ HR who have no idea what goes on within the individual centres.

The interveiw people were not very helpful to say the least stating that it was not within business needs and it was not there fault I decided to reproduce. They have said it can take up to 6 weeks to get a decision which conveniently takes me up to the two days before I am due to return to work (need to give 28 days notice of leaving)

I am really annoyed to say the least as for the lat 18 months I have been told that there will be no problem switching me shifts (although not in writing unfortunatley but in front of witnesses)

Now I have found HR guidance which states that they only have 14 days to issue me with a written reponse - not 6 weeks.

I fully understand that they only need keep my FT position open for me to return too but is there anything I can do with the fact:

1. I have been continually told since October 2008 (by managers) that my shift change will be fine
2. Anybody else who has returned from maternity leave has been allowed to change there hours
3. They have already altered the shift that I want for another advisor

Also is there anything that I can do if they go over this 14 day period? I really want to know if I need to find another job.

My OH has suggested speaking to my ops manager as the dept that I am in is very short staffed at the minute and there will be no new recruits for the forseeable future so obviously he wants to keep as many advisors as possible (don't know if he can over rule HR??)

I will contact my union but really just wanted to see if there was anything else that I can do. I don't want to not work, but I cant work Mon-Fri 9-5as I simply can't afford £895 (approx) childcare costs a month when I only earn £1000. Weekend work means my OH can watch the baby.

I apologise for the novel and if you need any points clarifying please ask away!

TIA

Zazen999

Even if they all said in front of hundreds of witnesses that you could change shifts; it all comes down to when you put your request in and whether they can say that, for business reasons, your request cannot be met.

Is it usual to work weekends only in your job?
What's the relevance of the PT student shift?
Are you a student?
Do you have to be to entitle you to work this shift?
Are you needed during the week at your old hours?

jdturk

Pretty much what Zazen said, and as you know they only have to keep your old position or offer a better one and if you choose not to go back to work that is upto you.

It maybe poor form by your managers but not in writing and not when you actually requested it

nikki2804

Zazen999 wrote: »

Even if they all said in front of hundreds of witnesses that you could change shifts; it all comes down to when you put your request in and whether they can say that, for business reasons, your request cannot be met.

Is it usual to work weekends only in your job? Most teams are on an 8 weekly weekend rota - a few teams are in at only the weekend
What's the relevance of the PT student shift? This is the shift that I applied for over 18 months ago, plenty of notice, they only chose to put through my request on Wedneday
Are you a student? I am but you don't need to be to gain access to the shift
Do you have to be to entitle you to work this shift? No, this is the team where most of the people returning from maternity go too
Are you needed during the week at your old hours? Probably not, evening and weekends are the most short staffed

I guess whats really annoying me i that I work for the organisation that tries to 'encourage' mums to go back to work and get them to stay off benefits, yet I'm simply hitting a brick wall.

Thanks for the replies. Looks like i'll be searching for a new job, if only that was easy these days!!!

BligBlag

This is just a possibility OP... you said in your first post you went to the meeting stating you wanted to do x, y and z days and x, y and z hours... maybe you've pi55ed them off and come across as though you're telling them rather than asking?!

Where I work there's been a couple of women I'm friends with that have returned from maternity leave in the past few months and not wanted to come back full time, neither of them came to their back to work meeting with clear specifics, but talked it through with the Boss, who offered ideas as well and they came to a decision together.

Perhaps you need to be a little more flexible? Ask for suggestions from HR, they may come up with a good compromise. They also may be thinking you don't seem to care very much about your job... and therefore are less likely to bend over backwards for you.

honeypop

They have said they will put in a family friendly request, but you need to actually submit a 'flexible working request', in which you will be able to explain why you should be allowed to do it (explain that others do, and it works). They have 40 days to respond to this, not 14 days.

You can download the form at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Flexibleworking/DG_10037051

It is correct that you can only apply once in 12 month period, but unless it is done this way, I don't think it counts.

I understand your situation, I too can't afford to return to work full time and am due to return from Maternity Leave in Feb. They initially said it was full-time or nothing, though the temp has been doing 3 days a week and they have coped just fine. I pointed this out in my request and they have agreed I can do 3 days, and one from home for 'overflow work'. And before the usual people come on here saying why have a baby if you know you can't afford return to your job, well it was all planned 'perfectly' for me and I could afford to return then I was made redundant when pregnant and everything changed when I had to take a lower paid job to stay in work.

Anyway OP, submit the formal request on the form contained in the link, to make your request official.

nikki2804

BligBlag wrote: »

This is just a possibility OP... you said in your first post you went to the meeting stating you wanted to do x, y and z days and x, y and z hours... maybe you've pi55ed them off and come across as though you're telling them rather than asking?!

Where I work there's been a couple of women I'm friends with that have returned from maternity leave in the past few months and not wanted to come back full time, neither of them came to their back to work meeting with clear specifics, but talked it through with the Boss, who offered ideas as well and they came to a decision together.

Perhaps you need to be a little more flexible? Ask for suggestions from HR, they may come up with a good compromise. They also may be thinking you don't seem to care very much about your job... and therefore are less likely to bend over backwards for you.

I definetely didn't !!!! them off - they had me in tears because I simply can't affored full time work. Unfortunatley it appears that my manager has nothing to do with the final decision. Its a huge organisation and its a central HR team that deal with all requests. There in England so its not as if I can pop in and make a personal plea (or trust me I would)

nikki2804

honeypop wrote: »

They have said they will put in a family friendly request, but you need to actually submit a 'flexible working request', in which you will be able to explain why you should be allowed to do it (explain that others do, and it works). They have 40 days to respond to this, not 14 days.

You can download the form at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Flexibleworking/DG_10037051

It is correct that you can only apply once in 12 month period, but unless it is done this way, I don't think it counts.

I understand your situation, I too can't afford to return to work full time and am due to return from Maternity Leave in Feb. They initially said it was full-time or nothing, though the temp has been doing 3 days a week and they have coped just fine. I pointed this out in my request and they have agreed I can do 3 days, and one from home for 'overflow work'. And before the usual people come on here saying why have a baby if you know you can't afford return to your job, well it was all planned 'perfectly' for me and I could afford to return then I was made redundant when pregnant and everything changed when I had to take a lower paid job to stay in work.

Anyway OP, submit the formal request on the form contained in the link, to make your request official.

Can I put through this request if they have already stated that the "family friendly" which seems to be there version of flexible working is the protocol that they now follow?

The guidance that they supply to all employee's on our handbook (which is on the intranet) states that they only have 14 days. Im hoping that they don't take 40 days as I simply can't afford to pay childcare for the 28 days that I need to work for notice.

I know that its only a possibilty but in this day and age I'm just trying to find out what I can do if the worst happens.

If they can't offer me part time how long do I need to wait until I can claim jobseekers? Someone told me that its 3 months. I would be hoping that I had a new job by then.

I've never 'not worked' since I was 15. The prospect of being unemployed is scaring me so much!

honeypop

nikki2804 wrote: »

Can I put through this request if they have already stated that the "family friendly" which seems to be there version of flexible working is the protocol that they now follow?

The Direct.gov website says:

You can make an application by:

• filling in a form given to you by your employer
• filling in the standard form provided
• sending the required information to your employer in a letter or email

So if their protocol didn't involve you filling the form in to make the request, then I'd say still follow this route. As I understood from your OP, they are putting through a request on your behalf, which is different. Although, just noticed you are in Scotland, so unsure if all this still applies.

honeypop

(Just noticed your son was born same day as mine!)

nikki2804

My union has got involved as the organisation I work for prides itself on getting mums flexible hours etc. They seem to think that there will not be a problem so fingers crossed!