Requesting flexi hours?

summer1982

Hi everyone,

My baby is due in 10 weeks, I have already discussed with my employer that I will have 6 months off (I can't afford to take any more time off), but I wanted to ask about flexi working hours.

I currently work 8.30 - 5pm with an hour lunch break, my mum is going to be looking after baby for me during that time. I am lucky that she doesn't work so is able to do that, and although it upsets me that I won't see the baby very much financially I can't do anything else at the moment.

I would like to ask work if I can do 8.30 - 3.30 with a half hour lunch break instead of an hour.

I know I can do the job within those hours and my employers do think a lot of me as I work hard and have very good relationships with my clients.

My question is when do I have that conversation with my employers? Do I go in to my HR lady and have an off the record chat first to see what she thinks or just write a formal letter initially?

Thank you for any advice.

Sambucus_Nigra

What job do you do?

summer1982

Property Manager.

iamana1ias

You need to wait till the baby has been born before requesting anything.

You're not expecting your salary to stay the same if you do less hours, are you? And you are aware they can make the shorter hours a permanent arrangement?

gratefulforhelp_2

You do have an entitlement to request flexible working, as a new parent. This begins when the baby is born. You can only apply for flexible working once in a year, so its a good idea to chat through the idea informally first, so you can tweak your plans if there is something your employer would go for.

You do not have a right to flexible working, just the right to request it, however the employer has to give a sound business reason for rejecting your request.

Huge good luck.

summer1982

Thank you gratefulforhelp - I was planning on coming back to work first and at least giving it a go, but part of me knows it will be so hard, and if I can put my request in while I am off on maternity leave, it will give them time to work something out with my stand in - who I know they will want to keep on if he does well which he currently is (he was a summer temp and is slowly taking over my portfolio while I slow down).

Iamana - Of course I know my salery will change if my hours do.

Thanks again

CL

Did a quick search and found the following:

http://www.flexibility.co.uk/flexwork/general/requesting-flexible-work.htm

On what grounds can a request for flexible working be refused?
Employers have a duty to consider requests seriously and can refuse only where one of the following business reasons apply:

• the burden of additional costs
• detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand
• inability to re-organise work among existing staff
• inability to recruit additional staff
• detrimental impact on quality
• detrimental impact on performance
• insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work
• planned structural changes

I would imagine if you included in your application how the above points would not be a problem, the employer would find it difficult to refuse without being concerned about a formal complaint being lodged.

gratefulforhelp_2

summer1982 wrote: »

Thank you gratefulforhelp - I was planning on coming back to work first and at least giving it a go, but part of me knows it will be so hard, and if I can put my request in while I am off on maternity leave, it will give them time to work something out with my stand in - who I know they will want to keep on if he does well which he currently is (he was a summer temp and is slowly taking over my portfolio while I slow down).

Then the earlier you request, the better, to give your employer time to adjust. While you don't have the right to request yet, if this is your first baby, there's no harm if you share a good relationship with the employer, in letting them know this is your thinking at the moment, and asking what would work for them?

I have been through this process, and actually my employer claimed to have a sound business reason which was completely spurious, they then just repeated their position in a series of very long meetings and appeals, ultimately I would have had to file a grievance and take it to tribunal, but instead I left, as my union were like a wet lettuce.

That said, a good employer, presented with a proposal that doesn't cause or solves, problems, should be ok.

Sambucus_Nigra

summer1982 wrote: »

Property Manager.

Ok - and how easy will it be for someone else to manage the property or properties in your shorter hours? Will it prove a problem?

If you address the issues and think about them up front; and how the company can manage it - and offer a workaround - then the company are more likely to agree to it.

Ie - go through the points in the previous post [I'd so some thinking before you go so that you have something to refer back when you go back] about how they can all be addressed....

pineapple

Shaving time off your lunch hour and leaving earlier is one thing. In fact my employer agreed to it and none of us were pregnant! :j
But in this instance, you are also proposing to work one hour less a day. I think there is a problem with saying to your employer that you can do the job on those reduced hours, as it begs the question ''are you then under occupied at present'?
Plus you can't then be expected to be paid the same.
If the issue is spending more time at home with your baby, maybe you should look at the possibility of working from home some of the time.

iamana1ias

pineapple wrote: »

If the issue is spending more time at home with your baby, maybe you should look at the possibility of working from home some of the time.

Erm, no. If you're at home with baby you're not working! Suggesting this is a complete pi55take.