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Flexible working for study?
Comments
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Tough one, I know she feels that it's unfair and they should be flexible because she is, but really they are the ones paying her and so ultimately her working hours are going to be arranged to suit them. We are pretty flexible where I work but I'd be reluctant to let someone change their hours for 20 weeks (which is 5 months, not really a short time) to do a hobby course. It means changing the whole work rota and getting someone else to be flexible and cover THAT time, which they might well resent for what is not really an important thing.
Would your wife re-arrange her working hours because someone she worked with fancied playing golf every Tuesday afternoon for 5 months in the summer? Would she think the company would be right to say yes to this?
So although she probably feels rather hard done by I do feel the employer is right here. Work/life balance is important, but there are limits to what you can hope for.It's not like it's training she needs, or she has to be at hospital, or something important. It's just something she wants to do for fun.Cash not ash from January 2nd 2011: £2565.:j
OU student: A103 , A215 , A316 all done. Currently A230 all leading to an English Literature degree.
Any advice given is as an individual, not as a representative of my firm.0 -
A bit of a long shot but does your wife work with food where any hygiene tips she learns on the course could be transferred to work?
Do they have a window which needs dressing, maybe a nicely decorated cake could attract customers - I did say a long shot lol.Karma - the consequences of ones acts."It's OK to falter otherwise how will you know what success feels like?"1 debt v 100 days £20000 -
worth putting in a written request to her superior?
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I would not put in a written request if the normal procedure is to make verbal requests of this type. Just might get people's backs up. No correction - it will definitely get people's backs up.
I would not rule out just doing the course and missing the few of the classes when she has to work. It will show the supervisor in a bad light when word gets around that the manager has made her work and miss classes that she has paid for. It will also show the company in a bad light when words gets round the college class mates why she had missed a few nights. After a few weeks it is possible that she will get her shifts changed to accommodate her classes.0 -
I don't think that would be appropriate, the wife I am sure doesn't want to be seen to be a troublemaker.
Where I work if we do or say anything to put the company in a bad light then we are open to being disciplined for it. Which is for the good of all workers, a bit of bad-mouthing could lead to a company failing in this financial climate, at least it could reduce any profit share if the company offers this.Karma - the consequences of ones acts."It's OK to falter otherwise how will you know what success feels like?"1 debt v 100 days £20000 -
Mistral001 wrote: »I would not put in a written request if the normal procedure is to make verbal requests of this type. Just might get people's backs up. No correction - it will definitely get people's backs up.
I would not rule out just doing the course and missing the few of the classes when she has to work. It will show the supervisor in a bad light when word gets around that the manager has made her work and miss classes that she has paid for. It will also show the company in a bad light when words gets round the college class mates why she had missed a few nights. After a few weeks it is possible that she will get her shifts changed to accommodate her classes.
It's a hobby course, nothing to do with employer or job, paid for before having a time off negotiated. It will not show employer in bad light what so ever.
It's like paying for holiday without requesting holiday leave and just expect employer to roll over.
OP I understand your wife is upset, but really she doesn't have a leg to stand on. Most employers are understanding and will strike conversation about things with employees, but given the sector she works in she is putting a lot of pressure on employer to change staff around for 20 weeks for something that completely and utterly does not concern them in any way!!
Many people have to change jobs to accomodate university evening courses because their current employer will not accomodate them, and these are actually serious people about change of their career, sometimes even related to what they do.
But at the end of the day employer employed them to do Mon-Fri (for example) and not days they wished they could do.0 -
I don't think that would be appropriate, the wife I am sure doesn't want to be seen to be a troublemaker.
Where I work if we do or say anything to put the company in a bad light then we are open to being disciplined for it. Which is for the good of all workers, a bit of bad-mouthing could lead to a company failing in this financial climate, at least it could reduce any profit share if the company offers this.
I was definetly not thinking about bad-mouthing. I cannot see how you intrepreted that from what I posted. All I was thinking about is that it is inevidable that class mates will discuss where each other work and why they miss classes. Simply saying "I had to work" last week might raise a lot of sympathy from other class mates. Especially perhaps people who do not work or from people who work in 9 to 5 jobs. Or in the case of work colleagues it is usual to discuss hobbies etc at break times and it would be quite natural for the OP's wife to explain to colleagues about the class situation without making any comment on the company or management other than I have been refused permission. Some of her work colleagues might sympathise with her, others maybe even the majority probably not.0 -
What ever happened to the work-life balance that some companies pay lip service to? Obviously not many here seem to think it's important. I do. Giving our whole life over to work is boring, soul destroying and we ought to be allowed to be able to do other things as well.
http://www.theworkfoundation.com/difference/e4wlb/definition.aspx0 -
Is it possible / allowed for her to swap shifts on a less formal basis?
So the manager doesn't have to do anything, but once the rotas are out, can your wife swap shifts to make herself free?Signature removed for peace of mind0 -
Is it possible to find a cake decoration course which can fit around her work?
Colleges generally have fixed time slots but other places running similar courses may have more flexibility. My local arts&crafts shop runs cake decorating courses and these can either be in the evenings or weekends. They also occassionally run two day intensive courses which may be more suitable for your wife especially as she already has experience.
It may be worth seeing if there's something similar in your area.0 -
Mistral001 wrote: »I would not rule out just doing the course and missing the few of the classes when she has to work. It will show the supervisor in a bad light when word gets around that the manager has made her work and miss classes that she has paid for. It will also show the company in a bad light when words gets round the college class mates why she had missed a few nights. After a few weeks it is possible that she will get her shifts changed to accommodate her classes.
It's a 20 week course where she'd miss 2 out of every 3 weeks!0
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