Flexible working - can anyone help with questions for form?

Mockingjays

I'm trying to help out a friend who's applying for flexible hours in her current job. It's in retail and she's worked there for over 10 years. She works part time as she is a single parent (through bereavement - her husband sadly died). Her previous boss was great and understanding. As with kids, her 7 yrs old son sometimes is ill and she has to take time off at short notice. Not that often, but obviously it happens occasionally. Anyway, when this happened recently with her new boss she quite a lot lot problems, hence this application for flexible hours. I really feel for her and want to try to her her. She's always worked even though she'd be better off financially on benefits, as she was brought up by parents who worked, her husband worked and it's what she wants her son to know - that people go out to work to earn a living.

I wondered if anyone can help with responses to a couple of questions she has to answer on a form.

1. How she thinks her flexible working would affect the store and her colleagues.
2. How the effect on the store and colleague could be dealt with.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading.

eschaton

Mockingjays wrote: »

I'm trying to help out a friend who's applying for flexible hours in her current job. It's in retail and she's worked there for over 10 years. She works part time as she is a single parent (through bereavement - her husband sadly died). Her previous boss was great and understanding. As with kids, her 7 yrs old son sometimes is ill and she has to take time off at short notice. Not that often, but obviously it happens occasionally. Anyway, when this happened recently with her new boss she quite a lot lot problems, hence this application for flexible hours. I really feel for her and want to try to her her. She's always worked even though she'd be better off financially on benefits, as she was brought up by parents who worked, her husband worked and it's what she wants her son to know - that people go out to work to earn a living.

I wondered if anyone can help with responses to a couple of questions she has to answer on a form.

1. How she thinks her flexible working would affect the store and her colleagues.
2. How the effect on the store and colleague could be dealt with.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading.

I would think only your friend would know the answers.

How is anyone who knows nothing about the request detail or the operation of the store supposed to know.

Takeaway_Addict

As above. Sorry but if she cannot answer those questions then she has no chance at getting the request.

She has to put it on the plate for them, make it easy for the company to say yes, not to say no.

Tigsteroonie

Her best bet is to ask herself the question, how would she herself react / cope if a colleague were to ask for flexible working?

theoretica

What sort of flexible working is she asking for? If it is coming in whenever she feels like it so long as she makes 40 hours a week this will have a very different effect on the business from asking to move to term time only working, for instance.

Coraline

Why isn't your friend asking the questions on this forum? It would be much easier to advise the source than going back and forth.

Mockingjays

Thanks to everyone who has replied and apologies if I've annoyed anyone by posting. I don't know much about flexible working and working when you have kids. I had a brief online search this morning and found there that there is something called parental leave, which would surely cover her for time off if her son is ill?

Anyway I'm seeing my friend this morning so will ask her post on here if she wants some help, as think that will be easier.

Thanks and apologies again.

anamenottaken

Mockingjays wrote: »

Thanks to everyone who has replied and apologies if I've annoyed anyone by posting. I don't know much about flexible working and working when you have kids. I had a brief online search this morning and found there that there is something called parental leave, which would surely cover her for time off if her son is ill?

Anyway I'm seeing my friend this morning so will ask her post on here if she wants some help, as think that will be easier.

Thanks and apologies again.

Be aware that at least 21 days notice is needed for parental leave. That would probably be possible for elective (planned) surgery but not for colds or D&V. The employer could refuse it if it would seriously disrupt their business and, in any case, it wouldn't apply to time with the 7 yo unless the child has a disability.

There is also dependents leave which could be applicable in the case of sudden sickness. But it is not for all the time to care for the child but only for the time to make arrangemets for the care - for example to visit the doctors, to contact and wait for someone to arrive who will be looking after the child for you.

eschaton

I might also point out that to find reasons to refuse a flexible working request in retail is quite easy - for a fair manager.

The fact that your friend does not appear to get on well with the manager may suggest that she is wasting her time.