Flexible work requests

vroombroom

Hi everyone

Just after some advice. I work nightshift for a supermarket (shelf stacking lol). I've been there for 6 months in May, passed my 12 weeks probation no problems.

I am contracted to two nights a week 10pm-8am, but often do other nights and do overtime. I enjoy the job and the people I work with:D and it fits in well with my partner's job and caring for our almost 3 year old. Until now.

Now my partner's shifts have changed slightly at work, so I'm going to put a flexible work request in on my 26 week week at work (as per ACAS and GOV guidelines:D) to see if I can finish at 7am and cut my hours down slightly to 18 hrs.

I've casually mentioned this to a few work colleagues and they've all said it will get denied, on the grounds it isn't fair to other staff as they all have to stay there until 8am too.

My manager isn't very approachable so I can't really ask him about this. But is this something work can refuse the flexible working request on?!

LTL

In short, yes.

KiKi

You can put in a request, but there is no obligation for them to agree. If they can accommodate it, they should consider it. However, if they need you there or your request doesn't fit with the business need, then they can deny it.

KiKi

vroombroom

wow, really? On the basis that some other staff stay there till 8am? (there are a few who leave at 6am and 7am too) x

I'll put one in and see what happens x

Scorpio33

They can deny it for business reasons - so the key for you is to prove to them that your change in hours will not adversly affect the business. ie: what needs to be done between 7 and 8? How will you not being there affect this work being done? If the work can be easily covered by other staff then I can't see why they would reject it, but you will never know until you ask.

Prothet_of_Doom

The way to win this is to find someone who starts at 8 am, and would be happy to start at 7 am and would find the extra cash handy, and to give your manager no reason to refuse it.

If you can name the person, and attach a letter from them with the request it will offer very little wriggle out room for your boss.

My other thought is, that you could work 9pm til 7pm and do the same work.

The fact that you have shown yourself to be flexible with overtime and extra hours at a moments notice and the like, should be mentioned in the request too.

The stupid thing is, it works both ways. If your boss is accomodating, you might actually build up some loyalty, and work harder.

KiKi

vroombroom wrote: »

wow, really? On the basis that some other staff stay there till 8am? (there are a few who leave at 6am and 7am too) x

I'll put one in and see what happens x

Yes, really.

They shouldn't refuse a request "because other staff won't like it", but if they need someone to work that extra hour and can't make up that time through other means which make sense for them, then they can refuse. For example, recruiting someone to do one hour every day isn't a sensible solution, so they could refuse on that basis, even without exploring the idea or trying to recruit someone. However, they could consider other alternatives which are do-able.

Rather than just putting in a request, as someone else mentioned, show how that work could be covered to demonstrate that you've considered the situation they'll be in.

KiKi

vroombroom

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

The way to win this is to find someone who starts at 8 am, and would be happy to start at 7 am and would find the extra cash handy, and to give your manager no reason to refuse it.

If you can name the person, and attach a letter from them with the request it will offer very little wriggle out room for your boss.

My other thought is, that you could work 9pm til 7pm and do the same work

The fact that you have shown yourself to be flexible with overtime and extra hours at a moments notice and the like, should be mentioned in the request too.

The stupid thing is, it works both ways. If your boss is accomodating, you might actually build up some loyalty, and work harder.

Thanks POD, the problem is we're classed as night shift and then there are day shifters who start from 4am, 5am etc so not sure they would be able to do one hour work for nightshift, IYSWIM? That extra hour is pretty useless to everyone - most of the time we're just trying to fill the hour tidying around already tidy aisles, tidying the warehouse etc so in short they wouldn't miss me!

In regards to doing 9-7, this would be PERFECT for me but it boils down to the staff again. Most of them have been there years and resent any sort of change. Myself and 2 other girls started in November and majority of them didn't speak to us for a while due to being new! Some of the staff who currently do 9-7 or 10-6 get !!!!!ed about because they leave an hour early or start an early.

ETA I'm not concerned about being !!!!!ed about either, I'm requesting it simply as it's clashing with my OH's job x

Prothet_of_Doom

vroombroom wrote: »

Thanks POD, the problem is we're classed as night shift and then there are day shifters who start from 4am, 5am etc so not sure they would be able to do one hour work for nightshift,

Day shift/night shift it's all so pointless, unless you have a machine to mind, and nobody else can use it when you are using it, and the company needs to run it 24/7, then it matters.

vroombroom

So I mentioned it to one of the managers a few weeks ago and he said he would flatly refuse it lol but ultimately, is it down to him?

Is it actually worth me putting in?

lakes17

vroombroom wrote: »

So I mentioned it to one of the managers a few weeks ago and he said he would flatly refuse it lol but ultimately, is it down to him?

Is it actually worth me putting in?

Still write in detailing tour case and how you anticipate the hours to be covered. This will be looked at and if the answer is no then you need a letter from your manager/HR detailing the reason why it's been declined. It is not enough to just say no as they need to demonstrate a good business case for it to be declined. If you are in the union then get them to help with your case.