HELP - Flexibility to do nursery pick-up/drop-off, what are my rights/options here?

gettingtheresometime

Brightonsbest wrote: »

The ACAS site is very good and the people are very helpful

But don't always give the correct advice

iammumtoone

In your circumstance I would look for a new nursery where you can make it in time. You child will settle again, they adapt and it wont take long especially as you will have the 'luxury' of time to help him settle on your non working days. He would carry on at the current place and spend half day in the new place (on one of your days off) until you were happy for him to move there full time.

Otherwise you will have to chose, do you risk losing your job due to being late too many times or risk losing the nursery place due to too many late pick ups. Out of the two I would risk the nursery place but then you will be forced into finding somewhere else quick without time for a settling in period.

motorguy

comdw wrote: »

Stuff

Its unfortunate your manager wont grant you this extra bit of flexibility but maybe he feels that the company have already facilitated you to a huge degree and now you want even more flexibility so you can do the nursery run too. Maybe for him its a small demonstration of your commitment to the team, rather than further commitment to your family to the detriment of the team.

In a perfect world they'd let you do it, but your manager (for whatever reason) has drawn a line in the sand, so i guess its down to finding another job that allows you to do everything you need and fit in around your precise child care needs or do whats been intimated and let your hubby do the runs those two days, whilst you do them the other three?

lush_walrus

OP things change when you have children but they do not change to such a degree that a parent can I st demand as they wish and be granted that wish just because they are a parent - and I say that as a parent of 3 girls myself.

Rather than have the ability to pick your child and drop off at will, why don't you agree with your and your husbands work which they are more amenable to you being 15 later start and 15 later finisher or the other way around. To ask for flexibility in both directions is unreasonable. Your husband can then negotiate flexible working in the opposite way around so if you drop off he picks up.

That's what we have done and most of the parents I know. We run our own businesses but we still stick with this arrangmernt as we owe our staff to behave in the manner we expect them to behave.

I hate to say this but it is true, if someone were wingy and my rights are this that the other at me I would do the minimal I could to help them. If they come with a solution and appear to be trying I always help them more. That's not so unusual in human nature.

Alternatively, as others have said change nursery. The child will be able to handle it, they will face many many changes along the way of their childhood.

Things get easier as it goes on you need to establish your new routine. But while doing it try not to approach with self entitlement. Most working parents have to face the same obstacles, your life will be very similar to others.

FBaby

How far is your OH's job and how flexible is he to leave at the last minute? You say that 'sometimes' it takes you more than 45 minutes, so on this basis, you could agree that he does the drop off, you do the pick up, but if traffic is a bit heavy and you think you are likely to be late, could you call him and ask him to pick up too on this particular day?

In the meantime, I would arrive 10 minutes early anyway with a smile. It might be that after a few weeks of him being happy with you back doing a good job, he decides he is ok with you leaving 10 minutes early after all.

getmore4less

Ignore the reason why you need the time that is not relevant and just gets "Those people with kids" brigade ranting.

The flexi time is totally separate to the flexible working request

It is not unreasonable to expect(because the law says so, see below*) all other T&C to remain the same on the 2 days as they were on the 5 days.

if there was flexibility on start/end times before it should remain.

Whats does the flexi time policy say.
(there will almost certainly be discretion clauses)

Often it is a good idea to understand the WHY behind someones decision

eg. Are we dealing with a case where the line manager was not happy with the flexible working request for 2 days and is flexing as a sign of their disapproval.

I think I would make discrete inquiries on the company policy on flexi time for part timers and see if the line manager has overstepped their authority before any more formal action.

Line manager may have a good business case for your fixed hours but that would need to be justified to avoid falling foul of the legislation and implement any discretion clause.


* The Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/1551/contents/made

bugslet

Sometimes, may not be the case here, bosses feel that if they relax rules for one person, they have to relax them for everyone in the interests of fairness. It does become difficult at that poing and may be behind the reasoning.

getmore4less

bugslet wrote: »

Sometimes, may not be the case here, bosses feel that if they relax rules for one person, they have to relax them for everyone in the interests of fairness. It does become difficult at that poing and may be behind the reasoning.

they key her is this...

I didn't think drop-offs and pick ups would be a problem as they have a flexi-time arrangement at work, however my line manager is now saying I can't have this flexibility any more as I'm part time and agreed to exact start and end times of 8.45am to 5.15pm


The flexi policy already exists and was in place before the OP went part time.

The OP grievance is they are NOT being allowed flexi as they are part time.

unforeseen

agreed to exact start and end times of 8.45am to 5.15pm

being the important bit.

OP appears to have shot herself in the foot.

comdw

unforeseen wrote: »

agreed to exact start and end times of 8.45am to 5.15pm

being the important bit.

OP appears to have shot herself in the foot.

Wasn't quite that black and white - they may think I agreed explicitly to exact times but I believed it was no change.

I accept that I maybe should have anticipated this and been more careful about the wording of the original request.