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

getmore4less

unforeseen wrote: »

being the important bit.

OP appears to have shot herself in the foot.

I bet all the full time contracts have "regular hours" as well the flexi will be a policy on top.

HiToAll

Write your boss a letter:

Dear boss,

I want you to be flexible with me as possible and I am not willing to be flexible with you. Suck it up.

Yours sincerely,

unreasonable employee you really want to get rid of.

FBaby

You really need to read the flexi time policy. Most policies I've read to that regard have a small print that says 'to be agreed at the discretion of the manager and can be refused if impacts negatively on business.

The wording in your contract hints to the above, since even your 37 hours are dependent on 'arrangement with your manager' and 'changes may be introduced when those hours are worked'.

Sounds like a case of give and take. Your manager has already showed some flexibility with your going down to 2 days and just isn't willing to accommodate more flexibility, especially if he has had to say no to another request, maybe someone who also wanted to reduce their total number of hours.

Undervalued

getmore4less wrote: »

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.

Yes, that is correct.

However, to progress this the OP would need to show that her being part time was the reason for the refusal.

Unless the manager has said so in writing I imagine they will deny that is the reason and say the OP has misunderstood.

Other reasons, such as it being essential for certain role holders to be there a specific time, would be perfectly lawful.

Keep in mind that another employee who doesn't have children has just as much right to request flexible working, perhaps to go swimming or something before work.

You also need to balance standing on your rights with maintaining a tolerable working relationship in the real world.

comdw

I have the flexible working policy document now. As expected there are plenty of clauses making this at the employer's discretion. Of particular interest is the following:

For those staff that are currently working flexibly in another way e.g. annualised hours, longer working days, nine day fortnight may, with the agreement of their Head of Service, have flexibility in their starting and finishing times. However they will not be able to accrue hours to allow time off at a later date.

I think this is what is being interpreted or remembered by managers as "only full time employees can have flexi-time" - yet there is a subtlety here with accruing time off vs just flexible start/end times (I'm obviously not asking to be able to accrue time off). It also doesn't explicitly state that part-time is the same as "flexibly", those the consensus here seems to be that it is.

However as its still at the discretion of the Head of Service, no doubt my line manager would have their support on this matter.

There is another relevant part in their favour:

Sufficient employees should be available during normal office hours (8.45am to 5.15pm) to provide a full service.... the manager must ensure sufficient employees are available during these ours to provide a service.

I believe this argument is being used in my case, however I would argue that the resource level has not changed - my role is now job share so the coverage is exactly as it was before where I did have the flexibility.

Even so, I'm not going to make a fuss about this for now at least. I will see how things are after a few weeks or months.

Tiddlywinks

... and they would argue that you agreed to fixed attendance times when you negotiated your move to part time.

You are aware that the company exists to make a profit and is not there solely to provide you with a custom made job???

comdw

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

You are aware that the company exists to make a profit

Its a local authority, so I hope not.

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

and is not there solely to provide you with a custom made job???

Don't believe I was suggesting that. This all boils down to interpretation of the agreed change and I'm happy that I have plenty of information (and opinion) to draw a line under the debate now so thanks everyone.

getmore4less

Partime is not flexible in the context of "those staff that are currently working flexibly" those are clearly all flexibility that allows the employee to vary the time and days in other ways.
If your 2 days were changeable like any 2 out of 3-4-5 then that would come under that clause.


If the flexibility was there before and nothing has changed except 2 people are doing the same job(on different days) it is clear the line manager is just being difficult.
Before how were the coverage requirements managed, were they even needed for your job, has that changed?


Flexibility works both ways...
How have you agreed cover for holidays/sick in this jobshare is it different from before.
how is overtime managed or expected.

the time will come when they want something and tough you have to work the hours you agreed you have been told you are not allowed any flexibility.

How do you get on with the job sharer are they getting told the same.

Undervalued

comdw wrote: »

Its a local authority, so I hope not.

In which case it has a duty to provide its services as cost effectively as possible (as everybody in the area is paying for it) which amounts to the same thing!

pjcox2005

The wording in the original contract for flexitime would work both ways, so as well as letting you flex, they could in return say can you work late tonight or switch days to another.


Would that be more inconvenient getting someone to pick up last minute or having to organise childcare for your day off than the current situation of your husband sorting kids on those days. Could be an unexpected consequence of getting the flexibility written back in rather than set hours.