Flexible working request and job issue

daytona0

Hey all,

I'm currently working in a managerial role after being promoted internally about 7 months ago (let's say October 25th at a guess).

Just prior to the promotion I lodged a flexible working request to reduce weekdays by 1. As my role was not crucial to the business at the time, it seemed like it was going to be approved, but I cancelled it as soon as the promotion was offered.

I'm now seeking to put in the very same flexible working request and/or take a demotion. The problem is that the company is heavily reliant on me working Monday-Friday and I need one weekday off (don't mind which one). Half of the problem is that they have nobody else trained up, are unwilling to pay for a second person (unless I shine; which I have done but it is at least a year off) and will really see their !!!! if I put this request in.

Questions:

- Can I legally put in a flexible working request? As in is there a time limit or max number of requests you can put in?

- How should I approach this with bosses? They like me there because I work hard and do the job well, and they are short staffed, but there is nothing stopping them from going to town on me if they so feel inclined....

- Would it be wise to ask for a demotion?

They are open Saturdays and I could ask them to work this day, but that's not part of the contract at present and they will probably see their !!!! about that as well. To be honest but this promotion has been a bit of a poisoned chalice...

elsien

You can make the request but they don't have to grant it if there is a good business case against.

https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working

If you can suggest alternatives which will make it easier for them to agree that will help your case. Is there a reason why you think that your role has to be Mon-Friday and why a Sat instead might be difficult? Anything that can be done to make this less of an issue? If it's just the contract and not business reasons, that can be changed.
Anything you can suggest to make the request less difficult for them will help your case.

If you ask for a demotion, is there actually a full time job for you to step down into at the moment?

daytona0

elsien wrote: »

Is there a reason why you think that your role has to be Mon-Friday and why a Sat instead might be difficult? Anything that can be done to make this less of an issue? If it's just the contract and not business reasons, that can be changed.

Yea, it is 100% a business reason for having me in Monday to Friday. They don't currently want weekend cover (Sunday is dead and Saturday is fairly busy so they *could* justify it at a push).

I'm going to really have to push and ruin their plans to get anything agreed...

Anything you can suggest to make the request less difficult for them will help your case.

Aside from Saturday working, which they probably won't accept, I am effectively working during the peak hours Monday to Friday. There is nothing in the way of flexibility.

If you ask for a demotion, is there actually a full time job for you to step down into at the moment?

There is...... but the bigger problem is that there is nobody trained up to my level (similar managers are thinly stretched across the company) and I am good at what I do, so they will be very reluctant to lose me.

ohreally

daytona0 wrote: »

I lodged a flexible working request to reduce weekdays by 1.

They may respond be saying you have already made your statutory request (one in 12 months).

getmore4less

You kind of shot yourself in the foot by dropping the request at the promotion offer time, you could have made accepting that promotion on a 4 day basis.
(do you suspect there was a connection the promotion perhaps to get you to drop the request).


if this is really a hands on need to be there job that needs cover Mon-Fri then that the job.

putting a request in without a business case that will work you are basically saying you don't understand the importance of the job and its needs.

without knowing more about the job(can't remember if this info has been posted before) it will be hard to offer suggestions.


Some places the decision maker needs to be there and available other that are well managed don't.

Coming at it from a different angle.
What are their contingency plan for holidays and sick.
Does it have to be you or could someone else in the team step upto act as short term cover.
Who is doing your job on the Sat.

as part of risk management there should be a backup once that person is identified and in places then there may be a case for them covering the day you want off, a sort of job share.

It reminds me of some training I did a few years back, two members of the team took it in turns to be the manager, when not managing they did the normal work, they would do a few weeks then swap.
(The management work was operational rather than strategic)

Tigsteroonie

daytona0 wrote: »

Half of the problem is that they have nobody else trained up, are unwilling to pay for a second person

So how do you suggest that they accommodate your request? As it doesn't sound as though you are putting forward any ideas that might work for the business - only ideas that work for you. It is standard practice to put forward solutions that 'sell' the idea to the employer ...

warby68

Is compressed hours an option where you do 4 longer days, or possibly 4 slightly longer plus a half day Saturday?

Is it your actual presence at certain times which is essential or is it more volume of work? If the former, you will struggle to build a case for absence on a 'key' day.

daytona0

getmore4less wrote: »

Coming at it from a different angle.
What are their contingency plan for holidays and sick.
Does it have to be you or could someone else in the team step upto act as short term cover.
Who is doing your job on the Sat.

as part of risk management there should be a backup once that person is identified and in places then there may be a case for them covering the day you want off, a sort of job share.

Many thanks! Read all of your post and helpful information.

Just to clarify, I'm doing like an Analyst role so I manage the resources and take on some of the manager duties (rotas, planning the day etc). If I'm absent then the normal managers take over some of the duties, but there is nobody to take over my role. If I'm not there then nobody is there and the things don't get done.

They also don't want Saturday cover at present.

They want to grow the team so that I have someone helping me out, but this is about a year off and dependent on whether I meet the targets! Bit of a two-edged sword!

You kind of shot yourself in the foot by dropping the request at the promotion offer time,

Aye!! But at the time I wasn't to know. I don't think that they offered promotion to appease me because I was staying on anyway, but it is quite convenient how the timings align!

Effectively, the company is over-stretching the resources massively and have no contingency plan for my role.

daytona0

warby68 wrote: »

Is compressed hours an option where you do 4 longer days, or possibly 4 slightly longer plus a half day Saturday?

Is it your actual presence at certain times which is essential or is it more volume of work? If the former, you will struggle to build a case for absence on a 'key' day.

It is more about "essential" than volume... I can come in an hour early a day and *potentially* stay an hour later so that's an option

Saturday working is also, on paper, a completely viable option because the volume is there but the volume is much less than a weekday. Sunday is not an option

I've arranged an informal meeting with my boss to discuss the possibility of weekend working etc. Many thanks!

daytona0

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

So how do you suggest that they accommodate your request? As it doesn't sound as though you are putting forward any ideas that might work for the business - only ideas that work for you. It is standard practice to put forward solutions that 'sell' the idea to the employer ...

I shall speak to them about the ideas proposed on this thread

When I lodged in the last request a few months ago I was fully flexible and offered to work 12 hour shifts, Sundays or anything really. On this occasion the very narrow working patterns are causing me to struggle to find suggestions.

daytona0

ohreally wrote: »

They may respond be saying you have already made your statutory request (one in 12 months).

Indeed That wouldn't be good!