Flexible Working Application Denied...HELP

Takeaway_Addict

Can your OH not go part time and you stay full time?

AliceMS88

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

How far into your Mat Leave did Becky depart and Gary start? If Gary has been there for a few months, it could be that something has changed in the business, in the processes, in the expectation of your role - something of which you & Becky wouldn't be aware - that makes a job share less of an appropriate option for the role.

When it comes to additional costs, presumably somebody else has been covering your role on a fixed contract - so there might not be additional training costs, the business has already spent that money training the person covering you, and could keep that person in role instead.

In terms of your notice period, yes, you would be expected to work it. But presumably you have annual leave and public holidays that you have accrued during your maternity leave, so could those be used to offset the notice period, either fully or at least taking you down to part-time working for those weeks?

Becky left just over 3 months ago to start her maternity so Gary has not been with the company for very long, there has been no change to the role as far as I am aware as I have been in frequently to do all 10 KIT days, including holiday cover and it was the same role as before with nothing substantially new. Unless I was not told of something which was going to be covered when I returned?...but that might have made me covering holidays harder I guess.

Yes I can imagine that they do want to keep my maternity cover, I trained her up well, she is a delight to be around....and unfortunately about £5K cheaper a year :rotfl:

Now this notice period is where I am going to struggle....I took 8 months of maternity and then have used the last 4 weeks as annual leave which has used up my full allowance. I guess the worst case scenario is that I will have to put baby into full time childcare and just put myself at a loss financially for those 6 weeks...which I will hate but I guess I will have to do! Nothing like losing money to go to work

But hey, at least they will still be incurring additional costs as I am guessing they will want to keep my maternity cover on the books whilst I do my 6 week notice, or else they may lose her to another company and then they would have to start from scratch! So either way...I guess we both lose! I sound a bit bitter don't I....

AliceMS88

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Can your OH not go part time and you stay full time?

Oh I wish, I really do! OH is the breadwinner for our family.

EDIT....I got swept up in my thoughts....when I say I wish...I wish I could just stop work and be a full time mum...rather than me going back into full time and not being with baby!

TELLIT01

There appears to be an underlying problem that the OP put in an application for reduced hours / job share and just assumed it would all be OK. There is the secondary problem of a lack of communication, in both directions, which in combination has led to the current situation.
The onus though really was on the OP to keep on top of the situation and check what was happening with the request. As far as the company is concerned nothing has changed from the pre-maternity position because they haven't agreed to any change.

Savvy_Sue

AliceMS88 wrote: »

if I had stayed in my previous role in the company, part time probably wouldn't have been an issue at all as I worked in a team with other part timers. I

I'm not sure you'd want to do this, but it is potentially worth asking if it would be possible to return to a different role elsewhere in the company where p/t would be possible.

FBaby

I expect the issue is that they don't want a job share and the job requires 5 days work. As a manager I can understand it as my experience of managing job shares has been negative every time. Errors made because handover wasn't done properly, employees having different approach to the job and not agreeing on how the job should be done and then blaming each other when things go wrong. I spend more time acting as a counsellor than being a manager. It was exhausting and stressful.

I expect 'Becky' just told you what you wanted to hear and didn't really care. They were never going to agree but by law, knew they had to evidence they had considered the request (hence asking for it to be filled it formally). They then used the one excuse they knew was less likely to be challenged in court: costs associated with the request.

It sounds like they knew exactly what they were doing and which boxes to tick so not to be challenged. I don't think you have much chance of a fight. Worse, if they are happy with the person that has covered you doing your maternity leave, it might suit them if you were to give your resignation. Frustrating but the price to pay for not wanting to be FT.

PS: I've been wanting to go to 4 days for years, but still I'm being told that it's not possible. I'm not giving up though, they get bored and agree at some point!

clairec79

Or was Becky thinking she also wants to go part time and she and the OP could jobshare - but there's 6 months or so before Becky comes back

TELLIT01

From a management viewpoint job sharing is a pain in the neck. Two people covering a job are nowhere near as as productive as one person doing it.

ohreally

TELLIT01 wrote: »

From a management viewpoint job sharing is a pain in the neck. Two people covering a job are nowhere near as as productive as one person doing it.

It can be if one goes off sick, they get two bites of the cherry.

TELLIT01

ohreally wrote: »

It can be if one goes off sick, they get two bites of the cherry.

I'm not sure I understand the comment. If you mean that one person covers the entire week if the other is sick, it rarely works that way. The reason for the part time working is often down to other commitments. Those can't generally be put to once side if the other party to the job share calls in sick.