Am I being discriminated against /victimised etc

csmw

Bit long winded but I'll try to explain the best I can. Been with my company 11 months and am due to go on Maternity leave next week, i work in a majority male company. A month ago I put in a change of hours request for when I return as it's a 5.30/6am start currently and the earliest I can get childcare is 7am. My employer had basically ignored my request and is passing it from manager to manager to deal with, I believe in the hopes I will give up and resign. HR refuse to give me any advice on the basis they say it's a conflict of interest and if I need any questions answering then I need to go through my manager (ridiculous in my opinion).
I don't want to spend the last few weeks of my pregnancy stressing about if I have a job to return to. I can put a grievance in however I know that policy and procedures will not be followed and it will be the same managers dealing with my current request.

any advice would be appreciated.

LilElvis

You're entitled to return to your current job, but that includes the start time. You can request a change in the days/ hours you work but your employer can refuse the change it it conflicts with the needs of the business. Having a baby doesn't entitle you to set the terms of your employment so they aren't discriminating against you or victimising you. If you want them to agree then you need to put forward a convincing argument as to why your change request is going to work for them, not just you.

elsien

As said above, you can make the request but it doesn't have to be agreed.
So when when you made the request, did you consider how the gap between the usual start time and your later start time would/could be covered? It's not your responsibility but any helpful suggestions to soften the impact on the business would help your case.

csmw

LilElvis wrote: »

You're entitled to return to your current job, but that includes the start time. You can request a change in the days/ hours you work but your employer can refuse the change it it conflicts with the needs of the business. Having a baby doesn't entitle you to set the terms of your employment so they aren't discriminating against you or victimising you. If you want them to agree then you need to put forward a convincing argument as to why your change request is going to work for them, not just you.

No I fully understand that I have given various different options and examples of how my role can be covered, I'm a manager myself and work across several sites. I've also offered to move into/apply a different role which they declined due to your of duty, however I have given them 8 examples of men in the sector where t.o.d wasn't applied. They have until next week to hold a meeting and give a decision yet all emails and requests are being ignored and the managers that's it's been handed to are on leave all next week so they aren't even following their own policies.

csmw

elsien wrote: »

As said above, you can make the request but it doesn't have to be agreed.
So when when you made the request, did you consider how the gap between the usual start time and your later start time would/could be covered? It's not your responsibility but any helpful suggestions to soften the impact on the business would help your case.

Thank you, yeah I have given examples of how the work can be covered I work at multi managed units so it would be quid easy to cover the problem is they just don't want to acknowledge me at all.

LilElvis

Can your partner not look after the child until 7am, or ask for his hours to be changed to accommodate this?

csmw

LilElvis wrote: »

Can your partner not look after the child until 7am, or ask for his hours to be changed to accommodate this?

We have the exact same job, hours etc just different units

Blackpool_Saver

Well have him change his hours/job then, it's not just your responsibility

xapprenticex

I agree, have him change his hours. If its as you seem to think, a boys club where they get preferential treatment then his request should go through quite easily.

BrassicWoman

Your request seems premature to me. You have months of mat leave ahead in which your views on everything may change.

Ignore it for now, enjoy baby, think about it three months before you come back.

TELLIT01

BrassicWoman wrote: »

Your request seems premature to me. You have months of mat leave ahead in which your views on everything may change.

Ignore it for now, enjoy baby, think about it three months before you come back.

I disagree that the request is premature. By making the request now it gives the company the maximum possible to time to investigate the practicalities of the change request. When I was in management it would annoy me when somebody left a request until the last minute in the apparent hope of railroading a decision in their favour.