Flexi Working Request - Unpaid Leave

adamL

Hello,

I am just wondering what people's opinion might be on this question/scenario as I am trying to work out whether this is even a Flexi working request or something else. 

My daughter is home educated out of choice, but as part of her home education route we wish to take, we would like her to be fully immersed in my wifes, and my "home" cultures for a 4 week period in each country per year. To do this I would need to request unpaid leave (3 weeks per year) - I would already be using my parental leave and all normal annual leave entitlements. 

My job cannot be done from home, let alone abroad. My wife can work from abroad / at home. We both work full time. 

My company does offer part time hours / job share in terms of flexible working but that's gone too far in the number of days off! And I can't quite afford that anyway. The company have refused 75% hours (not sure why, but for now they have) which would have been ideal. We also have a lot of people on "individual" rosters for various reasons as part of the Flexi working policy, and additionally people are granted unpaid time off occasionally (for even holidays) but it's a bit of faff - this company doesn't like making decisions.

Looking at all our HR policies, the only real mention of unpaid time off is for emergencies, but does anyone think I could somehow tie this into a Flexi working request as I would like to make it easier to get this time off approved in advance rather than always hoping for the best. Or can anyone see any other avenue on how to tackle this? 

Thank you

LinLui

I'm sorry but you want all the parental leave, all your holiday and then 3 more weeks every year? I work for a very flexible and understanding employer with good policies to support staff. No way on earth would anyone approve this every year! As a one off, with a good case and an explanation of how this might benefit me as an employer / manager, then yes. But what you are asking for is very unreasonable and I would be amazed if any employer would accept such a proposal.

75% flexible working is a nightmare in many circumstances - it means you need a 25% person, and as you have already pointed out - you can't afford to drop too many hours, so you need to understand that others can't afford a job without enough. 

If these are the kinds of decisions your employer is being asked to make, I think I can see why they don't like making them. What you are asking is not flexible working. Your choice to home-educate your child is your choice, but your ask is that your employer basically underwrite it with loads of time of work. That is very unlikely.

adamL

I'm sorry but you want all the parental leave, all your holiday and then 3 more weeks every year? I work for a very flexible and understanding employer with good policies to support staff. No way on earth would anyone approve this every year! As a one off, with a good case and an explanation of how this might benefit me as an employer / manager, then yes. But what you are asking for is very unreasonable and I would be amazed if any employer would accept such a proposal.

75% flexible working is a nightmare in many circumstances - it means you need a 25% person, and as you have already pointed out - you can't afford to drop too many hours, so you need to understand that others can't afford a job without enough. 

If these are the kinds of decisions your employer is being asked to make, I think I can see why they don't like making them. What you are asking is not flexible working. Your choice to home-educate your child is your choice, but your ask is that your employer basically underwrite it with loads of time of work. That is very unlikely.

Linlui, totally unhelpful.

Parental Leave and Annual Leave are my entitlements - Parental Leave is actually a right, and if I had 4 kids, I could take 4 weeks a year without any questions asked, And therefore wouldn't want anymore time off - but due to unfortunate circumstances, extra kids are off the table sadly so I'm stuck with 1 week parental leave per year. My employer doesn't care about stuff like that, they simple approve all parental leave with 3 weeks notice. I'm just a number at my place (1 of 1000+ and overtime is normal). I've got several colleagues who do take 4 weeks a year of parental leave, most of which take Christmas and August - now that's a strain although never actually an issue.

At any given point at my place, 15% of people out of the 1000+ are unable to do the job they are paid to do because simple over the counter medication makes them unfit to do the job, or their glasses prescription needs renewing etc. This doesn't include people on Annual Leave. Even sick pay is paid for something like 6 months at full pay. And if you become pregnant, you are paid for your entire pregnancy but don't actually do anything - plus of course a year off work and then a good few months of re training. My work is clearly a million miles away from your line of work.

There are other railway companies already offering 75% hours so that's not totally off the table either, but it's not the conversation I really want and the union is discussing that one anyway.

We have people accommodated on just one particular shift when we should all be working around the clock 24/7 and a full range of shifts. They made that decision to simply allow childcare. Others are accomodated on Monday to Friday 9-5, whilst I work a full range of shifts - 4am starts, 4pm starts, 10pm starts etc.

So I go back to my question, does anyone know whether Flexi working can include unpaid time off?

Hoenir

adamL said:

So I go back to my question, does anyone know whether Flexi working can include unpaid time off?

Bottom line is that it'll be at the discretion of the employer and the operational requirements of the business. 

adamL

Hoenir said:

adamL said:

So I go back to my question, does anyone know whether Flexi working can include unpaid time off?

Bottom line is that it'll be at the discretion of the employer and the operational requirements of the business. 

Thank you.
I do get the feeling I won't know unless I officially ask. I was just trying to dig around a bit first as I can only make one Flexi working request per year. 

Emmia

adamL said:

Hoenir said:

adamL said:

So I go back to my question, does anyone know whether Flexi working can include unpaid time off?

Bottom line is that it'll be at the discretion of the employer and the operational requirements of the business. 

Thank you.
I do get the feeling I won't know unless I officially ask. I was just trying to dig around a bit first as I can only make one Flexi working request per year. 

We don't know who your employer is, so any advice can only be general.

Fundamentally they are the ones who would determine this, and they may agree to it or not depending on the circumstances/timing/needs of the business.

Alternatively do both you and your wife need to be present for all of the "immersion" periods ? Could you arrange it so your wife does some of that time as a sole parent?

LinLui

My work is clearly a million miles away from your line of work.

Your attitude towards work and your colleagues (and equality laws) are also a million miles from mine.

I am aware that you are entitled to parental leave and to holidays. But you are asking for substantially more leave beyond your entitlement and doing so every year. You are not sick, you are not pregnant (and I am sure all the women will be glad to know how they do "nothing" during their preganancies and after giving birth).

In the end it certainly is up to your employers - but what you want is a huge ask, and you may not like that being pointed out, but it is still true. What other employers do is up to them - yours doesn't, although you are always able to apply for a job with the other employers. 

NCC1701-A

adamL said:

Hello,

I am just wondering what people's opinion might be on this question/scenario as I am trying to work out whether this is even a Flexi working request or something else. 

My daughter is home educated out of choice, but as part of her home education route we wish to take, we would like her to be fully immersed in my wifes, and my "home" cultures for a 4 week period in each country per year. To do this I would need to request unpaid leave (3 weeks per year) - I would already be using my parental leave and all normal annual leave entitlements. 

My job cannot be done from home, let alone abroad. My wife can work from abroad / at home. We both work full time. 

My company does offer part time hours / job share in terms of flexible working but that's gone too far in the number of days off! And I can't quite afford that anyway. The company have refused 75% hours (not sure why, but for now they have) which would have been ideal. We also have a lot of people on "individual" rosters for various reasons as part of the Flexi working policy, and additionally people are granted unpaid time off occasionally (for even holidays) but it's a bit of faff - this company doesn't like making decisions.

Looking at all our HR policies, the only real mention of unpaid time off is for emergencies, but does anyone think I could somehow tie this into a Flexi working request as I would like to make it easier to get this time off approved in advance rather than always hoping for the best. Or can anyone see any other avenue on how to tackle this? 

Thank you

Have you thought about finding self employed work and then you can choose when you work.

LightFlare

Flexi working requests (usually) are more likely to be agreed and looked on more favourably if you focus on the benefit or lack of consequence to the employer

bear this in mind when submitting 

Jude57

adamL said:

Hello,

I am just wondering what people's opinion might be on this question/scenario as I am trying to work out whether this is even a Flexi working request or something else. 

My daughter is home educated out of choice, but as part of her home education route we wish to take, we would like her to be fully immersed in my wifes, and my "home" cultures for a 4 week period in each country per year. To do this I would need to request unpaid leave (3 weeks per year) - I would already be using my parental leave and all normal annual leave entitlements. 

My job cannot be done from home, let alone abroad. My wife can work from abroad / at home. We both work full time. 

My company does offer part time hours / job share in terms of flexible working but that's gone too far in the number of days off! And I can't quite afford that anyway. The company have refused 75% hours (not sure why, but for now they have) which would have been ideal. We also have a lot of people on "individual" rosters for various reasons as part of the Flexi working policy, and additionally people are granted unpaid time off occasionally (for even holidays) but it's a bit of faff - this company doesn't like making decisions.

Looking at all our HR policies, the only real mention of unpaid time off is for emergencies, but does anyone think I could somehow tie this into a Flexi working request as I would like to make it easier to get this time off approved in advance rather than always hoping for the best. Or can anyone see any other avenue on how to tackle this? 

Thank you

What you want looks more like an unpaid sabbatical or unpaid leave of absence. You could certainly frame your request in those terms, however, your employer is entitled to decline such requests. Other types of leave are irrelevant because while your employer must follow the law for some, others are discretionary and it's entirely up to the employer. I agree with other posters that, as a one-off, many employers would approve your request but as a regular, annual request? Unlikely, in my opinion. 

One further point for consideration; just because your wife CAN work from home or abroad doesn't mean she's PERMITTED to work abroad, or indeed take employer-owned hardware such as laptops abroad. Most employers have confidentiality requirements and software security requirements they cannot guarantee overseas. I'd advise your wife to gain written permission to take any hardware overseas and to work from overseas before doing so. I don't know how her employer would react to finding out she had unilaterally decided it was fine without seeking their approval but I doubt it would be a good outcome.

theoretica

My employer would call this special leave.  It would almost certainly be approved on a year by year basis, rather than permanently, and probably more likely to be approved outside prime holiday season.  But as your daughter gets older she might immerse herself in the culture more fully without both parents present (my vision is staying with relatives once she knows them?) so perhaps you would need less time off in future years.