Flexible working

Bubby2

I already have a flexible working agreement but i am losing my childcare options and i need to move my shifts to a later start my my manager wont let me even though someone else had those shifts and gave them up to go back full time what can i do? There is only two of us who has flexible working in place as the third is retiring next year.

I have previously applied twice for later later shifts but the person who has went full time had the only option and now she has gone back full time and gave those shifts up. Work have said that they could only give me two days for the shifts I want as I need to be able to drop my 3 year old off at school and I have childcare options for pick up times parents, out of school club and childminder. 

sheramber

Does school have breakfast club? 

Bubby2

Yes but I start work at 05:00am and it means people have to stay at my house or us at their house 

Grumpy_chap

Bubby2 said:

I already have a flexible working agreement but i am losing my childcare options and i need to move my shifts to a later start my my manager wont let me even though someone else had those shifts and gave them up to go back full time what can i do? There is only two of us who has flexible working in place as the third is retiring next year.

I have previously applied twice for later later shifts but the person who has went full time had the only option and now she has gone back full time and gave those shifts up. Work have said that they could only give me two days for the shifts I want as I need to be able to drop my 3 year old off at school and I have childcare options for pick up times parents, out of school club and childminder. 

Have you just asked / spoken with your Manager about this change, or submitted a formal Flexible Working Request?

Following submitting a formal Flexible Working Request, the employer has to properly consider the request but it is not guaranteed to be granted.  The employer can decline the request if there are valid business reasons around costs, meeting customer demand, ability to flex hours without impacting quality of output, etc.

If you have only chatted to your Manager about this change it can be easy to brush aside whereas a formal Flexible Working Request is recorded and quite likely considered by others in the business, not just your immediate Manager.

LightFlare

 Also to consider is that there may be a restriction on the amount of times you are allowed between formal requests.

Always worth trying to focus on how it may benefit the employer (or not detriment) as opposed to just focussing on your situation

After all - you personal arrangements aren’t the employers problem/responsibility although the amount of support does vary hugely 

Savvy_Sue

And in focusing on the benefit / lack of detriment, you need to go a step beyond "Freda used to do this and you let her, but she's gone back to full-time now so obviously it's OK for me to do what she was doing."

How does it benefit the employer if someone starts late and presumably finishes late?

When I was getting grief about not being in the office at 9am, I pointed out that I was usually still there at 6pm and often resolving problems after the rest of my team had left. That didn't seem to matter to this one manager - and we had flexitime! But is it a benefit you could stress?

Your manager may just not want the hassle of different people working different shift patterns, or may not see the advantage of you being there later.

Undervalued

In reality this relies on your employer's goodwill. Yes there are certain rights to formally request flexible working, which must be considered, but it is fairly easy for an employer to lawfully turn the request down for "business reasons" if they are so minded.

You stand a better chance if you can propose a solution that works both ways rather that simply presenting the employer with a problem to solve.

TELLIT01

The fact that a similar arrangement worked in the past for another staff member doesn't mean it will work now with a different staff member.  Organisational changes may mean the flexibility is no longer a practical option for the employer.