Reply after requesting Flexible hours

india

Before I began my maternity leave I worked full-time.
I am due to return In April and I would like to go back
working 3 days a week 9-5.

My work have replied to say they would like me to do job share
they will try to find someone to work 2 days a week but if there
unsucessful it will have to be a 50/50 spilt.

I am not keen on sharing my job with someone else.


Any advice?

LittleVoice

Can "your job" be done in 3 days or does it require 5 days?

If it can be done in 3 days, why are they bothering with covering it for 5?

If your job can be split between 3 days and 2 days, then I suppose it could become two part-time jobs. Is that what you want?

At least your employer is seriously looking at what can be done.

Conor_3

india wrote: »

Before I began my maternity leave I worked full-time.
I am due to return In April and I would like to go back
working 3 days a week 9-5.

My work have replied to say they would like me to do job share
they will try to find someone to work 2 days a week but if there
unsucessful it will have to be a 50/50 spilt.

I am not keen on sharing my job with someone else.


Any advice?

Yeah, if it's full time and you're only wanting to work 3 days a week, you're going to have to face up to the fact it's going to be job share. If you don't like that, there's two choices - go full time or stay at home. You're the one who wants to do a full time job part time so you're going to have to be flexible.

Can't have it all ways. Just be grateful you've got an employer that'll even entertain the idea, many wouldn't.

liney

The company need someone to do 'your job' and all of your duties. You are only able to do 3/5ths of the work in your three days. What is your suggestion as to how to rest of 'your job' is completed if you aren't able to do it?

Morty_007

I really feel for you, i'm in a similar situation myself at the moment and it's ruining the last part of my maternity leave, stressing me out!

You say you aren't keen on sharing your job...is that because it would be hard to maintain continuity & communication with clients/colleagues or because you don't want to lose parts of it? Its a hard call if its about continuity etc. What do you do?

All employers have to consider any request for reasonable hours on return to work by law, I believe, so far from being lucky that they are "entertaining the idea", thats your right...however, it has to be suitable to the needs of your role. They don't necessarilly have to agree to anything if it isn't workable around your job.

I think possibly the best thing you can do is think about alternatives as to how to do your job in 3 days and present them positively to your employer. Working WITH them rather than fighting them, is probably the way forward to getting a satisfactory compromise for both of you.

Alternatively, could you suggest to them how to split your job into 2 part-time roles with different responsibilities shared out realistically.

I hope you get this sorted out, it's stressful enough finishing Mat leave as it is without being unsure about whether it's going to work out going back at this late stage!

Good Luck

Zazen999

Hi

I am not quite sure what you expected them TO say; surely that's the obvious response - other than consider it and reject it.

What is your solution then?

Morty_007

I don't understand why everyone is being so hostile to the OP! (or is that just me misreading the posts?)

liney

She doesn't want to do all of her job, but she doesn't want anyone else to do it either! It isn't always the employer who is unreasonable.

I wouldn't say it was hostility, just disbelief.

Morty_007

No...the OP doesn't want to work 5 days...that doesn't equal not wanting to do the whole job.

And she doesn't want to share the job...we don't actually know why, but that dosn't necessarilly mean she doesn't want anyone else to do it, just that there might be a way of splitting it that she doesn't know about.

Would be nice if the OP would come back and answer a few of the questions in order that we might be able to help rather than make wild assumptions about her work ethic.

OP?

Zazen999

Morty_007 wrote: »

I don't understand why everyone is being so hostile to the OP! (or is that just me misreading the posts?)

Hi
No hostility here - I just can't work out what the OP would suggest as the solution when the employer has responded positively to the request.

ohreally

india wrote: »

I am not keen on sharing my job with someone else.

Why not ?