Wife Working Part Time...

jasons_2

Hi all, I think this should sit in this section as it is about money saving and my wife..

Our current childminder has just given us notice, and trying to find one that has the same rates is just proving impossible- to the extent that my wife's asked to go part time at work so she can be around in the afternoons when our daughter starts nursery in September.

When I say part time, I mean 2.5 hours less a day, or just 2 taking into account her 0.5 Lunch, over 4 days as my parents have her on Mondays (they need the excercise!!).

She originally had a chat with her line manager who was positive about it, but unfortunately after her formal meeting today she's sort of said no 'informally' to her working 8 hours less per week, but her manager said she would accept 4.

This is really pointless, as this would mean that our DD would be classed as full time with the childminder and cost even more.

My wife's really upset as she works for a large Japanese company and they really go on about work life balance etc. Her manager (who's only been in the job three weeks) suggested to her that if she should take the 4 hour reduction and then asks around our friends and family to find some of them who would pick my daughter up from nursery in the afternoons until my wife gets home.

To me it sounds silly that she cant change from 9-5.30 to 9-3.00pm (tuesday to friday, and 9-5.30 Mondays)as she works in finance and as a department they are quiet in the afternoons.

I've told her to appeal when it comes through formally, but in the meantime it seems stupid that they'll lose an experienced employee and have the recruitment costs associated with hiring someone else..

I've told her to get a strong argument together with the pro's/con's to her and the company to go back to them with, as it would seem if we cant sort something out she'll have to hand in her notice as childcare costs will mean there is just no point in working...

We're going to get her CV done and out to some agencies for PT work as a fall-back but in the meantime has anyone got any thoughts or comments?

Thanks,

J

MrsTinks

Mmmm technically any parent can request reducing their hours to part time by law - the business can only really object if they can prove the role does not suit part time work.
When I ran a tech support team I was very much against parents choosing to work part time (by that I mean 2 1/2 days a week, not 4 instead of 5 days) on the grounds that it was a technical support centre replying on people speaking several languages and it was deeply onfair for the other people covering that language to always have to work THEIR shifts around hers. It meant huge restrictions on holiday incase someone called in sick so basically if it was the days she was off then I could max have one other person covering that language on holiday as we couldn't find another part timer to cover the rest of her original days with the same language.
My company decided to ignore my recommendations as it felt it was too risky NOT to allow her to reduce from 5 days to 2 1/2 so instead the rest pf her team suffered because of it as we never managed to find someone to pick up the extra days.
The moral I guess is that she really should contact CAB and I think it's ACAS for advice if they say no. I don't know if the company can just say no like that or if they have to justify their reason for saying no...

CB1979_2

well it's tough really isn't it.

how about you dropping 4 hours per week too to even it up?

jasons_2

CB1979 wrote: »

well it's tough really isn't it.

how about you dropping 4 hours per week too to even it up?

I'd love to, but for me it isnt feasible as in terms of salary, I earn 3 times more than her so the loss is greater- I also travel alot with work which would make this impractical from a business perspective.

Its something that has been thought of at our end, but since my request to work at home a day a week to save on fuel costs (I have a long commute) fell on deaf ears and a sigh with 'everybodies in the same boat' It wasnt worth pushing..

Jason

CB1979_2

ah cool, erm well looks like it may have to go down the legal parental rights route then and on that i defo can't help! lol

must say used to p!ss me off something chronic, when our 2 mum's from my dept used to go home @ 3pm each day all of a sudden our finance team went from 6 down to 4 and often put us under alot of pressure.

and as mrstine says, became nearon impossible sorting out holidays, etc etc
ALOT of b!tching occured in that dept (didn't help that out of the remaining 4, 2 were women! lol)

gpjuicer

look at www.workingfamilies.org for factsheet on requesting flexible work. Im on mat leave and its amazing how many of my friends (and Myself) are being fobbed off by our managers as we try to negotiate how to return to work.

MrsTinks

gpjuicer I think you mean www.workingfamilies.org.uk

Unless you meant to send them to a site for New Yorkers

di7868

Im sure the government offer 13.5 hrs a week free childcare for children over two.

Something I havent looked into so I cant be 100%. Might be worth a google :-)

MrsTinks

If you are a woman and are refused reduced hours work (for example on return to work after maternity leave) unless the employer can objectively justify the need to work on a full time basis, this can be found to be unlawful indirect sex discrimination.

From the above site Have a read of this page: http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/asp/family_zone/fs_fw3_reducedhours.asp

VK-2008

yeah id look into it on a legal thing becoz u have the right to cut hours if you have children

hope you get your situation resolved soon

alwaysonthego_2

VK-2008 wrote: »

yeah id look into it on a legal thing becoz u have the right to cut hours if you have children

hope you get your situation resolved soon

you do not have the right to cut your hours, you have the right to ask to cut your hours, there is a difference. The work place have to follow procedures before they accept or turn down the request.