Work messing me around regarding flexible working request

[Hilly1990]

Hi Everyone,

I'd appreciate some HR advice if anyone has any.

Im currently on maternity leave and made a flexible working request via email 3 months ago. I work for quite a small business and am the first person to go on maternity leave in 14 years, as so there are no policies or procedures. After 3 weeks chasing it up I received a generic reply saying they will do what they can to accomodate my needs. After questioning it they arranged a meeting with me to discuss it for 4 weeks time. The meeting was put back a week due to their "personal" circumstances and when I finally went in, I simply had to discuss what my request was (something id already done in detail 6 weeks ago)!! I was told they would write to me with an answer in 3 weeks time. After the three weeks I was invited for another meeting, assuming I would get my result only to have to go through the same thing with the chief executive and the MD. I was told they would write to me within a month. When I mentioned that I had already been waiting a while, the exec got a bit cross and said well your not due back until April so you have plenty of time. 4 weeks later I was invited in for another meeting today, and when I went in the MD told me the chief executive wants to see me without my baby being there and he was sorry but he forgot to email me to cancel. I explained I look after my daughter full time so didn't know when I would be able to attend without her and wouldn't it be possible to tell me if I had a job or not via email? He said no, they hadn't discussed it yet themselves and to let me know when I can attend a meeting alone.

I am absolutely furious. They just seem to be messing me around. I genuinely think they want to make me hand my notice in so that they don't need to worry about any legal issues.

I was always under the assumption that I was entitled to apply for a flexible working request, however they might not grant it, but regardless my current full time job would always be available. However after my last meeting with the chief executive I got the impression that they would have to "make" a job for me. After researching into it I realised that I wouldn't be entitled to the same rights as others as I will not have been with the company for quite 2 years when I am due to return. I read that they can legally make you redundant after maternity leave if your job to longer exists.

Unfortunately I think they could legally get around this because of what happened whilst I worked there.

They hired me full time perminantly to cover a lady who had bone cancer and they assumed would not return. After 4 months she did return on a part time basis. When I asked what would happen to my job they told me my job would be working alongside her. However around this time I found out that the owners have a second company and a member of staff left there. They had me filling in half day at each company whilst the lady with bone cancer was still part time. When the lady came back full time they told me my job would now perminantly be at the second company and I would replace the member of staff who left. A few months later the lady with bone cancer went off sick for a stem cell trasplant and I returned to my old job running the office until I left for my maternity leave at which point she was still off sick. Whilst I was there they employed a new member of staff on a perminant basis to cover my role at the second company. I remember thinking that she should have been my maternity cover but when I brought it up they said I would work there as well if I return.

As it stands the lady with bone cancer is back full time and there is nobody working alongside her (where my job is contracted to), and the second company is full.

I feel I have been done over. Am I right here that I have no rights? Can I do anything about the way they are handling my request?

Thanks Emily

[user1485778793]

I have no expertise in hr but I did once apply for flexible hours. I think they are supposed to give you an answer in 4 weeks. I just got a letter saying No, it wouldn't fit because my line manager had also asked and she got it.

I don't get why they won't come out and say No. Sounds fishy. And disorganised tbh