Help me word my appeal letter please!!

[Nikki76]

Reason for being refused was that staff have been trained and put in the team to cover my absence. Projected workloads confirm that staffing levels are correct, therefore reducing my hours to XX days a week will not enable the team to meet customer needs

Am appealing on grounds that they didn't give the request proper consideration, not prepared to compromise etc.....I'm typing it in word atm but its all a bunch of un focused waffle!!

Need to be concise, to the point etc etc!

[chocolatekimmy]

They could recruit additional staff or get a job share partner.

How won't demands be met, what will the impact be if you are not there and why can't others in the dept cover the duties.

Them not being prepared to compromise isn't grounds for appeal, you need to prove that their reason (which is one that they can use) isn't justified or genuine

[Nikki76]

Ahh....I see what you mean....they hadn't considered job share until the union rep brought it up but union rep said to keep within the appeal timescales to go ahead with appeal and add a note saying that owing to appeal timescales I'm logging this appeal now but if the investigations re jobshare prove successful am prepared to withdraw it etc.....

However, I'm not sure whether they have registered me for jobshare in other roles or advertising jobshare for my actual role....have just e-mailed rep to clarify as I'm all of a muddle!

[Tigana]

Confused...they won't let you come back on reduced hours because they have already got staff trained and in post to cover your maternity leave???? Doesn't that make your hours on your return almost 'extra' then??

[Nikki76]

Thats what I thought but apparently, 'projected workloads confirm that staffing levels are correct (inc my role) so reducing my hours will not enable the team to meet customer needs......I'm all over the place.....so tempted to tell them to poke it and find another job, but we can't afford to be looking for a new job and pay for nursery!

[Tigana]

So the issue is that they appear to have given no consideration to ways in which to allow you to reduce you hours without compromising customer service, for example no investigation of options such as job share arrangements.

[Tigana]

Are there other staff who work part time/job share that you could refer to (indirectly) as a precendent? If the company has managed job share/reduced hours for other membvers of staff, why not you? Is you job one of those awkward ones where they need some sort of consistency in terms of the person doing it (although...even then...still arguable IMO)

[Nikki76]

No because it can be handed over to other members of the team as they have been doing the role anyway - everyone is trained on each others role for sickness purposes ....what they are getting at is that it would be too much work just for xx amount of days....I'm unsure whether they are prepared to consider job share for my role or are putting me forward for job share with another department/role...have e-mailed rep to clarify this...the meeting ended with them asking for my CV to circulate to HR and if I would be prepared to drop a grade etc so I'm guessing that means they aren't prepared to job share....will have to wait and see what rep says....I was so stressed out that a lot of it flew out of my head when it was over!

[chocolatekimmy]

They are messing you about and dealing with it incorrectly.

They HAVE to deal with your request in accordance with legislation - not palm you off with another job and/or a demotion or pay drop just to give you the hours they want.

They have to justify the business case - its all too easy to pick one of the 8 reasons they can use off the list but its another thing to actually be able to justify it in real terms. They should demonstrate how exactly customer needs won't be met.

if this is a decent sized company, why dont' they recruit someone else

Also suggest a trial period?

[Nikki76]

Oooh....so I could say they haven't demonstrated exactly how customer needs won't be met? The just said projected workloads indicate a full time role and that was it....oooohhh that sounds very good to put in my appeal...they should be giving me details like xyz won't work because customer A won't get this on time etc....

I like it!!!

[Nikki76]

All this back to work stuff is driving me MAD!

Can't get access from home to jobshare register or jobshop as need passcode so its been suggested that manager does it on my behalf (which I'm not keen on at all!) or I go into work and use the computers there once a week! Er....and what will I do with DS??

Why I should be looking for new roles when I already have a job is beyond belief!! fgs!!!! We support working mums...yeah right!!!!