My manager has just completly screwed everyhting up

[ilovefoxes]

Sorting out my return to work after OML.
Just before I phoned around to find a CM, I rang my manager to confirm my new part time hours which were meant to be MON - FRI. He's just told me I have to work Mon - Sat with a reotating day off ie, monday the first weeks, tuesday the following and so on and so forth.

This is impossible as I have to find a childmionder for saturdays as my dp works 6 days a week.

What can I do?

[ilovefoxes]

I only had a verbal agreement and I was working mon - sat before ML

[flowerybeanbag]

Put in a formal flexible working request see here. Your employer must consider it and if they refuse it they have to give good business reasons why.

[ilovefoxes]

Is it enough for him to say that he can't cover my job on the Saturday, because that is what he is saying. He's saying it will cost him extra

[flowerybeanbag]

Burden of additional costs is a legitimate business reason he can give, yes.

I would advise you to address this problem if possible in your formal request. Think of what his objections might be and put forward solutions to them if you can.

Presumably if you had a verbal agreement before, there must have been a solution he was prepared to consider?

[titchy]

Surely if you're reducung your hours the saving he makes on your salary will cover someone working the Saturdays?

[ChukkyPig]

I hate to say it Foxes, but maybe start looking around for something else as a back-up.

You also need to put in a formal request for flexible working as per flowerybeanbag and they have to consider it.

Whether they will agree it or not though is impossible to say without knowing all the circumstances. They don't have to say yes unfortunately.

If you start looking while you try and sort it out at least you will be on the way to a PLan B if they do say no.

I'm really sorry your manager has been such an arse. It may be that he is just pushing his luck and when you say you can't do those hours due to childcare he may back down and go back to your original agreement.

Fingers crossed for you.

[ilovefoxes]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I followed the link flower beanbag gave me and used it to write a flexible working request letter to my manager.

I'm hoping that when he sees that, he'll know I'm being serious and try to accommodate me.

And I'll also start lookinh chukky, just in case

Thanks again, I'll let you know how it all works out, fingers crossed for me!