Flexible working request

It’s interesting how different employers operate. As a manager myself I tell my teams they’re hired to do a job. When they get that job done doesn’t matter. Also, your company chose for your manager to be based on the other side of the world. Once in a while they could get up early to take calls with you during your working day. It’s about being adults. That said regarding your request, think about whether you want to do this every day (including Fridays!) or perhaps offer it as a Tuesday and Wednesday solution.

I work part time and finish at 3. For a temporary period of about 2 months I officially added 2 hours a day in the evening, which at the time benefitted both me and my employer and I was happy to do it. It wasn't that bad actually, and most days I was fine to go back to it, but it's not something I would have wanted to commit to long term. My DS was about 8 at the time so easy enough to put to bed (and my DH was around to do this anyway). But DH and I spent hardly any time together in the evening, which I think would have been an issue longer term.

Also standing in the pouring rain at DSs football training at 6pm and realising I've got to do 2 hours work when I get home wasn't great!

Then assuming her request was a formal FWR and agreed she can make another one at any point (2x a year infact) to adjust again to a pattern suitable at that point 🤷‍♀️

Again this is something people are being unreasonable about
you can be an amazing manager and have lots of flexibility in time etc especially in a global role
our roles sound similar I also have some hard stops in my day and it's never once been an issue as I've also offered plenty of flexibility on my terms too and when needed working hours I don't usually or even traveling
it's got to be give and take
I can be online supporting an audit in Wuxi early hours or talking to a director late evening based in Guadalajara and sometimes on the same day
it's why we are strict in my company about no core hours etc as quite frankly it wouldn't benefit them at all

I did similar when my DC were very young (nursery age) with a hard stop at 4pm then I worked 8-10pm. It worked very well until the DC got older and started school and had clubs after school. I changed my hard stop to 3pm but ended up changing my hours as Guides / swimming etc pushed tea and bedtime later and I couldn't manage it.

So I ended up changing my flex every couple of years. If your employer is ok with that, then go for it. But it isn't a long term option for many in my view.

At my company this wouldn't even need a flexible working request it would just be a local agreement with your manager and see how it goes and if it benefits you and the company
people who don't work in global roles reporting out of country will struggle to truly understand I think

I have done some working like this, for short periods as projects/workload demanded. My kids were a little older and more reliable about bedtime, but still it’s a killer, don’t do it. You can’t shut down from your day, you brain is still busy as you’re trying to go to bed so you don’t sleep. You have no you time, no time even to do simple chores around the house like hanging washing, packing bags for the next day, and all that stacks up like an extra pile of stress. It’s horrible and it feels really unhealthy. Push it back to the California manager to figure out how they work effectively with you - it’s their responsibility not yours anyhow.

I do know people who work/have worked a bit like this but around school hours, so 9-3 and say 7-9, and have made it work. Generally they wouldn’t have meetings or stuff scheduled after 3pm so very flexible to manage, but it’s still exhausting. I have another friend who routinely works like this due to his senior position in a global team, and he struggles with it, especially being able to relax/wind down or do any kind of exercise.

Presumably you have no work responsibilities or seniority? Only because such jobs require some flexibility from post-holders in terms of hours, etc (to get a job complete, to attend a meeting, to hit a deadline) and you are so adamant that your 5pm end is not flexible -you are finishing come hell or high water by the sound of it
But, if there is a substantial change to your Ts & Cs, go to HR.

OP you've said that the couple of hours you could take out of the earlier part of your day might work well for you and your family - what did you have in mind? What's the benefit for you aside from time with your manager?

What happens when DC are older and have clubs after school etc and homework?

So this is like, you're basically full but it's an open buffet so you're wanting to go back for fifths?

Stick with 9-5, I wouldn’t want to put the kids down and then log back on - you’ll never feel you can switch off as always got to get back to the laptop. What if you want to ever do anything in the evenings also?

Haha I kept telling myself with my son it was temporary hours till he qualified for 30 hrs funded childcare hours, now he is that age and I have an 11 week old baby so will have to start the countdown of those hours again when I go back off maternity leave 🤦🏼‍♀️ I know hours are being extended to younger children but I will try to keep her at home with me while I can still cover my hours with early mornings and naps, hopefully till 3 ISH give or take 6 months.

Find out what your manager's general work pattern is - if they are working with a lot of EMEA based people then they may not actually work 9-5 . I've been on calls where SF based people are dialling in at 5am their time to suit a majority EMEA and NY group.

In a truly global organisation there has to be flex on all sides, so be up front about what you can and can't do. Rather than doing a flexible working request I'd give it a few months whilst you settle back in and see what your managers expectations are

There are some real perks of working with/for someone on a different timezone - my team get things done a lot quicker when one person finishing their day can hand something off to someone just starting it

I work in a similar way to you, remotely and with a team based in the US (although NYC). I usually do all my emails etc first thing in the morning while my husband gets the kids dressed etc. They are in childcare until 3 so I pretty much work through. I then break between 3-5ish but respond to urgent things. I’ll usually do a bit while I’m cooking dinner 😂 and when they’re in bed I’ll work a bit for the US team but majority can be done from my phone while I’m half watching TV. It works well for me. We have a ‘core hours’ vs ‘set hours’ set up, so it basically just means we don’t care when you work as long as the work gets done.

Hi would probably see about doing longer days. Were someone else can do pick up (if possible) and then finish early one day a week. So I used to do Monday, Tuesday till 6.30, have a Wednesday off and then so 9-5 Thursday Friday and then 8-12 on a Saturday morning. It meant on a Monday and Tuesday I got about 30 mins with child but all day on the Wednesday which worked better for me

Before COVID my work wouldn't even have entertained home working, however when lock down hit, I was pregnant, so was sent to work from home. I made it work well, and as a valued member of the team it was agreed if I went back at 9 months I would be able to continue to work from home with flexible hours (my job can be done at any time) so I work 4am to 8.30am then my husband goes to work while I look after our child, then our child naps for 2hrs at lunch then my husband lunches for an hour and after that I am usually finished my hours.

With the new flexible working rules from next month you can ask what you seem is best for your situation, there is quite strict rules for it being denied coming into force very soon.