To be annoyed that my employer won’t let me go part time?

Well I am not surprised, you have already told them you are dossing about for three of the days they are paying you for!

I agree with this!

Did your plan for reorganising your work involve putting 3/5 of your workload onto others? If so, why would they agree to that?

What does your partner do? Surely they could apply for flexible working too for the same reason, especially now your request has been refused.

The problem with the right to request flexible working is that people see it as a right to flexible working, when it isn't. You can ask, but it's ultimately the employer's decision.

OP has already stated the reason she needs to change hours is not because of her own health problem or disability.

Having caring responsibilities for someone with a disability does not give her carte Blanche to demand any conditions she deems desirable- she can request it, all they have to do is justify their reasoning for refusing. I would say it would be very hard to justify a drop to 2 days a week for a Head of Department. They are not obliged to agree job share.

I think making threats to try and manipulate your employer to bend to your will, when the request is unreasonable, in that manner is actually hugely undermining to the whole principle. And highly likely to mark OP’s cards as someone they want to move on, even if they have to be very careful about how they do it.

this sounds really difficult for you, op.

think I would be very clear with them that you will need to consider resigning if a compromise can’t be found. Not in an emotional way, just very calmly and openly. if there is no way that they can accommodate, I think you’ll need to line up something else asap.

If you can do 3 days, I would, or you might find 2 day alternatives pay entry level wages and you’re on the equivalent of one day of your current salary.

ultimately they can refuse this request if they feel the business won’t cope, they just need to demonstrate they have fully considered and consulted before doing so.

Could you maybe do 3 or 4 days a week at a push? Or could you have an informal chat to see if they might be able to consider this. I work part time and my Line Manager works 3 days a week and she is absolutely brilliant and streets ahead of several of the full time managers.

It is difficult to know without more facts. The proportion of children in private six forms is much higher than for senior school. My sons attended a well respected school in East Anglia as day pupils. Cost wise this varies, but for the two years this is an investment of £45k for one pupil or thereabouts, so for DC3s parents £22k each.Not sure they could not loan that if they really really wanted or place it on a mortgage, Who then is funding the considerable costs of university?

I currently work 3 days a week in a senior role and have since 2021 when I returned from Mat leave. It's been so hard, I get paid for 24 hours per week (8 hour days) in reality I work more like 30 I just don't get paid for the extra.

It's incredibly stressful and I definitely get looked down upon for working part time despite constantly getting extremely positive feedback. I have no idea how you could drop down as far as 2 days. I am going back 4 days in Jan (32 hours) as I'm sick of not getting paid for what I actually work.

Could you suggest 3.5 days as a compromise so you are actually there 4 days. They may be more comfortable with that. Good luck x

State if they don’t approve you will have no option but to resign (constructive dismissal).

OP hasn't provided any info whatsoever that would support a constructive dismissal case here.

Calling ACAS is always a good step, but refusing a 2-day per week work schedule for a department head (unless very short term) is incredibly common and will be very difficult to argue represents a lack of reasonable accommodations.

@Topoftheroof can you do 5 x half days so you’re working every day? There may be a concern that having a HoD absent for whole days/2-3 days in a row is an issue.

Or can you agree to the above plus some evening/weekend work to get your hours up to 3.5 days by doing equivalent of a day or so extra out of normal office hours (if you work in an office!)

You keep saying you could do your 5 day job in 2 days. Who is going to pick up the extra work or are you saying that you have so little to do that you only need 2 days to do it. Who is going to support your direct reports if you are only there 0.4 FTE?

Did you submit an official flexible working request? If so, what readon(s) did they give for declining?

I would expect a head of department to at least be there for more time than they aren’t Tbf

It is about being available when you are needed when you’re supervising, if you only work Monday Tuesday and something needs addressing on a Wednesday - should they be expected to wait five days to sort out the problem?

Do your personal circumstance relate to you or a family member having a disability? Because the Equality Act gives you more power to revert back at appeal and state why you need it. Do you have children under 5 as I think that care need is also given more weight.

State if they don’t approve you will have no option but to resign (constructive dismissal). What’s the appeals process like, a judge will need you to go through the appeal process before you can take legal action. In the appeal provide examples of the others that work part time, that they could advertise for a job share to cover the other 3 days (if it really is a full time role) ask why someone can’t be promoted to co-head department. State recruitment fees for such a job share would be something they need to pay anyway if you resigned.

call ACAS for more advice once researched above.

Does this proposal involve other people picking up manager responsibilities? Who is supervising and managing the department on the three days you would be unavailable, and how have you proposed for them to do that without it adding to their net workload or giving them responsibilities above their job level?

Reorganise the work to who? That's the issue.

To be brutally honest, I would expect someone in a leadership position to understand the implications on the business.
I come from HR in a flexible, family friendly company where many people have flexible working hours but the leadership team are there to support a whole company and simply wouldn't be allowed to work less hours.
You can ask and they will likely refuse but you should be able to understand that business needs come first.
You will go in on your first day after being off and have god knows how many people waiting to speak to you, approve things, sort shit out, approve holidays etc, you can't just do the work you planned to in your 2 days, everyone will need a piece of you.

i Was thinking similar- are you not almost doing yourself out of a job by saying your job can be done in 2 days not 5??

Why can't you say what the commitment is?