HELP! employer rejected flexible working request

[TTCbaby2x]

Is my only option now to hand my notice in? No alternatives have been offered to me under the request.

Yes. And get a new job that suits you better. No one has the right to force their employer to let them work the days they want

To be fair to the OP, we can only get 3 days nursery place for my son (Tue/wed/fri) as that was all that was available- the nursery will aim to offer us an additional day when they have one.

We applied for the place when he was 3 months old (to start age 1) & the only nursery with spaces is in the next village along.

There should be at least some childcare available in your local area surely. I'm not unsympathetic as I'm a single mum who had to get childcare to cover a busy city job but you are coming across a bit inflexibly

Do you deal with clients in your role? If the client's hours are 9-5, having you working 7-7 three days a week won't be helpful as it doesn't match client expectations of service from your employer.
That would be valid grounds for rejection where I work.

It doesn't sound an unreasonable request. Somebody suggested asking to make it temporary. This sounds a good idea. I agree less hours over 4 days isn't much good.

It depends on the nature of the job OP, so as an example in my sister’s role the days are really important because she is directly client facing and so if they were 1 person down then her team wouldn’t be capable of dealing with the same number of clients each day, too many client calls and not enough people to answer the phone.

But in my own role, I have my own workload and so as long as the work gets done it doesn’t really matter whether it’s done over 3 days or 4 days, nobody else on my team would have to take on more responsibility and no client would be adversely impacted by my not working the 4th day.

They’ve given a valid reason for refusing your request which is their right as an employer, so it may be that you can’t continue with them. Sorry OP it is a stressful situation!

It sounds like they just need someone physically there for four days. Could you try and arrange it with another staff member, if they were wanting an extra day? It seems unlikely though.
I guess if you really cannot source any childcare then yeah, leaving is the only option.

If your child is at nursery or pre-nursery can't you get an extra day for them?

Why can’t you find childcare for that extra day? Won’t nursery have your kid an extra day?

You've not explained why extra childcare is an issue.

Is your child in nursery, school, with a family member?

Have you resourced all possible avenues for another day of childcare?

I would, in your shoes ask if I can take annual leave on the 4thday for a month whilst looking for childcare
In practice I would spend that month looking for a new job

You said you 'previously' worked 4 days. Do you mean that you currently work 4 days? And now you've asked to reduce to 3?

I'm confused.

Or do you mean you work 3 days now and have been asked to do 4?

It's not clear.

Have you looked at all childcare options within half an hour of work as well as within half an hour from home?

They stated they could agree the amount of hours I wished to work but not the amount of days. That doesn't make sense to me as my flexible request is to drop a day due to no childcare but I am being told I still need to work 4 days which does not help me in any way.

Can you explain?

What you seem to be saying is that you're currently working 4 days.
You've asked for 3 days and they have said no.

If your child is being looked after currently for 4 days, why can that not continue?

I am afraid your employer is right, they are saying it is business needs. I hope you can find suitable childcare.
You may need to hand in your notice, but I hope you can an alternative.

IF you're working 4 days now why does that need to change? What's happened that you need to drop to 3 days? You've not said.
Have you 'lost' a childminder of some sort?

IF you're working 3 days and they want another day (which I don't think they do from what you've said) why can't your current childcare arrangements stretch to that?

So what would happen to the work that day if you weren't there & there was no cover?

Would it sit there waiting for you to be back or would it mean missing important deadlines or delivering a service to expecting customers?

If the former, I would push back but if the latter, it's a valid business reason.

OP using the word 'flexible' suggests WFH to people. Basically you seem to be asking to cut a day out of your working week due to childcare. That's not being flexible, that's a simple reduction in working days from 4 days 9-5, to 3 days 9-5.

So find the childcare, or resign. They've said they need that day covered.

I was in a similar position when our childminder retired. I had flexible working request refused, so I had to resign. Flexible working has to be a benefit to the company/ organisation just as much it does the employee.

What is the childcare issue?

You have childcare 3 times a week already - who is providing that?

Is it a lack of providers or is it that it's unaffordable?

What's the situation with the child's other parent?

I think she has childcare 4 days a week already as she says she wants to drop to 3 days (so she must have 4 days at work now.)

Or is op returning from ml wanting to reduce days?

I suspect she is on maternity leave and wanting to drop a day on her return.

I wouldn't have wanted to work 4 days a week either immediately after maternity leave so I can understand where the OP is coming from if that's the case.