Flexible working request

[FunViewer]

I need some advice please.

I’ve been working through a FWR with my manager and since the first one I submitted they have pushed back saying they were not happy with the days I put in the request to have as days off. Since then I have changed the days I wanted as off to suit them but I am still receiving push back as I need to finish early on 2 of the days to pick up my children from school.

The request I submitted doesn’t stop me from being able to do my job but they have an issue with me finishing early 2 days due to childcare. They said that in my role I need to be flexible 7 days per week but I am contracted to work 5 days. I have been in my role for 4 years and I had a previous FWR approved and had been working this way for a long time with no complaints but since I got a new manager, they have said they are not happy with it hence the need to revisit my FRW.

I’m not sure what I can do as I feel like I have changed my pattern to suit them as much as I can but I feel like they are not being understanding as my reasoning to finishing early is due to childcare.

Is there a reason you can't use after school childcare?

Do you have a partner or husband doing their fair share too, or is it all on you?

Is your request simply for a reduction in hours so you can finish early two days a week? Or was there more to the request?

Does your role need covered when you leave early? How does it impact the rest of the team, do they need to stay later to cover you?

I'm not trying to be difficult I'm just trying to look at it from your employers point of view.

They don’t need to be understanding. Your childcare issue is yours to sort alone, and when submitting a FWR it should be about how this helps the business, not why you need it.

This isn’t a give and take type situation - your personal reasons for needing to finish early are irrelevant.

Not at all, thank you for your reply.

I do use after school care but I need to pick the children up at a certain time and the place I work at is open till late.

The request didn’t reduce my hours, it just limited the times/days I can work.

They don’t need to hire anyone to compensate for me leaving early and regarding the team we all work different evening shifts and the shifts I finish early there are managers who prefer to work late on these days

And my partner an I share the responsibility 50/50

It's not up to your employer to bend to suit you. They employed you on x terms and pay you to do that. Anything else is an added bonus. It would be good if more employers could be flexible but there's nothing you can do if the request is denied other than accept it or hand your notice in.

When submitting a flexible working request from looking on a acas it’s not how it helps the business it is if it will impact the business - which my request doesn’t.

Your FWR needs to state what the potential impacts on the business might be (see TartanMammy's post above for examples), and an explanation of why there is no impact on the business. All successful FWRs that I've seen spet this out.

That's from your POV. You are not management so you can assume it won't, but they might know more than you in terms of other people's already approved FWAs / availability and other business needs.

I have been lucky to have a blend of days off and early finishes approved on mine four years ago, but I'm not so sure that would be approved now.

I forgot to add, you could ask for a 90 day trial period to see if this suits both you and the employer.

Presumably leaving early would affect the business. How could they address that?

In my contract it says I need to do 2 Morning shifts and 2 closings shift. My current request I submitted fulfils the contractual agreement which was made.

It doesn’t specify in my contract which days I need to work.

Do you have a flexible working arrangement at the moment, and would you be OK with sticking to that arrangement?

Yes, I did have one which had been in place for 18 months but my new manager was not happy with it, So that’s why I had to submit a new one

Once your FWA is approved it cannot be taken away from you. It’s a contractual agreement. Your manager can be unhappy with it but they have to work with it.

Try this previous thread it has information on a similar case. Not sure if the situation has changed since 2012.

From ACAS

Thank you

Thank you

It's difficult without knowing the exact nature of the business but if it's in your contract to do the two closing shifts, are you asking to leave early on those days?

If it's a business that opens late then it's not entirely unreasonable to expect staff to be able to work those hours.

Perhaps you could request you work 4 days shifts instead?

Is your partner also a shift worker? Can't he do the pick-up on those two days.

Right, but was this a written contract?

A verbal flexible working arrangement doesn’t count. Only what’s in your written contract.

Your personal reasons are completely irrelevant and should not be included in any flexible working request.

Yes, the previous one was a written agreement and the reasoning behind it was due to childcare - which is a valid reason to request a flexible working request. If it wasn’t I doubt I would have had the first one approved…

The 4 other days are when I can complete the 2 openings and closing shifts. The 2 days in question are the only days where I cannot do the lates. My partner works late on those days so I can’t work the evening and he picks the children up on the other days were I currently work late

You might be better asking for those two days as set days off instead? Or day shift only on those days?
Rather than asking to cut your shift short and leave early. That would be easier for the person writing the rota.

Your personal reasons are irrelevant. The business doesn’t need to know them and won’t consider them when deciding whether or not to approve it.

Anyone has the right to request flexible working, so every reason is a valid reason to put in a request. Including if you just fancied taking your dog to roller disco.

It’s just as valid a reason, and just as irrelevant a reason, as your childcare issues.

Haha I'd approve that request for sheer ingenuity 🤣