Requesting no evening shifts?

[Mammymon]

I am returning to work in a few weeks (my little one is 9 months) and when putting in my application for flexible working I have requested to go part time and to only work mornings; the latest finish being 2pm.

The reasons for this are:

1. There is another working mother in the exact same role as myself who was given the exact hours I have requested when she returned to work after maternity

1. My partner does a job where he works away for a week, then is home for a week, in a constant pattern of week on week off so when he is away the only person left to have my little one is my mother who herself works evening shifts beginning at 3pm.

My employer has come back and said they cannot accommodate me. That I must work the later shifts until 8 pm as well as a mix of earlier shifts. They said the woman who has the early hours contract was given it a few years back and they now no longer offer it.

My problem is that even if I put little one in nursery, they close at 6, who would have him until 8? He goes to bed at 7:30 so He needs someone to feed him, change him and put him to bed before I even get home!

Am I being unreasonable expecting the same contract as someone doing the same job as me? I literally have no way of working until 8 with a 9 month old son and a partner who works away!

I agree that it looks like you or your partner will have to change jobs. Very late notice. Do you have a plan b for childcare sorted if they didn't agree to the flexible work request?

If your DP is at home one week in two and this is a fixed pattern, why not offer to do late shifts on those weeks?

The OP said she suggested that and her manager said no.

There is a lot of information on citizens advice website about flexible working and negotiation. I'll just put the link for one page

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/rights-at-work/flexible-working/flexible-working-preparing-to-discuss-your-request-with-your-employer/

They need you to work certain hours. Doesnt matter what arrangement anyone else has, thats irrelevant to your situation. And theyve provided you with a good enough reason about the other persons hours.
They coped temporarily during your maternity leave. Again this is not relevant to your request.

No one has a right to flexible working. You've a right to ask. Theyve said no and explained why.

You have two options

• sort childcare out
• leave the job and find something where the hours suit you

A similar thing happened to me. I came back from maternity leave and asked for 3 extra days off a month and I'd make the time up elsewhere. They said no as there was not enough staff to cover the office. I went back usual hours and a lady come back from maternity after me and applied for a 3 day week and got it. Turns out the fact I was standard hours meant there was enough cover in the office so she got her accepted. I was gutted.

If you'll have to leave anyway without your preferred hours, you may feel you won't lose much by challenging it.

This is why i didnt bother going back to work as a nurse when i had my second, the shifts are ridiculous and unless you have someone to rely on for childcare youre stuffed

YY Heart.

Agree with everyone else. YABU to expect everyone else to accommodate what suits you. What makes you think them covering you indefinitely suits ^them ?

Some CMers will look after dc until later in the evening - could be worth investigating for every other week if you like the job you do? Otherwise you need to look at either you or your partner looking for a different job or your partner discussing flexible working with his employers.

Can you work your share of 8pm finishes on the weeks your partner is at home and able to do the nursery pick up?

covert OP has already answered that question.

You can ask, but they can say no, as they have done.

Them not being able to accommodate scheduling your lates when your partner is home is pretty poor.

It sounds like your options are either quit, or find a nanny to do nursery collections.

Sorry haven't rtft

You're not unreasonable to request these shifts but, the clue's in the title, "request".

You're unreasonable to expect it!

Unfortunately, you don't have the right to expect Flexible Working but you can request it. If it doesn't work for the company then it doesn't work for them. It sounds like you're very limited in your childcare arrangements, and it's not up to the company to work around your preferred arrangements. The posters who are suggesting tribunals and exact reasons in writing etc, etc - the company is obliged to consider a request, they are not obliged to give it: their reasons are acceptable whether they appear that way or not.

OP in such a situation it sounds like you can't work there anymore. I sympathise, my request was turned down and I had to leave my career. It's not a level playing field like we're led to believe and we definitely are given the short straw as people who choose to has families.