To request further time off

[ShaaaaaalAhLah]

Hi All,

Need some advice - Came off maternity leave March 2021 - Employer happily accepted my request of 3 full days a week (7.5hrs a day *.30 - 5.00pm with hour lunch)., at the time did state any less then 3 days would be considered and not promised.

However, its been 3 months back at work, and I am struggling to cope with a very highly maintained child (medical needs). I wanted to know would it be unreasonable to request either 3 days (6hrs each -8.30pm - 2.30pm - no lunch) or 2 full days and 1 half day (8.30-5.00 & 8.30 - 12.30)?

I feel like my mental health is deteriorating and I'm constantly worrying about my baby and having the extra few hours means I can get her into a routine which works well for both of us - Also happy to increase my hours back when child has gone to school.

Should I ask or not?

I don’t see any harm in asking.

I would be cautious though do you think that few hours will really make a massive difference?

Sorry I don’t understand why you wouldn’t ask? It’s only a request.
It’s not time off, you’ll be paid less to work less.

You can ask, but they don’t have to agree. They also cannot agree to you taking no lunch, that’s not legal and should be declined immediately.

I agree with the PP, if you drop to 2.5 days will that extra half day really make enough of a difference.

The end point for you is the thing you need to consider. If they say no, what is your position? Do you resign or try something else?

Think you can work 6 hour with no lunch? That's the maximum?

I think you need to understand why you think your mental health is deteriorating and address that exactly.
As PPs have said, working fewer hours may not be the answer - you still have the getting out the house/getting back to the house stress 3 days a week (I found that the hardest part of working with a baby). Plus will your workload genuinely decrease appropriately or will you just be fitting the same amount into fewer hours=more stress.

If you can work out what you're finding hard you can address it - is it the getting up and out in the morning (that was my bugbear) - think about how you can streamline your routine and make sure your DP/DH pulls their weight. Is it cooking meals? work out a repertoire of quick meals and/or batch cook and/or rely on ready meals.

3 months is really still a comparatively short time to have been back t work (how old if your baby?). It does take a while to get settled back.

What will the changes hours do to help a better routine? I can see there could be benefit in shorter days if a consistent routine for medical issues is needed, but the 2.5 days seems awkward.

If you can properly articulate what the issues are you need to sort then it will be easier to argue your case.

What sort of job do you do and will the hours work for your employer?

And YY to how is your baby’s other parent adapting their working pattern or balancing needs to help?

No harm in asking but I agree with pp who say cutting hours by half a day may not be very helpful for you.

Is taking a career break an option? Parental leave or something similar? Would you be entitled to any benefits to tied you over while you look after your sick child?

Baby is not really a baby but 15months.

DH works evening, and has reduced the hours his working significantly to help with LO.

Im just not sure what I need or want, but would like to be around my LO more, as it not only comforts her but myself!

What medical needs does your baby have?
My son had lots of medical issues when I returned to work full time and I have to say the first year back was hell, juggling sleepless nights, hospital appointments, ambulance journeys at 3am etc etc.
I found a good childminder who I trusted implicitly helped so much. She dealt with the “minor” issues and loved my son whilst I wasn’t there.
However it was time that really helped. I couldn’t really relax until he was 4, by which point in time I had dropped to 4 days a week, but his health issues were more “part of our life” than an anxiety-inducing panic everyday.
Have you joined any Facebook groups linked to your child’s condition? The advice from parents in the same situation is invaluable.

3 x 6 hour days. The good thing is when you get to 6 hours you have to leave or take a break.

@Alpinechalet that's exactly what I was thinking.

I currently go home at lunch time to give medication etc, and to put LO to sleep for nap time. If I could finish up at 2.30pm and just stay with her for the rest of the day would be ideal.

I just wonder whether I am asking for too much.

Who is looking after her while your at work if you have to go home to do medication and things?

Going home at lunch to give medication and then coming back to work sounds very unsettling for both of you. Why can’t someone else give the medication? I know it can be hard but your community nurses should be able to train your childcare.

I’ve know a lot of people who do six hours with no break and it worked really well for them. Your LO is still young and I completely understand why you want to spend more time with her.

It also means you could add further 6 hour days as she grows up. A lot of working parents do 5 x 6 hours = 30 hours a week as it just fits in with school. One parent does the morning drop off and the second does pick up. It also works with Drs, dentist, opticians etc. appointments for you and your child as you can take late afternoon appointments.

@Randomness12

You can ask, but they don’t have to agree. They also cannot agree to you taking no lunch, that’s not legal and should be declined immediately.

I agree with the PP, if you drop to 2.5 days will that extra half day really make enough of a difference.

The end point for you is the thing you need to consider. If they say no, what is your position? Do you resign or try something else?

If she's only working six hours, she's not entitled to any kind of break.

You're not requesting further time off, you're requesting a change in working hours. You can do this through submitting a flexible working request. The important thing in doing this, is to explain how it will not negatively impact the workplace.

I am reading that you made a flexible working request around March this year. You are only entitled to one such request every twelve months, so legally your employer does not need to respond to it, although obviously they can choose to.

Things that come to my mind are that it doesn’t sound like a big enough change to make the difference you may be looking for anyway and I wonder if this is the right way to help you. You also need to bear in mind that your employer does not have to agree to increase your hours back again in the future.