To request compressed/flexible hours 6 weeks into a new job

[Hiraeth20]

I’ve recently started a new (full time) job, would it look really bad if I were to request compressed/flexible hours this early on? I’d ideally like to do 3 longer days and have an afternoon off to spend with my toddler as I'm really missing time with her.

In terms of requesting flexibility, I think it's much easier to say that you think you can do the job in 4.5 days so can you drop down to that rather than do compressed hours unless it's actually helpful for you to do longer days on the other days.

I work compressed hours (5 days in 4) in a new job but I did ask at interview if it would be a possibility and they said yes (lots of people already do similar). To be honest, I might not have taken the job if it had been a no so it was important for me to establish this from the start.

I would ask op. They can either say yes or no.

I think my employer would have laughed at me if I’d requested flexible working 6 weeks into a job. You need to prove your value to them first. I think at my job it’s 12 months before you can request flexible working! I’ve been at my company 6.5 years and I now work PT after coming back from Mat leave. It was hard enough requesting PT hours even after working there so long.

Anything more than 26 weeks would not be legal.

The law is highly likely to change to make FWR a day one right. Many companies are adopting this stance now.

Of course, companies don’t have to approve requests.

As I understand it, in order to make a statutory application, you have to have worked for a company for 26 weeks to make a flexible working request. From gov.uk: "Employees must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks to be eligible." www.gov.uk/flexible-working

What kind of organisation do you work in?
I think it depends very much on the culture of your team and the attitude of your manager

When I went back to work after maternity leave I took 2 mornings a month as flexi and 2 half days annual leave a month to take my daughter to toddler group. That was ok but compressed hours wouldn't have been.

What are others doing in the team? Do you have any friendly colleagues you could ask for an idea of how it might be viewed?