New job - flexible working hours - is this ok?

32 replies

CoffeeAndCroissantPlease · 10/02/2023 22:26

I got offered a job this week! It’s a school admin job, at the interview they said they could be flexible around the working days and hours but that school admin staff usually work 8.30am-3pm. They said at the interview that the work could be a mixture of working onsite and working from home, but they would prefer for the candidate to work a proper day rather than a morning here/an afternoon there.
DS1 is in primary school, DS2 is about to begin preschool and the core hours there are 9am-3pm. The preschool said when I looked around that they could potentially open at 8.30 for a breakfast club type service.
OH works long hours and I have nobody else to help me with school runs etc
Do you think it sounds reasonable if I request to work 9am-2.45pm so I can ensure I can drop both the kids off, be at my desk for 9am, work through until 2.45 then race back for pickup?
I feel sheepish making “special requests”
even though they said they were flexible and anxious they could retract the job offer (I suffer from anxiety).
Do you think that sounds ok or will I be making a bad first impression? I don’t really have a choice to be honest, as mentioned OH isn’t around and there’s nobody to help me with school runs etc!

OP posts:

StJulian2023 · 10/02/2023 23:28

Yes, definitely ask.

[And fewer hours everyone, not less!]

Binfluencer · 10/02/2023 23:29

Your husband needs to step up and do some school runs, having a big important man job doesn't exempt him from doing his fifty percent share of raising the humans he created

Alliswells · 11/02/2023 00:10

Binfluencer · 10/02/2023 23:29

Your husband needs to step up and do some school runs, having a big important man job doesn't exempt him from doing his fifty percent share of raising the humans he created

Always one

Viviennemary · 11/02/2023 00:17

I dont think this would work in a school. I would think they need somebody in before 9 and at the end of the school day. And you won't ever be there at those busy times. But no harm in asking. It should have been made clearer at the interview

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 11/02/2023 00:30

Swiftswatch · 10/02/2023 22:47

Sorry if I’m not being clear, I’m not asking to work less hours, I’m asking for the hours to be split across the working days in a way that allows me to drop my children to and from their school/preschool.

You are though, the pattern you have suggested doesn’t total 18 hours. And that’s before you factor in breaks.

If her hours are 9.00 to 2.45 she won’t be entitled to any breaks.

OneMoreCookieMonster · 11/02/2023 00:42

Why bother applying for a position that you know you can't fulfill the required hours? Why not mention it in the interview process?

Also, most companies/jobs won't offer flexible working requests until you've completed 26wks consecutive work for them.

They've clearly advertised and want someone for those hours. I just don't get it. If I was the hiring manager id be fucked off. Such a waste of everyone's time and resources.

UsingChangeofName · 11/02/2023 00:43

It depends really on what your role entails.

It is genuinely is a back office job that doesn't need you to either have to be available to speak to teachers, or available to speak to parents, then I would honestly do it over 4 days and not try to be running there from your own drop off, then having to leave right on the dot with no flexibility and be running to pick up.
However, if it is a more typical school office job, then the reason they want people there from 8.30 is because that is when it will be the busiest time and they need people to speak to parents F2F and to answer the phones. In which case you need a childminder or breakfast club.

None of us can know that.

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