To think if my colleague does this with her child then I should be able to as well… and it is unfair unlike what HR are saying?

[Hawua]

Colleague came back from maternity last year and used holiday 2 days a week, effectively working a 3 day week. This meant she could put her ds in nursery 3 days a week, saving quite a chunk of childcare cost.

We are exactly the same level and do the same job and joined in the same year, four years ago.

I am being told on my return from mat leave that I can’t use holiday like that and must take it all in one go. This means I will have full childcare costs while my colleague had 8 months worth of 3 day week (we have a lot of holiday allowance).

HR have said that the cost for childcare evens out as I am having six weeks off in one go, so saving a bulk in childcare that way? Am I missing something? they’ve also said my colleague is a single parent and so they made an extra flexible option for her, how is this fair?!

Can you take it further? Are you in a union?

@Makeitmakesensetoday no union sadly

Can you speak to ACAS? Can your partner get flexible working?

They only have to consider the request at the time it is made and if they found it didn't work for them previously they don't have to allow it again having tried it before with a different employee.

@Spirallingdownwards how can hr say that financially it’s the same though? It isn’t is it? Or am I missing something

Nursery is booked and paid for and you wouldn’t be able to just take them out for six weeks and then put them back in. Once your child has a place there, it has a place for the foreseeable.

if this is their stance then the other colleague needs to be told the same, I would escalate it further tbh, this is ridiculous and quite frankly unfair as you say.

Why don’t you put the idea forward of a job share between you and your colleague if both of you are the same level then it should even things out with the working hours/child care or ask to do compressed hours to 4 days a week. I know it’s beside the point but it’s a few ideas to try and sort this issue out.

They can dictate when you can and cannot take your annual leave.

I think you need to just let it go, your colleague was either lucky or there’s more to it that you don’t know.

It may not seem fair but they can do this and don’t have to allow you to do what they allowed for your colleague. There may be circumstances you’re not aware of, or maybe it just didn’t work for the company. Focus on what you can do, is dropping hours to part time an option for you?

Can anyone explain to me how financially the impact is the same? It’s making my head spin but I think she comes off better from it? Am I wrong?

I don't think you should get into who pays how much. The fact is she got preferential treatment and they need to explain why they are denying the exact same request to someone in the same job.

This.

There's no setting a precedent here, because an employer can cite that it was ineffective previously when tried.

hr can make a different decision each time. Hey don’t have to give every person exactly the same out come.

can you delay start of nursery?

also 6 weeks hol is not the same as 2 days a week for 8 months. How does this add up?

It is the same.

You both save 30 days of nursery costs. Yours over 6 weeks (you get full pay and no work) and hers 2 days a week for 15 weeks.

The company have the right to refuse your holiday if it doesn't fit with their business plan.

Will the other woman still be doing her 3 day week when you want to do yours?

Also personal childcare and finances aren’t HRs problem, to put it bluntly.

Tbf there can definitely be issues with what colleague has done, what if nursery doesn’t have space the other 2 days at the point it’s needed? Annual leave can also be cancelled if for a good business reason so you could end up having annual leave cancelled with 2 or 3 days notice and still no childcare.

There’s a lot to consider here.

Does the colleague have the same level of role and responsibilities you do?

if they are doing it, does that mean they need cover so can’t another person do the same.

It’s not always a case of one person doing something so everyone should be allowed to do it. The details really matter.

The financially the same bit, is that you won't have to pay nursery for however many weeks holiday you use at the end of mat leave, because you are both using the same number of holiday days, albeit differently.

I think it's woefully unfair and I would push them on why they won't agree it.

Thanks for replies.

just feel my colleague’s child will almost be two before they have to be in full time childcare but mine will be 14 months and that seems unfair on me. I’d also like more time with dc at a young age

Are they saying that you can take all the leave before you return, so save 6 weeks of paying for childcare at that point?

That's the only way I can see you saving money, you can’t just take 6 weeks off paying childcare once they’re in.

I think it sounds incredibly unfair, but it might not even work for you. Our nursery wouldn’t guarantee the extra days would be available when we needed if we started at 3 days per week.

It sounds as if your colleague had a lot more holiday to take if she could take 2 days/week for 8 months. That's roughly 64 days of holiday. If you have 6 weeks to take that's 30 days.

So yes, the financial impact is the same in that neither of you have to pay for childcare when you can use holidays - if she really does have 8 months then she just has more holidays to use - is it possible that she has 2 years of holiday allowance to use?

To be honest I would assume that there is a lot more to your colleagues situation, as what she's been granted seems like an accommodation that would only be made due to exceptional circumstances.

As long as you are being treated according to the policy then her situation has nothing to do with you.

But non of that is a HR or employer issue.

They have no obligation to make your children go to full time nursery at the same age. Or make sure you get equal time with your kids.

Same for a childminder too

The only way this would work OP is private preschool but if your DC is too young for that you won't be able to pull them out during holidays anyway

You have to pay for any days your child is on holiday still

@Wheresthefibre i didn’t say that they did. It still feels unfair though.

Whilst I can see why you are upset, I don't think just because they agree something for one staff member, they have to agree it for another.
Have you put a formal request for flexible working in and had them state their reasons for decline that way?

Also, is their argument that you can delay nursery costs for 6 weeks as you will still be at home with lo? So saving money thst way?

Thanks for replies.

just feel my colleague’s child will almost be two before they have to be in full time childcare but mine will be 14 months and that seems unfair on me. I’d also like more time with dc at a young age

What was your plan pre maternity leave?

Perhaps you and/or your partner could submit flexible working requests. That would be much more reliable than annual leave anyway.

Unless there’s something you’re leaving out your employer has done nothing worry, you need to focus less on your colleague and more on other possible solutions to your problem.