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?!

Welcome to be a working mother - children and the needs of mothers are not a priority.

Once you become a mother your extra responsibilities are usually seen as an outside work hobby and not anything that needs to be accommodated in any way. If you don't have a union you are at the mercy or your employer.

I'm from the Midlands. Moved south when I was 12. Was taken the piss out of and bullied for my accent.

Went to Merseyside after adopting southern accent aged 50. Was taken the piss out of and bullied for my accent.

People are just shits and bullies wherever you live.

Your thread about whether HR are acting fairly.

I get you don’t feel it’s fair. But HR are not acting unfairly.

Your reasons for it being ‘unfair’ are irrelevant to HR. You wanted HR to let you have the same as her, so you felt it was fair?

I would ask HR if you can do a mix of full time leave and 4 day weeks. They may say no still but it's worth asking.

The other issue is finding a nursery for part time then full time childcare that matches.

Businesses make an assessment on what they can accommodate as and when the requests are made. It may be the can manage with one person working a three day week but not two. We have a rule where no more that 3 can take AL on the same day. Is it unfair if I am the fourth person to make the request so can’t be accommodated?

You can’t compare to other colleagues. You have no idea of any additional circumstances. Also, it doesn’t set a precedent as it sounds like it was before you?

However, that said, I would ask for the reasons in writing as to why it has been declined.

It's financially the same because you are both having the same number of days off.

If I buy 10 twixes costing me £10 in one go it costs me £10.

If I buy 1 twix a week but over 10 weeks it still costs me £10.

The fact remains that a flexible request may work for the first employer but when another asks to do the exact same thing it may have a different impact on the company or they realised it didn't work for them the first time so can deny it the next and subsequent times.

It is more inconvenient to the business and I guess it didn’t work well for her. They are entitled to say no unfortunately

Wrong thread I guess

I suspect THIS, it was probably a pain to cover it and they've decided it didn't work.

Surely childcare isn’t paid for until you start using it (as in you pay from that date) so your saving is not having to send them at all for a further six weeks.

I do think the fact she’s a single parent is a good reason for a distinction / exception to be made - would be unfair to as if they said “we can’t grant it to a single parent as then we’d have to grant to everyone”.

I suspect it hasn't really worked for the business letting her do 3 day weeks but they're making the best of it given that it's only going to last 8 months.

It's not 'fair' no but I don't think it's illegal or discriminatory.

FWIW I did what your colleague did and it was agreed as part of my flexible return to work agreement after Mat Leave. Most of my other colleagues took AL in one chunk continuous with their Mat Leave.

I don't believe that flexi-working or maternity arrangements are precedent setting. They are all agreed on individual case by case basis.

Your childcare is nothing to do with your employer. Evidently having an FTE for 3 days a week for so long didnt work out.

join one. It won't help with this, but subsequent problems. Because there will be problems.

Agree with all previous posters - it might not feel ‘fair’ but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fair.

I did a really really comprehensive flexible working letter, looking at other organisations, detailing honestly the impact to the business of both agreeing to and declining my request. It was really thorough, using case law. Could you do something like that?

HR's place isn't to be fair. It's to ensure the company adheres to the right side of the law and that company policies are followed appropriately.

There were business reasons your colleague had their flexible return to work agreed, and there are business reasons your flexible return to work request has been pushed back as unsuitable. Fairness doesn't really apply, HR can only make decisions based on the circumstances at the time of the request in line with company policy (and the law).

If you can make a strong business case for why this approach would work for you personally - excluding the idea of 'precedence' you'd have better luck. Back to the drawing board maybe and see what you can come up with.

She’s a single parent, there’s two of you. So HR decided to be a little more human than usual.

Can’t your child’s father help out?

we had a situation where a member of staff was allowed to use annual leave to have 3 day weeks for a few months as she could not find childcare for all 5 days at the point she needed to return for financial reasons. Your colleague's situation may be similar.

I think it's ok to allow special arrangements for people in difficult situations, as long as it doesn't impact negatively on colleagues. But it can be difficult for HR to do this, because they will be accused of being unfair etc.
Seriously, if you push it, you won't get what you want but you will deter HR from accommodating other employees' specific needs in future.

but this had an impact on other staff and covering it was a pain

She discovered a loop hole and used it to her advantage

HR cottoned on, and have now said no

but this had an impact on other staff and covering it was a pain

^

Yup.

Most cost effective to have people in full time

I take it that they allowed if for your colleague, but have decided that it doesn't work for business to allow anyone to do that again.