Surely my employer is being unfair? Is this quite common?!

[Hallaer]

I’m a (newly) single parent to an 8 month old. I’m due to go back to work in two months and have been discussing my return to work with my employer. I work in an office and sometimes from home. My child’s nursery closes at 6 and there is no way I can leave work at 5:30 to get there in time. I have asked to leave at 5 and start earlier and it’s been rejected. Is this normal? I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, just give up work?!

Oh and your ask is entirely reasonable and your employer is not.

Office should be making reasonable adjustments. What you've proposed sounds very reasonable.

Is there anyone above your line manager you can escalate this too?

I thought they had to try to make it work, not just say "no, coz no one else does".

While your company is likely being ridiculous, you have many other options beyond giving up work. They do not actually have to offer you flexibility.

you could change to a nursery with longer hours, choose one closer to work, hire a nanny, or hire someone to pick you child up from nursery.

For office work, unless you have something time sensitive going on between 5 and 5.30 then I don't really see what difference it makes what time you finish as long as you've done the number of hours you're supposed to by the time you leave, ie 9 until 5.30 or 8.30 til 5 with an hour for lunch, or 9 til 5 with 30 mins for lunch, it's effectively the same.

I’d definitely push for some flexibility. How unfair of them!

I believe they have to have a formal business reason to turn the request down. Eg your colleagues will have more work to pick up. Or customers will have to wait longer for a response. The fact that no one else in the team does it, is a reason for them to consider it, because it sounds like they have adequate cover.

I'd ask again in writing and explain the business reasons why you think it would work for the business (eg you will answer the phones if they ring just as the business is opening, you can organise work for the team for the day, you can open up and check x y and z or whatever) and ask that if they can't accommodate this very minor change (half a fucking hour) please could they detail the business reasons and business impact in writing so you can work together to overcome any concerns. If there is anything in the corporate bumf in their HR policies or website (eg 'we want our employees to have a great work / life balance' or they specify procedures for flexible working requests, then refer to these in the email (eg I understand that the company's ethos is to promote work life balance and this request will help with this because...)

Good luck

You can apply and they have to give good reasons why they cannot support you. Join a Union so you have some backup; if you can show willing and share pick ups with your ex husband/ partner that would look better.

This does seem very inflexible of them. Depends on the nature of your work. If you were a nurse the I wouldn't think this would be possible, but an admin type job should be fine.

Google Government flexible working. There's a list of reasons why an employer can refuse a request for flexible working. I'm not sure no one else does it is a reason for refusing.

Join a union if you haven't already, do this first.

Then put your request in formally in writing or as per the flexible working request.

The business has to give you an adequate and legitimate reason for declining the request as well as an appeals process too.

If this hasn't been done then you haven't used up one of your twice annual requests available.

No coz no one else does is not a legitimate reason legally.

Must try harder.

Start looking for another role now. They’ve shown you how they value you and working parents already.

You: I’ve had a baby!
Company: Congratulations - we’re going to punish you for it.

Have you tried asking to reduce your hours by half an hour each day if it’s not possible to start work earlier?
Good luck op.

We are all entitled to request flexible working that doesn’t mean that the employer has to accept. Maybe they don’t want to set a precedent.
@Hallaer I'm sorry you’re having to deal with this it makes returning to work more stressful than it needs to be. What if you reduce your hours by the 30 minutes daily that you need in order to collect your child on time?

Setting a precedent also not a legitimate business reason.

Requests should be considered on an individual basis.

OP should nof have to reduce hours 30 mins per day because her boss appears to be David Brent without a basic grasp of employment law (or just being a decent human).

While maternity is a protected characteristic, having a child is not a protected characteristic…..

The point is, regardless of “reason” has another employee(s) requested a different work pattern and been denied? You won’t know everyone’s personal business or requests. Employer doesn’t tell you another’s private business.

If there have been other requests, and valid denials that will be a consideration in your case.

I’m sure you will find out when you make a request.

They are stupid. Find a better company- mine allows us to go if we have to do emergency child related things and I leave earlier than 5 everyday to make my pickup and nobody cares. I don’t see why it should not be allowed, as long as it’s not affecting your work!

Great advice on here. Contact Pregnant Then Screwed

Saying nobody else does it is not good enough reason to deny your request.

Submit a proper formal request with correct wording.

You have left it a bit late to be requesting this in truth.

The simplest short term answer is to buy in some help. Not ideal, I know but a childminder pickup for an hour or similar. I'm not familiar with the latest employment law so can't comment on anything else. Could your ex help? Your child is their child too. Can you manage say 6 months by jigsawing care together while you look for a new job?

Absolutely I know ( as a former boss) you don’t discuss others arrangements but in declining a request a valid reason must be provided - not just no one else on the team does. If that’s the case an explanation i.e. our customer contact hours are xxxxx and this is actually our business hour or the day etc. etc. must be provided