Work Issues

[Hope30]

I work in a department in which you have to work one Saturday in four (in contract). A new colleague joined the department and has said they are not working Saturdays due to childcare-which has apparently been accepted by management.

The majority of our team have children and childcare is a big issue for the Saturday working. We have never been offered the non working Saturdays and many of us have had to use paid leave to take the Saturdays off to facilitate childcare etc.
AIBU to think this is unfair to the rest of the department? Can this be escalated further?

You can put in a flexible working request to only work weekdays. They can reject it if it has too big an impact on the business.

She asked and she got- you might too!

Well she has done well negotiating what she wanted before accepting the role.

many of us have had to use paid leave to take the Saturdays off to facilitate childcare etc.

it’s one day in 4 weekends that you know you are working an 8hr (I presume) shift. It’s on you to organise childcare and not your works problem if you can’t.

Yes of course its not fair, some of the replies baffle me. I'd escalate it. If she can be given that why can't the current staff.

Which is why OP has posted. To see people's opinions on whether that's fair, to presumably escalate it and negotiate new terms for herself, no?

Yes it's unfair but you get what you negotiate, and what you can negotiate somewhat depends on the needs of the business at the time you're hired. If they need Saturday cover they obviously can't allow everyone to not work saturdays, but presumably in this case they decided it was worth hiring her even if she wouldn't.

Did you try and negotiate not working saturdays when you joined?

You can obviously try and negotiate the same for yourself, but you're in a weaker position since you're already there. Would you be willing to leave over it?

It’s fine to try and negotiate a better deal for yourself if working Saturdays is a problem. I would try to avoid coming from a whiny “it’s not fair” perspective though.

Thanks for the replies. When I joined it was non negotiable you must do Saturdays-this was the same as a colleague who joined within the last 6 months. It is a government job and we are all on the same contracts. I just meant escalate as in speak with manager and see if I would be allowed to do the same.

I would leave and get another job.

I would certainly ask, nothing to lose

Are they replacing someone? And if so does that mean you’d have to do more than one in four?

Or are they an addition and so managers feel able to not add them to the Saturday rota because you all fill it already? Which would seem unfair but logical.

Presumably because there then won't be enough staff to cover the Saturdays.

@anyoneforcustard1 Yes I understand this but we are all meant to be….

In our department everyone has the same contract. It has been widely discussed with management previously. I was asking for advice I’m not sure why this is turning into a back and forth.

I'd put a formal flexible work request in.

Don't mention that your colleague has managed to get Saturdays off, it sounds a bit petty but put a good case together in writing and submit.

I can see why everyone else who had to work Saturdays feels resentment but this isn't the new colleagues fault, its down to management and if you still get denied after the formal route, then you need to decide if this is the right job for you

She's managed to get such a contract somehow. Suggest you all pull your act together for a group discussion and request and do it properly.

You can only ask, although any change would have to be offered to everyone, not just parents.

You have to negotiate. It's really that simple. Well done that woman who said no quite frankly.

She might someone they really wanted on the team but she said no to the weekends and they had to adapt. Good.

As a lone parent I've hard to hardball the shit out of contracts over the years.

I know it isn’t fair but those of you who took the job did do knowing you had to work a Saturday every month.

She clearly renegotiated this requirement! If she is single - has no family or friends and relies on a nursery then it won’t be open on a Saturday

I assume she is doing something extra to compensate her not working on a Saturday