Is this cheeky to ask in new job?

[Cheepcheepchirp]

Nearly 3 months into a new job. I’ve almost completed my training and so far feedback has been very positive. I’ve been a SAHM for last decade and I’m dreading school holidays and not being able to spend it with my kids. I didn’t realise they’d still want to spend as much time with me!
I do 3x 8-5.30, plus 6 hours (when kids are in bed). I’ve planned eldest DC doing their own thing and youngest in holiday club those 3 days but I’d much rather work 2 long days, just for the summer hols.
I would take it unpaid (prefer not) and only have a couple days AL left.
Am I cheeky to ask and if not, what can I suggest?

you can ask but they’ve every right to say no
as a working parent you need to sort childcare in advance and with the agreement of your employer
do you have a partner?
you’re already working flexibly

Depends what the job is and how it would impact on your colleagues.

After 3 years I would ask, after 3 months I wouldn't to be honest. Maybe sit this one through and wait until the next summer holidays.

This.

It simply wouldn’t be workable if you had my job for example, it would place too much pressure on colleagues to pick up your slack and the company wouldn’t allow it. But if you have a job where it wouldn’t impact business or colleagues then you might get away with asking if you offered to do it unpaid to make up for the inconvenience.

Honestly, I’d be very unimpressed if you were my direct report. At 3 months you’re still very much being assessed - are you still on probation? I’d rather not work during school holidays too (I’m FT), I’m sure most parents find school holidays hard, but it’s what you sign up to unfortunately. Christmas is hard as a working parent too as inevitably, there will be some days you’ll have to work, when you’d rather not.

3 months in I wouldn’t, are you still in probation. You work 3 days so 4 days off with dc. That’s a good balance. Easy to swap childcare with another mum so she’ll have yours one day and you take hers on your day off some weeks. You could book a few days annual leave too.

If this is a long term gig, I wouldn’t ask unless you have to. I don’t think they’ll say yes anyway, but I also think it’ll annoy them - if this is what you wanted you should have said so up front, raising it now does come across as ditsy. You are only doing 3 days a week, so you can spend a lot of time with them. in a couple of years time, then I’d ask.

How on earth can you fit an extra 9 hours into 2 days? It sounds like you are already working 11 hours days -ish?

You've started a new job with contracted hours. Book annual leave if you need it off.

Thing is, I’m sure there are lots of other parents at your work who would like to change their rota over the summer holiday and who probably had their requests in as soon as the holiday book opened at the start of the year. I think a) it’s unlikely to be granted so b) might not go down too well with your boss as you’re still in probation and c) if it is granted will put some noses out of joint. I’d suck it up this year, see how the land lies generally and see if it’s possible to change for next year. I know it’s tough but it’s something that all working parents have to balance, tbf.

You still have 4 days of the week to spend with them! Do something nice on those days.

Honestly I think it’s pretty cheeky. If they wanted someone to work two days, that’s the job they would have advertised. I manage people and this would just make life harder for everyone else - although I guess it does depend what your job is.

I'm sure if you think about it...

Week 1 - Pull x1 sickie
Week 2 - Say DD picked up your bug and you need to be home unpaid
Week 3 - x1 day annual leave
Week 4 - x1 day annual leave
Week 5 - do your normal weekly hours
Week 6 - your other dc has a sick bug

Flame away everyone, but you cant sack someone for taking x2 days off to look after DC and being sick once themselves in 6 weeks.

However - I will say that you will need to be VERY careful on these days. Don't be stupid and take them on a day out on these days, because if you're caught you're fucked. Use that as your stay home and chill day.

Also you'll need to really good at not taking sick days or being off with sick kids for the next few weeks unless your/their arms are falling off.

After only 3 months, and especially if in probation, an employer can sack someone for pretty much any reason they fancy- really bad advice.

I wouldn't be impressed if you worked on my team.

You're only there 3 months, hours agreed to at the time and you want to change them already in such a short space of time.

I'd be telling my employee that the dad can look after the children too!
OP if you ask, you'll find out, but I suspect not as it sets a precedent and all the parents would have the right to ask and get too so it's unlikely IMO. Honestly, do your job and parent on the days you're not working

Sorry but the summer holidays can’t be that much of a surprise. My dc break up in less than 2 weeks, that’s not enough notice at all to mess them around. Make the most of the days you have off and do meaningful things with your dc.

DH works abroad and isn’t due back till oct. I don’t need childcare, that’s sorted, it’s more a case of wanting to spend time with the kids (go away overnight etc) which I didn’t expect they’d want to do this year as the older ones are, well, older! I work Monday, Weds, Friday (plus the 6 hours of an eve) and wondered about dropping the Monday or Friday to give us a few days together but yes I did wonder if it’s cheeky to ask so soon and also so close to the summer hols!!
Someone suggested unpaid parental leave but that’s after you’ve been in a job for 12 months I believe.

I think it’s a bit off particularly given you’re still training - I’d be ok with a well established staff member asking but not someone just in the door.

Can you ask to work Monday, Tues and Weds instead?

Don’t present it as how you’ve just described it as that will not go down well. You’re basically asking to work less to have more holidays as childcare isn’t an issue? No, not a good idea.

You have 4 days with them thats more then most we all have to work. You cant always just do what you want sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

It very much depends on your employer and precedents already set. Is there anyway you can find out how flexible they are without causing alarm? In my sector this request would not be received negatively at all but I’d want to find out a bit more before making a formal request. Are you customer facing and how much of an impact will it have on the rest of the team? If I was your manager I would be empathetic and try my best to accommodate you and the same goes throughout my organization. I hope you get a good outcome.

If you've been there only 3 months how do you only have a couple of days a/l left?
Sorry op... Most parents would like to be able to spend more of the school holidays with their kids. It's the holidays in 2 weeks and I will have 2 weeks off with mine (the 2 days with them for Oct and Feb half term)... Some employees may be more flexible than others but with 2 weeks notice and during your probation (if you are), not a great look.
Mon, Weds, Fri isn't an ideal work pattern though, as you say it doesn't give you much time to go away for short trips. Might they be open to letting you change your working days?

I can't see them letting you squeeze what's effectively a 33 hour week into 2 days. Three days is the best any employer I've had would offer.

Even more unlikely since you've barely got your legs under the table..

They can let her go during her probation if they perceive her to be unreliable.