To be annoyed that my flexible working request has been turned down

[workisanightmare]

I requested to change my hours from 9-5 to 8:15-4:15. It just suits my day better and would make my evenings more productive.

it has been turned down because I need to cover until 5, because my colleague can’t due to health issues. AIBU to be a bit annoyed about this?

This is the problem with flexible working someone else always gets thrown under the bus and has to pick up the slack
thing is OP was quite happy to finish early which by default leaving the late section of the working day for someone else to cover

but now OP is the one left covering other people’s chunk of late finishes it all of a sudden unfair

This sounds incredibly unfair.

They sold you a flexible role at interview, but in reality, they are rigid that you must work until 5pm.

All of your colleagues are allowed to work an earlier shift pattern.

Out of 25-30 colleagues YOU are the ONLY one who HAS to work until 5pm.

You are a young lone female, being left to lock up and leave in the dark over winter on an industrial estate.

They are telling YOU and ONLY YOU to give 3 MONTHS notice for annual leave.

They are absolutely taking the piss. They are a complete joke. Definitely look for a new job. I'm not sure what you're qualified for but there will be lots of seasonal retail work going if you fancy doing that as a stop gap for a few months.

OP was happy to share/have the finishes on a rota basis.

I’ve not suggested it yet and I’m tempted to. It’s such a horrible estate to walk on in winter, people come and play boy racer and it’s a dodgy area of town. I’m really not happy

I'm no hr expert and don't claim to be but a lot of companies are under the misconception that employees have no choice. Hopefully op will find another job that treats her fairly and gives her the same opportunities they seem to be giving to every other member of staff. Surely if they claim to be an equal opportunities employer they would at least look at the option of a rota. That's what happened with me when I was constantly left on my own. That just came from management though, I didn't complain as I was just doing the hours I had agreed to

You’ve not worked there in winter yet? The estate will be the same no matter what time you finish

It’s rough at the best of times. I live around here, everyone knows how bad it is.

They cant do this though. Once a c company agrees on a flexible working pattern, that employee has the contractual right to those hours. So if the only other person already has a contractual working pattern which enables her to finish early for health related reasons then the employer is stuck with that and can't suddenly take it away and introduce a rota just because someone else comes along and has taken a job with unsuitable hours for them.

Nobody should take a job with hours they cannot/will not work since there is no guarantee at all that they will be able to change them.

This company is not a good fit for you. You can either expend a lot of time and energy trying to force them to change or you can put that same time and energy into finding something better.

Of course they can change hours, any job can.

My issue isn’t the hours. When I took the job I was under the impression that it was a 9-5 with some degree of flexibility - I.e. the ability to work early one or two days a week and leave early. I was told in my interview that they would absolutely be able to accommodate my desire for flexible working, which I explained to them then and there. They said it wasn’t a problem. I’ve arrived and it’s a totally different situation.

You’re not there 24/7 though? You’re there til 5pm ?
24/7 is lates , earlies, nights.

I just meant everyday.

That’s rubbish , they can’t do that.

YANBU

• to be disappointed they rejected the requsst
• to feel misled if they oversold you about flex

YABU

• to think a 5pm finish is a late
• to suggest you are 'targetted'
• to not ask for your flex prior to starting/signing your contract

Update your CV find something else.

Good luck with the job hunt, hopefully you quickly find something that suits and where you are appreciated.

Fair play. Just ask. But I wouldn't be trying to go down the disability discrimination route.

I’m not HR but AFAIK requests for flex working do not require the applicant to give reasons, just address the business case which I think is correct. I would imagine most people volunteer the info but I don’t think you have to. Who’s to judge one persons reason “worthiness” compared to another’s. Also some applicants would wish to keep the reasons private.

Hi
i I haven’t had time to read all of the replies but I would suggest appealing on 2 grounds. 1) the length of notice for holidays, this is not reasonable, the expectation should be double the amount of time you want off, as reasonable. You can’t give 3 months notice for a few days and 2) maybe put in the appeal that you would consider 2 days a week rather than 5 to allow you some flexibility. I would also come down heavy on the policy side for holiday and lone worker. A senior member do the team should be covering this off. Put in some concerns about this and Health and Safety

I guess you can try and appeal. Can you request their interview notes? Email whoever made this decision and xx in the people who did the interview. But as you said it probably won’t go anywhere but at least you tried. It may also cause such animosity that you leave anyway.

I have to lock up, turn off all lights etc. it’s down to me and it’s been made clear if there’s a break in etc then they’ll be looking to me to replace anything taken.

That is just fly. Genuine question: are you sure they're a legit business?

Seriously, get some advice. Or just leave.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable that you have been denied flexible working because others have had already had there hours contractually approved. You working 3:30pm to 5pm is now a business need as no one else works thoughs hours.

What Is wrong is that you have to give more notice of annual leave requirements compared to other members of staff. And that your expectations during the interview process was not managed appropriately. I think you can argue against the annual leave notice but unless you have something in writing about mentioning you can finish early you haven’t got a leg to stand on.

Expecting you to replace anything if there's a break in is ridiculous. Look for another job ASAP. When you get one, give in your notice on the last day you can according to contract and then for your last few days, get signed off sick. Make them scramble to deal with the problem they've created.

OMG, that's awful.

You need to be looking for another job, but in the meantime, do check the ACAS website as there are many practices in your workplace that could be construed a bullying and exclusion if you are never invited to go to social events after work because you are the only person who has to work until 5.30 pm.

Do they have a lone working policy? What steps have they taken to ensure your safety? If there isn't one, you should speak to ACAS about this and maybe join a union.

I saw in an earlier post that if you go to the doctor's during work time, you need to stay until 7.30 pm. Does this apply to your colleagues, or only to you?

In that case, I cannot understand why you’re surprised/-affronted that the answer was no…

5pm finish is pretty standard for a job so it’s not really that much of a hardship is it? How far is your commute home? That said, it seems bonkers everyone has been agreed to finish at 3.30. I guess your flexibility starts when someone else joins, and hopefully you’ll be kind enough to share the late finishes and then hopefully others will also start to do it. I guess if they’ve already agreed their requests, hard to go back. But raise with your line manager during a 1-2-1 meeting.