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?

I would get another job OP if you can. They don't sound like very good employers. Life is too short to work somewhere like that. Xx

I’m kind of wondering if I can go to the GP regarding my mental health during the winter? To see if I can at least get some sort of reasonable adjustment until I have a new job.

Yes there are conditions like that but that's really none of ops business anyway

Do you have a mental health issue? Not sure why it would get you a reasonable adjustment

I believe I have seasonal affective disorder

You're not 'happily doing all the crap shifts' though are you? You're very unhappy about it. Also you're not doing it 'so 25 people get to work flexibly', the majority must have already been doing that.
You said in another post that you would offer to split the later finish 50/50 if a new member of staff started, I bet you wouldn't after this! You might find this is one of the reasons why no one is willing to step up now; they've done their time.

My advice is to find another job, or make peace with this.
If you stay don't waste your time thinking others are being unreasonable, you have no real idea of the reasons for their flexible working.
The holiday request thing seems unreasonable if it's only you who has to give 3 months notice and it's not in your contract. Push back on that.
Not being able to take breaks with colleagues or join the rest of the team for drinks etc could be construed as bullying. You're being excluded, all be it unintentionally. Raise this (though maybe keep the language light).
Remember this if/when they ask you to be flexible.
If a new starter joins remember how you feel now and work to make them feel part of the team, that's everyone's job.

Probably though, you should find something else. It's not what you thought it was going to be and you've given it enough time.

If you knew you wanted to finish earlier and discussed that in your interview, why did you wait 6 months to apply for the flexible working?

I think it would be unlikely they'd change your hours due to seasonal affective disorder as you'd still be going to work or coming home from work in the dark and it's going to look suspicious now you've had your flexible working request refused. They might just move your work area to be closer to a window.

Have a read of this - scroll down to how much notice you have to give of holidays.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/holidays-and-holiday-pay/taking-your-paid-holiday/
However, I'd also be looking for a new job. They sound like a crap employer.

Some people are being obtuse just for the sake of it. OP your employers are being massively unreasonable. Our company woukd never dream of making new starters or graduates pick up the shit jobs, I recently joined a new team and asked to start half hour earlier to finish half hour earlier, doing hours I was already used to working and it was granted no problem. Thays what flexability is and if they offered this during the interview then havent given it but everyone else does then you are being targeted. Your company are taking the piss out of you massively. 3 months notice, nobody else doing later hours and you being blamed if anything gets stolen proper is ridiculous.

Please look for another job these employers sound like idiots. Get out of there

Maybe talk to ACAS or citizens advice as this doesn't sound legal on so many levels.
Also check the work policies to check they they are being correctly followed.
Look for another job!

Oh bore off.

I personally think it's a reach to consider seasonal affective disorder a disability but I'm not a employment law judge so 🤷

How would finishing earlier help anyway?

You are not being unreasonable. I think you should appeal and suggest a reasonable way of covering until 5 such as trialing certain days or sharing the responsibility, maybe you could come up with an illness that prevents you from doing until 5 and ask for reasonable adjustment. Why can’t they trial it?

Ok thanks for explaining. It's a shame and you may not see them but they must have their reasons. They need someone to take those messages. And I guess someone could walk in.

If it doesn't suit I guess you need a new job.

Hi OP I think I would speak to acas if I was you. Having 1 person who has to work by different rules around working hours, annual leave, appointments, break timings etc to the other 25 people who do a very similar job sounds like discrimination (eg if you're younger than everyone else), they are failing in their duty to protect your health safety and welfare at work by not having a line working policy that prevents or identifies if you're ill or injured at work when you're by yourself, and running a system where everyone but (the same each time) person is excluded from all work related social events is bullying.

So nothing that would require a reasonable adjustment then. I don’t think that would work at all. But the place sounds like a nightmare anyway so hopefully you manage to find something else quickly

Absolutely not.

That's what insurance is for.

You need to get out of there.

I think the focus on denying your request to change your working hours is a red herring.
You need to immediately email them formally for clarification of the things they’ve told you.

1. that they require you to give 3 months notice to request leave but this is not stated in your contract of employment & ask them to confirm that this is the same rule for other staff members.
2. that despite being the most recent hire of only 6 months you are required to be completely alone in the office from 3.30pm until 5pm. You therefore require a copy of the Lone Worker Risk Assessment.
3. Also that they require you to secure the building on your own every evening and that if there is a break in etc that they will hold you legally responsible for replacing anything stolen.

They are breaking all sorts of employment laws here and this should cause them to change their stance on you being the only one working to 5pm so you must challenge them in writing on this!

You've already been denied annual leave for Christmas...in October?

You’ll always get the black-and-whiters on here who refuse to recognise nuance. Yes, they are your contracted hours but at interview they sold flexibility to you. It sounds like you have quite a social office - you are excluded from this which is isolating. You have sole responsibility for the last 1.5 hours - probably not explained at interview and again isolating, and potentially unsafe.
3 months AL notice is the cherry on the cake.

You can tell a lot about a company by how they treat junior staff. Start looking elsewhere.

Ummm no you don’t do 24/7, you work to five.

its unfair to all the others who have had their hours contractually agreed to be changed.

Sorry OP you sound rather entitled as you can’t seem to grasp why the business would say no.

If you have only been in the job 6 months and aren’t happy with the hours as explained when you accepted the job and they need someone for those hours then you cant make them change someone else’s preagreed hours just because you are jealous. When companies advertise for new people they often start with unpopular hours. If you stay you may be able to change your hours if staff change in the future otherwise you look gor a job with the hours you really want

Also discount this if not helpful but I’ve found in 2 previous roles when requesting flexible working and being denied and then asking too many questions/ appealing that I rocked the boat too much and it became an awkward working environment for me and I’ve ended up looking around for something more suitable. It may turn a bit hostile if they are not that willing to support you and you push them into a corner even though it is your right to have a supportive workplace and good working conditions and environment.
if you love the job then tread carefully so you still feel you’ve got options rather than feeling like you need to leave.

Was this before or after you out in the request for earlier hours to have more productive evenings?

They work it out in September. Ask everyone to submit it and then they work to try and get everyone as much of what they’ve asked for as possible. I was essentially told not to bother asking because it wouldn’t be done. I asked for an early finish on Christmas Eve and was told there was no way it would be able to happen.