Flex work request

[treeteips]

I was working four days a week since I went back to work after my 16 year old was born. I was given the job of team leader and after 18 months of a demanding job I want to work a 9 day fortnight. Same hours just one rest day.

It's been refused due to business needs and Because all management above work 9 days and my team keep on leaving/not passing probation.

Aibu in thinking it's wrong

It sounds like they need a manager around everyday to supervise and if others are already doing a 9 day fortnight they can decline on business need unfortunately.

My mNager hasn't submitted hers yet but she will when we are at full staff (she started a year ago)
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If your team keep leaving/not passing probation then something is going wrong and now isn't the time for you to move to that kind of flexible work pattern. Working full time hours across 9 days a fortnight can work brilliantly if other people aren't relying on you but that isn't the situation you are in if your team isn't thriving. Asking for that flex really makes it look like your priority is to try to maximise your time off work without taking a financial hit, rather than solving whatever problems are causing there to be such troubles in your team.

So if you were doing the same hours you'd effectively be dropping one hour a day on the days you currently do to add an extra day, is that right?
Presumably they find it easier to cover you for a whole day than one hour every day., and can't leave the hour uncovered if there's problems in the team

I've got three staff and one left as he didn't pass probation and I extended it. One just didn't like me/the job. One has been in the company 5 years. One has been there 8 months.

I didn't realise the probation person would quit. Not my fault he's not passing probation

If you're someone's line manager and they either quit or don't pass probation, you are at least 50% of the reason why. It is your job as manager to motivate, upskill and inspire your team, ensure they feel rewarded and valued, and provide them with stretch opportunities as their skills begin to outgrow their role. If you are saying it's not your fault it makes it sound like you haven't been doing this and haven't done any thinking about what you could have done better. Have you done any actual management training or did you just get given the manager's job on the basis of long experience being a team member?

I'm the team leader not manager

I'm a bit confused as to whether you are working 8 full time days over 9 day (so shorter days than normal) or 10 full time days over 9 (so longer days than normal; a compressed hours format). I've often seen management do the latter, but they also tend to log in on their "off day", so the fact that management is doing this, doesn't really set a precedent.

It's also not clear whether your new role is intended to be full time, or they are happy for you to work 8 days a fortnight. I can see a business reason for wanting you there 10 days a fortnight if the role is full time, but not so much if you are spreading 8 days over 9 (which sounds like an advantage).

It's a full time job 5 days a week
I worked for the company 15 years doing 4 days, normal hours not compressed.
I want to work 9 days in 10, normal hours.

Sorry I was confusing.

The head works 9 days (same salary). My manager wants to submit the same flex working request.

Sorry, I think I'm more confused now. In your OP you say you will be working the same hours but over 9 days instead of 8. But this post suggests going from 8 days of say 9-5 to 9 days of 9-5. If that's right, then i think it's mad for your manager to turn that down as you are picking up an extra day a fortnight and bringing yourself more in line with the managers who are all also doing 9 or 10 days.

It's been refused due to business needs and Because all management above work 9 days and my team keep on leaving/not passing probation.
Aibu in thinking it's wrong

Nope, not wrong. Yes, as a manager it is in you if people don’t pass probation. Either the wrong hire, or sub-par management. It’s definitely not the time to ask to decrease your days!!!

So you want to increase your hours (and pay)? They can refuse if they don’t see a business need for that surely?

Sorry dyslexic.

I used to work 4 days out of 5 (20% reduction in income).

Now I want to work 9 days out of 10 (but get paid the same, so increase my hours per day).

No I just want the same pay and hours, but less days

I think the OP has been offered a full time (10 days a fortnight) job and has made a part time request to only work 9 of the 10 days. She currently works part time for 8 days a fortnight.

I assume it's been rejected because they want the team leader to be present every day, whereas that wasn't so important for a team member.

I suspect that the more senior managers have jobs that don't require them to be so physically present, or are actually doing the odd bit of work from home on their day off.

(I cross posted with you, so see you are actually looking at compressed hours, not part time, but the point about not being there for one day still stands).

I am still confused 😕

so you currently work 4 days 9-5 so 28 hours a week?

how is working a 9 day fortnight less days/same hours?

as pp suggested, have you been offered a full time job role and want to do it over 9 days? If so, it feels reasonable for them to want someone on site every day, especially if your team aren’t very strong.

So based on all the updates, I "think"

1. OP currently works part time, 4 days a week 9-5 (say). She gets paid accordingly
2. She's been offered a promotion to Team Leader - this is a full time job
3. OP doesn't want to go from working 4 days a week to working 5 days a week.
4. She's requested a compressed hours format where she works 10 full time days over 9, so getting full time pay, but a day a fortnight off
5. Many of her managers already work this compressed hours format
6. Her flexible working request has been turned down. OP thinks this is unfair.

My conjecture

1. Team Leader is a job that needs someone physically there 10 days a fortnight, so doesn't lend itself to a compressed hours format, in the way that the managers' jobs do

My actual useful advice

1. If OP disagrees she can make a counter proposal as to how she thinks it's possible to do the job as compressed hours. Although that should have been in her original request, so she might have nothing to add.

If this is right I agree - can OP confirm?

No wonder your team aren't passing probation, if you give instructions and lead the way you have confused people on this thread, the issue is you!

I think OP currently works full time since she got the TL position. 18 months ago? She worked 4 days/week before that.

Now she wants to work longer hours/day to have 1 day off a fortnight, but still be full time/100% pay.

This was way too complicated to understand.

I think she preciously worked part time 4 days for a long time. Then was promoted and increased to full time 5 days a week. No wants to work full hours, but compressed to 9 days out of 10.

I agree with others that if people are leaving / not passing probation then as a team leader you need to be putting the work in to figuring out why and fixing it. A new hire, correctly hired, supported and trained should pass probation except very very rarely and as well as the people you discuss having quickly left you would need to think about why their predecessors left - maybe one was your promotion.

It doesn’t really work for team leaders they lose a full days cover and output yet only gain 1/2 extra at the end of each working day

The team can ask my manager for support on that day.

I want a rest day

It's my staffs fault they want to leave or don't pass

I don't think that can be assumed.

It sounds as if your desire for a rest day doesn't accord with your company's perception of business need.