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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask for more flexibility before accepting this job offer?

229 replies

Aabbaas · 14/07/2026 19:12

Have an offer from a company. Been in my role for years and I have lots of flexibility with my working hours which is key as I have a 5 year old DD and do school runs etc.

Role is hybrid: 2 days at home, 3 days in the office. Office is in a part of London which isn’t convenient for me and would mean commuting for 1 hr 45 min door to door.
Day starts at 8:30 to 5:30 but they have made it clear it’s busy so I think extra hours are expected.

I can only consider this role if they allowed me to work from home 3 days a week and start at 9am most days and theb leave at 4pm when in the office and do the pick up. Then I’d reconnect in the evening to finish work.
Is this an unreasonable request? It is what ai do with my employer but have earnt this flexibility over a long tenure and I appreciate a new company might think IABU.

Keen to hear thoughts

OP posts:
Milaomilao · 24/07/2026 10:33

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 18/07/2026 23:27

I don’t know why you’re surprised, it’s very normal in many places to enable people to have a good work life balance. The companies that insist it’s not possible will see their people vote with their feet. Where I work, productivity went up by 11% when flexibility and hybrid working was introduced. Businesses need to keep up with the changing ways of working or they’ll lose out.

Surprised, cos either wants it herself and can't, or wants presentism just cos "it's good to see and talk to people" (cos has no life of her own and uses office as social life, or is a dino-dictator boss who can only trust people are working when she watches them), or from a different era, or works in a sandwich shop or factory or something similar that requires physical presence and doesn't have enough imagination to think about how other jobs might function with flexibility...

Blagdoncobbles · 24/07/2026 13:21

Aabbaas · 17/07/2026 09:46

Update which I hope is helpful for some: they have agreed to my request. I will go in 3 days a week (I have found out there is a shortcut to get there in less time, more like 1 hr and 25 min) and they are ok with flexibility around school pick up. There are apparently also another couple of parents in the team with their own flexi working arrangements.
I have accepted the offer.
Sometimes in you don't ask you don't get!

Great up date and shows it's never too late to ask!

Anarchy99 · 24/07/2026 14:10

superspideysense · 15/07/2026 18:56

You’ve got a lot of posts!

you said non-parents pick up the slack. Assuming therefore that parents cause the slack.

apologies if I read it wrong. But your responses do come across as though you don’t agree with flexible working for parents.

You did read it wrong. I am in favour of flexible working for anyone who can

Anarchy99 · 24/07/2026 14:23

Milaomilao · 24/07/2026 10:33

Surprised, cos either wants it herself and can't, or wants presentism just cos "it's good to see and talk to people" (cos has no life of her own and uses office as social life, or is a dino-dictator boss who can only trust people are working when she watches them), or from a different era, or works in a sandwich shop or factory or something similar that requires physical presence and doesn't have enough imagination to think about how other jobs might function with flexibility...

Wow why would you make such assumptions about a PP ?

What a nasty post.

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