If my husband was a woman they wouldnt do this

[fernie3]

My husband works for a local council and has been there 3 years. They use flexitime.
For most of those three years he has been going in the main hours which start at 8:30. Since my daughter started school we have had a problem getting her to school and my son to his nursery at the same time.
She didn't get into her first two choices at school and so her school is further away from our house and in totally the opposite direction from our sons nursery. My son only goes two days a week and so on those days I have been taking my daughter to school and my husband has been taking my son to nursery then heading to work and staying later so that he works his hours.
Now he has been told that he is no longer allowed to use the flexitime like this and must go back to being there at 8:30. He works in IT and getting there later has no effect on anything else, he always works his required hours or more.
He has asked them why this has changed and told them the reasons why he would prefer to work the later hours but they have refused to agree to it for even one day. There is no nursery near to my daughters school and we just cant afford the breakfast club at either the nursery at the school and so the only other option is for me to walk my daughter to school (I could get a bus for the last 15 mins of the walk but would have to walk the rest anyway which makes paying for the bus a bit pointless) and then back to the nursery which would mean getting there at least an hour late and he would then only have 2 hours left until i had to pick him up again!.

AIBU to think that if my husband was a mother asking for flexible working times to drop kids off they would be more sympathetic?
We are trying to move my daughter to the school near us but so is everyone else who didnt get in so the chances are low!

I think its irrelevant tbh, but he is very lucky he works for a council as they cannot be seen to discriminate against anyone. He should first go to HR and if he gets no joy then he needs to go to his union.

If he is on a flexi contract (i.e. core hours, and then you arrive/leave in order to make up the day), then I can't see how they can tell him he 'has' to be in at 8.30 - that is changing his contract. He needs to check his contract and then go to HR.

What??? They must be nuts. Unless his core hours start at 8.30, surely they have no leg to stand on? But a lot of employers really don't like it if you actually USE the flexitime the way it's supposed to be. Time to bring in HR and perhaps a union? A friend of mine who has had persistent trouble with this found the union helpful (joined when the trouble started )

my sister works for the council on a flexi contract and she goes in at what time she fancies, unless she is on duty, or been asked nicely due to holidays etc. She also quite often works long hours and banks these up, so she very rarely has to work half terms etc. I wish I could get a job like hers.

Some flexitime is written into contracts as being at managers discretion ie it is a privilege rather than a right. This is to stop instances where eg a team of 6 they all like to start and finish early, for example, yet cover is required until 5.30.

He needs to have a read of his contract.

I also agree that they might be more accomodating if he were female, but not necessarily. It depends on the employer. Requesting flexible working patterns etc is not something they have to agree to, and often don't (bitter experience).

Are there any precedents in the organisation?

I say 1. check contract 2. check for precedents 3. prepare case for what he wants to do showing it doens't affect anyone 4. talk to manager again 5. talk to HR

Also try posting in the employment section there are a lot of knowledgable HR types over there