to want different hours when returning to work after maternity leave?

[PrammyMammy]

I returned to work on Tuesday from ML. My hours before leave were Mon - Wed 10am-5.30pm.
My DCs are attending a nursery, which is close by my house, so about 50 minutes walk from my work, and because of the rush hour traffic, it is the same drive, but i dont drive so have to get the bus which is even longer.
So i simply can not make it down to pick them up in time, and the late pick up fee is £20.
I asked my manager if i could as of next Monday finish at 5pm, she said no, and even said it was 5.30 or i may aswell not be there, as she 'made allowances' for someone to work till 5.30pm when i was on ML, but that is the job she hired me to do.
There are usually 6 staff working and 3 finish at 4pm leaving 3 to finish up.

Is there any law or anything that i can use to support me or will i just need to RUN home.

There is no one else that can collect them either.
Their dads employer has changed his shifts for him so that he can have a Tuesday off to keep nursery fees down.

The law just states that they have to do every reasonable to accommodate your request unless there are business reasons that they can't...or something like that.

Are you proposing to start work earlier/skip some lunch/get paid less to compensate? Perhaps do a little research into how it would work and present her with it.

How late can you pick them up without incurring a fee?

If you have until 6.30 you should walk. A 50 min walk every day us great exercise and a great way to wind down after work.

i thought that by law, if you have children under 16, employers have to consider any request made for flexible working. Also thought that if they reject your request, they have to give detailed reasons why they cannot accomodate it. check this out

they don't legally have to change your hours. You can put in an official request, and if they refuse they have to give you a good reason why. I would try to come up with some solutions to their perceived problem with it before you start tbh......i.e can you start half and hour earlier/can you cut your lunch break/can someone else cover for you from 5-5.30/can you swap with one of the others who finishes at 4 (might be worth having a word with them to see if any of them would be willing?) etc etc.

Can I ask why this wasn't raised before you returned to work?

If they cannot accommodate your request is there any way you could use a nursery or child minder closer to your workplace? Or maybe get a bike?

Obviously i wouldn't expect to be paid for the half hour. I also offered to start earlier.
I only get 2 x 15 minute breaks every day, no lunch break, so if i was to work through my breaks i would have no break at all. But it is a better idea than getting £20 charge.
It is a £10 charge each anytime after 6pm, and £20 after half an hour, up to an hour.

have you made a proper application in writing? I had to apply several months before returning to work and set out the working patterns I was looking for and the effects it would have on the business.

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Flexibleworking/DG_10037051 Flexible working: making an application]]

Flexible working: making an application

Yeah i thought about a bike actually, but once i got to the nursery.. what would i do with it?
The two closer to my work are booked till Aug and Sept.

bike idea sounds the best!

thanks for that link, i will go look now.

hmm, how far is home from nursery, do you then walk with buggy?

ask at nursery if you can leave bike? get a trailer for kids?

You can't be late for the nursery - the staff need to go home and may have their own children to collect.

Make an official request for flexible working, get a bike and trailer, or find a babysitter to do the pick-up.

yeah i walk hme with buggy, about half an hours walk.
I don't know what i can do. My gran suggested she collects them and waits outside nursery, but she is in a wheelchair, and they are in a buggy, and i just couldnt accept that.

Soo i'll make an official application, and if that doesn't work then i'll probably need to not work there anymore.

I don't think you are allowed to give up your breaks as you legally havr to have them.

but they have to take request to change hours eg to start earlier seriously. what is the nature of the work? i agree though that this should have been discussed before you went back...

Can you ask one of the nursery nurses to take them home for you and wait til you get back - if you live close to the nursery then it may not be that far out of their way, and you could pay say £10.

why not see if there are childminders available - we have some making drop off/pick ups at our nursery.