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Original poster

Moving to part time hours after maternity - boss' email

28 replies

Gigi89x · 07/12/2023 14:50

Im currently on maternity leave, returning in feb 2024.

Iv been trying to arrange my move full time to part time (4 days per week)

Before signing the change in hours i asked my new boss (who was appointed whilst i was on maternity) if i can in future move back to full time hours. Im not sure yet when this would be, iv never been part time or been back from maternity before.

His reply - "I was waiting for HR to respond, we have no policy in place on returning to full time hours after a period of reduced hours, returning to full time would be based on a review at the point you requested it"

Can anyone tell me if this sounds reasonable or not? I was expecting to be able to return back to my normal hours

Any advice would be appreciated :-)

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Nejnej · 07/12/2023 14:54

I think it sounds reasonable tbh, I wouldn't expect them to guarantee it for an unspecified amount of time and there may be changes to in the business/other new staff members etc that change things?

DaughterNo2 · 07/12/2023 14:54

Sounds perfectly reasonable imo

strawberry2017 · 07/12/2023 14:56

If you reduce hours then they may use the hours you no longer want to increase someone else's hours or hire someone else to do them so they can't promise you them back.
Totally reasonable.

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Caffeineneedednow · 07/12/2023 14:57

I think that's reasonable. In my department a return to full time would only be possible if the hours and funding were available and even then would be subject to review and sometime interview for those hours. ( there are people in my office currently on part time flexible contracts trying to increase hours of secure contract)

Rjahdhdvd · 07/12/2023 15:02

Yes that’s normal as the hours that you’re no longer working will be moved somewhere else so you can’t guarantee of getting them back

Beamur · 07/12/2023 15:04

Yes, quite normal and reasonable. They're not saying no, they're saying it depends on the circumstances.

Ponderingwindow · 07/12/2023 15:06

They may not need additional staffing at the time you want additional hours. You will have to wait until the company has a business need for you to do more work. It’s not unreasonable. They won’t have budgeted to pay you, they will have allocated the money across a staff pool that is available to complete assorted tasks.

Butterfly44 · 07/12/2023 15:06

They have to set a budget and there's no guarantee you can move back to FT after going PT. You can ask at the time you feel ready to go back, and they can review, but they can't say yes now to a request at some point in the future. It might be a different picture financially or they feel you do your role in PT well and no need for FT after all. Lots of factors but largely same in any organisation

LucyInTheParkWithDragons · 07/12/2023 15:06

Yes, they can’t commit to changing things at an unknown point in the future.

AlltheFs · 07/12/2023 15:06

At my employer you have no right to resume full time or former hours. They are very good at statutory flexible working requests generally- but once you accept part time hours your full time hours are lost (usually allocated as savings or used to create another post).

You can make a formal request again after 12 months but it may not be accepted.

We sometimes agree temporary reductions in hours, but not often and the flip side
is that at the end of those you have no right to continue it. So it’s a risk either way.

WYorkshireRose · 07/12/2023 15:09

Think about it from the company's perspective. If you come back part time and still do the job effectively, what need is there for them to give you back your full time hours? Your boss's response is perfectly reasonable.

Basicthings · 07/12/2023 15:15

Entirely reasonable and standard.

Deedee37 · 07/12/2023 15:15

I think you’d need to return to full time after maternity if you want to have a guarantee, it’s not reasonable to expect them to reserve these hours for you for an indefinite time.

Guibhyl · 07/12/2023 15:18

Yes they’re allowed to do this. It’s more likely that you’d be accepted to return to full time hours after a specified amount of time eg I would like to initially work 4 days per week and then after 6 months increase back to full time. Then the business can plan for this. But they can’t just guarantee you the option to go back to full time indefinitely. That would be really hard to plan for. If you definitely need full time hours at some point then I’d make this part of your request as per my example.

LIZS · 07/12/2023 15:19

Reasonable. You can't have it both ways really. It will be assessed on business needs at the time you asked.

DuploTrain · 07/12/2023 15:22

If you move to part time it’s a permanent change to your contract. So no they wouldn’t be able to guarantee that you could increase your hours at some point in the future.

If you only wanted to do part time for 6 months or something then you could ask if they can make it a temporary arrangement with a specific end date. But in general it’s a permanent change.

neleh87 · 07/12/2023 15:22

I asked to return part time initially, then full time in September 24 (I'm a teacher) and got a similar response about asking HR. Anyway, it was approved! You can only ask!

SunshineAndFizz · 07/12/2023 15:22

Yeah sounds fair, there's no way they can commit to anything now as they have no idea what the circumstances will be in the future.

Lougle · 07/12/2023 15:22

Flexible working requests, when agreed, make a formal change to your contract that you can rely on at a tribunal. Your employment terms change to state your new hours. That means that if you want to change your hours again, you need to formally change your contract. If the company doesn't have a need for the extra hours, they can decline.

Bumble84 · 07/12/2023 15:23

As others have said, totally normal. It also protects you from them being able to tell you that you must come back full time as you’ll have had a change to your contract.

Original poster

Gigi89x · 07/12/2023 15:32

Thanks all for the helpful info as always!! :-)

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Whataretheodds · 07/12/2023 15:32

What's the minimum time you'd want to do 4 days per week (0.8 fte, presumably)?

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 07/12/2023 15:37

You can't reduce your hours and just expect your employer to hold your full time post open for you indefinitely! If you decide that you want to go back to FT, it will only be possible if your employer chooses to offer you that option.

Surely this is just common sense, isn't it?!

Sparthan · 07/12/2023 15:41

If you give up your job (or part of your job) which is then given to someone else, you can’t have it back. You can ask and maybe they’ll have extra hours available, and maybe they won’t. Surely that’s just common sense?

Original poster

Gigi89x · 07/12/2023 15:42

Im the manager of the team, we work on projects. So the work i do for each will either have to take longer due to my 1 day off a week, or give to one of my direct reports. Thats why i was expecting to be able to go back to FT.

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