Changing hours of work

[smidge1717]

Hi everyone

I am 31 + 5 and put in a request to work to shift my hours from 830-5 to 730-4, just so I can avoid the awful traffic that builds up in the city and get home quicker. I also said I would be flexible and stay late if this is required at last notice as this can sometimes happen.

I usually am in work for 730 anyway just because I like to avoid traffic in the morning--if I were to get in for 830 I wouldn't even get much more time at home as traffic is so bad.

Anyways work have rejected my request stating they need to make sure there is appropriate cover; which is silly as from 4-5 I am rarely required urgently,-- I work in education....and as previously stated if needed I would stay.

Not sure what to do as I feel it would have really helped if I could have finished at 4 and I have read so many things from women saying that their work were happy to change their hours--- it's not like I was asking to reduce them!

Can I geta drs note, will they have to change my hrs if I get one??

I don't want to cause problems with work but I do feel in this instance they have been unfair.

Thanks ladies

Have you consulted your work place's policy on maternity and pregnancy? They should have one and within it should be a section on risk assessment. I find it astonishing that your work can be so awkward. It may be down to one or two manager's ignorance.
Have a look for that and consult your midwife for her to make a recommendation and then get that on a doctor's note.

I have been allowed to work when I want since day one. I am now 38 weeks and do less hours but still on full pay.

Your employer is responsible for your and your unborn child's welfare. If that's jeopardises you could sue the arse of them.

Get fighting!

Hang on a moment. You haven't actually explained her why you want to change your hours. From what you've said, you'd just like a smoother, quicker journey. Being pregnant doesn't give you a right to that, so if that is how you've expressed it to the manager they might well have treated it at face value.

Where they have an obligation to help you is risk assessment and health and safety. There may well be reasons in this area why your request should be considered seriously, but you haven't stated them here. Have you done so to your manager? Because, if not, that's the first step.

Finally, your employer isn't actually responsible for "your and your unborn child's welfare" as a pp phrased it. That is stating it too strongly. They are responsible for a risk assessment and complying with health and safety. Which is a bit different.

I did explain to my manager that I have been experiencing pain in my hips and back which I have been risk assessed for so the least amount of time I sit in a car the better. Also means I can get home earlier so I'm not quite as exhausted as I have been. My manager is more than fully aware of the issues I have had

Ok, so if you have explained the medical issues it's time to escalate it to whoever is above him/her. Are they any good?

Well it was my managers and the heads (work in educations) decision so it couldn't go any higher... I'm going to chat to another manager who carried our risk assessment to see if I can get their advice. I don't like causing a fuss it's just it really would have helped and I was more than willing to be flexible

If you are in education I presume you are in a union? Maybe worth a chat with them?

Thanks for advice :-)

I hope it works out. Unions can be pretty good, or totally rubbish. Hopefully you have a tactful and engaged one who can get it sorted for you with minimum fuss

I don't think they are being unfair, and the fact that you already choose to come in at 7.30 has no bearing on the decision.

Unfortunately they don't have to change it because you're pregnant and a doctors note will make no difference. You made a request, they declined it. As long as they have a sufficient business case for doing so then unfortunately there's not really anything you can do.

Business case isn't relevant at all in these circumstances. That's applied when considering a flexible working request.

Below is the relevant layman's summary of the rules from Gov.uk:

^"Health and safety for pregnant employees

When the employee tells their employer they’re pregnant, the employer should assess the risks to the woman and her baby.

Risks could be caused by:
heavy lifting or carrying
standing or sitting for long periods without adequate breaks
exposure to toxic substances
long working hours

Where there are risks, the employer should take reasonable steps to remove them - eg, by offering the employee different work or changing their hours.

If the employer can’t remove any risks (eg by offering suitable alternative work) they should suspend the employee on full pay."^

Would they allow something like 930 - 6 instead? So cover was there at the end of the day?

As penguin said, it's all about reasonableness. If they need cover then that's not unreasonable and not connected to your pregnancy.

Yes you can get a doctors note which they have to abide by. My work turned down my request for shift changes. I went to see my gp and said I was struggling with exhaustion and working until 8.30pm and the gp wrote on the note she wanted me to finish no later than 5.30pm. I was also having bad MS in the evenings which I think was linked to tiredness. I had to work more days to meet my hours but I was prepared to do this because I couldn't cope with getting home at 9.30pm and working 12.5 hr shifts. Work sent me to see occupational health because of the sick note and they agreed with the gp so my unit had to go with it.