Meeting re flexible working coming up - want to be prepared

[lumpybits]

Hi. I have a meeting coming up re my flexible working request and I really want to be fully prepared. I am a PA and have requested a 4 day week with slightly shorter hours for 3 of those days and 1 longer day. I have offered to have a blackberry, be contactable on my mobile when not at work and to work from home in the evenings before my day off and on the day. I don't expect anyone else to pick up any of my role when I'm not in. What do you think my chances are? Unfortunately my boss is not particularly family friendly and had already mentioned to a colleague that he didn't expect me to come back! I have worked for the company for 3 years and was full time beforehand (with 1 dc).

I want to keep working there so would really like this request to be accepted. Do you think there is anything more I can add to the above to show my commitment to making it work? I have not yet mentioned a trial period - I thought I would save that one for the meeting.

Any help appreciated, thanks!

Good luck. It's impossible to say what your chances are. As you know your request will be assessed against the needs of the business and whether or not it can work for the business.

Length of service/ loyalty doesn't come in to it and shouldn't affect the outcome.

Be prepared. When I went in for mine I was expecting a bit of a chat but it was quite formal with notes being taken etc. I think they asked why did I want to change, why had I picked that pattern of work, how I would organize my workload so it was manageable etc. I would be careful of stating everything you list above (blackberry, working at home etc). Your work needs to realize you are reducing your hours and when you are not there you are not working. You only want them contacting you when you are off in an emergency not all the time.

Good luck!

You need to think of contingencies - 'What would happen if X happened at 4.30pm?' ie a time when you would have been at work but now won't be. Because that is the sort of thing your boss (especially if he's not that keen on the idea) will use to say that it isn't going to work.

And personally I think 4 days a week is the worst of all worlds - you get a 20% reduction in salary and benefits without a corresponding drop in workload (especially if you're going to get a load of calls etc on your day off). Have you considered working 4.5 days with the 1/2 day worked from home?

Thanks. I had thought about a 4.5 day week but in all honesty if I'm going to do that I may as well go back full time. I think the reality is that the request will be refused and I will have to go back full time anyway. I had though about splitting the day off over 2 days so that I don't have a full day off in one go. Maybe that could be another option. I suppose I just have to wait and see what happens next week. I'm not due to go back until September so I have plenty of time to sort things out.

Yes Wips is right. It is a formal process - your employers should keep it formal, in case of any grievance or complaint arising on either side relating to this in the future. It's a statutory right to request, so should be treated as formal.

Take your own notes too for future reference, if you can.