Where do i stand help please on wkg hrs

[feelforcedout]

Right i have a permanent contract for 20 hours in my post i have been in 5 yrs, for the last 10 months i have temporarily reduced my hrs to 17.5 hours, my dd starts school sept so this wek they have asked if i want to keep my temporary arrangements and make them permanent - as dd will be at school ft i planned to go back to my original hours working the same hrs i am working now and making the hours up by doing an extra day every other week. Basically they have said no way and then when i said ok i will make current arrangements perm they then decided no way on that too and that i am to work 2 longer days and a half day and thats that. I am absolutley gutted and have 15+ years service with the organisation, through my hrly reviews we have had every 3 months it has always been said the arrangement is working well so im confused why it cant continue with them getting me in a bonus extra day ! They have also recently taken away our flex time with no consultation and i feel it all a squeeze out situation. I work in the public sector. Do i ahev a leg to stand on or do i just resign ? I really have no one else to take my children to and from school to enable me to work a longer day.

I'm a bit unclear what's happened here.

Basically, your contract (which is not just what is written down, but also what happens in practice) is not just about the hours you work, but the pattern. If yours was a temporary reduction in hours, you could probably go back to your old hours and pattern. However, it would depend what was agreed about the circumstances where it could change back - was it a date, or an event, or what.

So you don't have any right to just say you want to go up to 20 hours and then pick when you'll work those hours I'm afraid. The only exception would be if you've always had the right to pick your hours, which I assume isn't the case.

They wont let me go back to my old pattern and hours because i started too early they say even though it was agreed on appointment that could only take job if these hrs were agreeable which they agreed too, they agreed to my temp reduction to be reverted september or earlier if mutually agreed and as now spetember is coming i have said id like to revert to my permanent hrs . They wont let me go to old pattern so i suggested i started slighly later (allowing me to drop of my child at school) i really dont want to have to put my child in breakfast club from his first day or any days for that matter and putting both in bfast club anyway would cost me £18 a week which is more thasn id be paid for the xtra hours i will be revertig to arghhh. Now they are withdrawing the offer to make my reduced hrs a permanent arrangement. Th service is not affected at all , i am the only part timer in a team of about 12 and the manager makes it kown part timers are a pita.

Being PT you have the same rights as a FT worker, and you have caring responsibilities. Read up on this area on ACAS, Worksmart or Gov site.

You have the right to go back to your original hours, or you can keep your current hours (making them your new permanent work pattern).

Along with every other parent, you can make a new request for flexible working (which you seem to have done for previous hours but different pattern). You have the right for this request to be considered seriously, and for reasons given if it it turned down (which it has been). The reasons must be to do with the efficient running of the business. Have they given you the reasons?

If you're in the public sector, you've almost certainly got an HR Dept somewhere. Have you spoken to them?

Meditrina i have rang today to clarify a few things and was aksked what my thought were, i said i still wanted to do 20 hrs but as a compromise i wil consider just keeping my 17.5 hr arrangement and making it permanent on same working pattern i have done for this duration which according to my supervisions and reviews have worked well to which she said i could have them perm hours but not that pattern. grrrrrrrrrr. I think i got over a lot of valid ponts and she will discuss higher up and get back to me on friday but i dont hold out for much hope. The authority is making redundancies but not our services till later in the year - can i be just made to leave if i cant work what they want me to or would/ could they make me redundant now? I get the feeling they would like me to just walk.......

Oh, you poor thing. It sounds really difficult.

Let's hope they have a proper offer (with explanations) for you on Friday.