Reducing working hours after already reducing them in September this year

[popsycalindisguise]

I changed to a 4 day week in September (applied in April 2005) after maternity leave but am finding it unmanageable.

I plan to request a 2 day week when I go back after Christmas after a period of 6 weeks sick leave.

Does anyone know the legal standpoint in terms of the flexible working thingy?

IE does it count as a separate application ie do they have to give me a good business reason why not?

Any tips for my letter?

Many thanks MNers!

I'm not sure but may well be a second application iirc.

So do they have to consider it in its own right? I know they will be arsey abtou this. but tbh it makes good business sense from their point of view as my sick record is becoming appalling.

Are you still teaching popsy? Just wondering whether your union might be able to help as to how to approach it.

I seem to remember reading that you could only do one request in a certain time frame.

I am , puff....was going to ring them tomorrow or tuesday.

The time frame thing....you can make one application and if it is rejected, you have to wait 12 months before making another.

Mine was agreed upon......
Not sure where this leaves me!
Will ring the union...thought I would try the MN font of all knowledge first

hi
As far as i'm aware and this is what i was told by acas you are entitled to one application per year, so i would have thought it would be a new application and that they definitely have to give you a good business reason as to why they would refuse you, if you go acas website (sorry don't know how to attach links yet) in the a-z section there is a whole load of info on flexible working rights etc

what about doing supply?

oops sorry didn't realise you had to wait 12 months before submitting another application, sheesh I should know this as I'm going through this process now

I have thogth this through tons and thought of all the possibilities........lots of different scenarios.....
Going to ask for 2 days per week first....supply is my third option!

Thanks evryone.
Dreading Wednesday

Not sure whether I have to wait 12 months......that is the rule if your aplication is rejected....

Will ring union...

quick bump to see whether anyone else knows any more

Popsycal, technically you have to wait 12 months before making another application under the flexible working regs, but actually that doesn't necessarily matter all that much. If there's no justification for refusing your request then you can argue that this would be indirect sex discrimination. A sex discrimination claim is far more powerful than a claim under the flexible working regs.

Your letter needs to focus on the reasons why your application is workable from a business perspective.

Do you want to reduce to 2 days indefinitely or just in the short term? If the latter, then I can see that it'd be cheaper for your employers than sick pay and it might be worth mentioning this. But if you need a long term change then you really need to focus on how it will work from a business perspective because it's not as if their alternative is paying sick pay indefinitely, if you see what I mean.

Is there any chance that you might qualify as "disabled" for employment purposes, do you think? I don't know why you've been off sick, so this may be way off mark, but the definition of disability encompasses a wider range of illnesses than you might think. If you count as disabled, there's an obligation to make reasonable adjustments to your working hours if that alleviates the condition.

If you need to put together a business case for working 2 days it really helps to find other teachers doing the same job who can support what you say about the feasability.

Good luck!

Thansk so much for that rickshaw!

I am basically off work due to sheer exhaustion. My 10 mnth old wakes constantly in the night and my three year old wakes at 5am. My situation at work was changed when I went back so I dont have a classroom base or any where to store my stuff so I teach every lesson in a different classroom and spend any non-contact time trying to find all of the things that I have left behind or physically colnd't carry. Add to that that ds2 has never really settled with the childminder on a Wed and Thurs and the fact that after I have paid childcare, I am working for £12 per day....

My mum has the boys on a Monday and Tues.....

ARGH

Oh yes...and where I work, we have people doing the following work arrangemnts:
2 people doing a 2day/3day job share
2 people doing a 2.5/2.5 day job share
1 3 day part timer
1 4 day part timer (me currently)

I really, really sympathise. My dd was awake nearly every hour last night and you've probably seen me ranting on most of the sleepless threads. I really couldn't go to work right now, so I can't imagine how you're coping!
Cat me if you want help in putting together your application - it'll be good to help another sleepless mumsnetter! (I'm an employment lawyer btw).

I would be really grateful if I could CAT you!
Many thanks!

I just can't face gong to work....ds2 has woken twice already since going to bed!

Add to this that I am still breast feeding so spend half of my lunch time expressing and the other half panicking that I wont have enough milk.

Rant over.
Will CAT you

CAT wont work for some reason.

If you don't mind, could you email me on popsycal2005 at yahoo dot co dot uk

just mailed you....