Flex work rejected, stressed, now have resigned

[kemurf]

I would love some advice from anyone who has left their job as their company would not accomodate a flexible working request or who works in HR, employment law.
I have been back at work a few months now, working full time as my flexible work application was rejected again (I have 2 kids under 4). My husband is depressed at the mo, I am stressed and not coping with a busy job and family life and am about to go back to work after a few weeks off due to stress. And I have just resigned because I can't manage a full time job with 2 kids. Where do I stand?
I want my company to change their working practices and support working mums! A big ask but what should I do? It's a big company, blue chip, very male.
Kindnod angry but more tired really. I want them to listen to me, to get my voice heard. Other mums in my place work part time. No one job shares.
How can I get them to listen and change?
Thanks

wen rejecting your request they should have written to you explaining why they said no

you then have the right to appeal their decision

if there are other people that do the same or equivalent job to you that are working part time then it is well worth stating this in your appeal

it may be that the hours you have requested may be the issue, so would you be be prepared to be flexible around the number of days you work etc, again it's worth stating this in your appeal

we have people at work on part time hours, and others have been refused on the basis that the days they have requested do not meet the needs of the business (eg someone requested to work mon-wed, thursday & friday are when deadlines have to be hit etc so we said no to the request, suggested wed-fri, they wouldn't accept it and they did not win their appeal)

I'm going to need more information.

Has your resignation been accepted and were you invited to a 1st stage meeting to discuss your request?

What hours do you work now & what hours are you requesting?

Did you appeal the decison/process before you resigned?

Flex work was rejected for lots of reasons, about 3 pages worth, mostly as it is a full time job. But I had specifically asked for a job share knowing this and knowing that no one else job shares at my company. But thats done now and i want to do something going forward.
So, as i have resigned now, I am angry about the lack of support my company has given me and i tried to make it work but actually what has happened is that i feel my family and me is cracking up as a direct result. My job is really busy, the pressure in the team is constant, I feel let down by the company and I feel I have contributed to my family's ill health.
As a working parent, the caring and parental responsibilities inevitably fall upon mum; do I raise a grievance about their lack of support for working mums or part time mums? What's the best way of saying it so that they will listen? I really want them to sit up and listen!

I don't think there's anything you can do now you've resigned

Unfortunately flexible working is not automatic, companies only have to consider a request for flexible working but if it is deemed unworkable due to business demands the company can refuse.

I think resigning might have been a bit hasty and as regards a grievance i'm not sure you have sufficient grounds, as other people have said if the precedent has been set then it makes it difficult for companies to refuse but you state you asked for job share knowing nobody else in your company/ team jobshares and it will case you more stress. Maybe the best thing is go back and seriously discuss with your line manager how best you can combine reduced hours with the demands of the job. Is it possible to a longer day say 10-12hours and then have some days off? Does your hubby work, I know you've said he is depressed but can he give more support with the kids and housework
Good luck and hope you get some resolution

If your flexible working request was refused a few months ago the moment has gone for raising a grievance about that really. Similarly a grievance now you're leaving is pointless.

If you are a valued member of staff leaving because you don't feel you can manage a f/t job with 2 kids and you feel their refusal wasn't justified really your best bet to 'make them listen' is to make your reasons for leaving clear. If a trend develops of valued employees leaving because of this issue, that might make someone think.

You can't force them to "listen" or "change".

support working mums

No, you mean working parents. Sorry to be pedantic, but by failing to distinguish the difference here, you're linkin all women with primary childcare duties, which isn't fair. Or even accurate.

Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, you only have the right to request flexible working, no guarantee that it would be met. Now that you've resigned you have very little opportunity to remedy any inflexibility in your employer's work structure regarding the rights of working parents... whether or not you are the one that's being unreasonable by failing to see the business objections at hand (unofficially, which could even just be as simple as "we just don't want to set a precedent", for all we know).. it's all moot.

If you have a formal HR exit interview, you could add it into your comments there.

linkin = linking, clearly