Help me prepare responses ahead of a 'flexible working' call!

[Sally987]

Hello - I'd be really grateful if I could get help with preparing some responses ahead of a call with my boss and his peer, re flexible working. I do find I can go to pieces on phone calls and just not think fast enough - more now than ever, being a little out of practice.

When I return to work, I'll have taken 52 weeks maternity leave, and I was in a five day a week 9-5 / 9.30-5.30 kind of role at a senior level (although with only one direct report) for a large commercially owned company. I've been with this arm of the company for six years, but 11.5 in total, if that's of any consequence.

I've had one recent, good and lengthy call to suss out budgets for the year, staff changes, what projects we've got on etc etc, so I feel as well informed as I can be.

I've informally laid out my ideas for my return to work in an email, and I've said I'm thinking of putting in a formal request to work 3.5 days over four days, that is, working slightly shorter days of 9-4pm, and the reasons why I think this will work and why I'd love to try for a trial period at the least. It's probably not relevant to detail the reasons here, suffice to say I've thought them through. The 4pm end time is to allow me to pick up DD from nursery - I have at least an hour's commute.

They'd like a call ahead of the formal request - completely fine and not unexpected in itself. They are human, by the way. Both have children, whom they adore, so they'll be able to sympathise with my request at least.

However...! All that said, can you help me prepare responses for these 'worst fear' scenarios?

1. We don't think you can do your job in that amount of time... / We need you in the office five days a week, full-time...
2. Leaving at 4pm isn't going to work for the business...
3. You can do those times, but you'll need to do x project instead...(where x project is something I don't want to do, and I can think of at least one I've heard slated)
4. You can do those times, but we'll need to agree something different to your current role...
5. Any other reasons that might lead to them saying no! Which is ultimately my worst fear.

In my heart of hearts, I REALLY don't want to do more than 3.5 days, which will certainly affect things, I know.

Look forward to any advice. (Gosh, that's a long post!)

I went back 3 days a week (from 5) after 54 weeks mat leave with DS.

Scenario 1 - Have you considered the possibility of job sharing? (this is what I do, works a treat, copious hand over notes).
Scenario 2 - Can you come in earlier some days to accumulate time in order to leave at 4? Does anything ever actually happen after 4? Could you just make sure that all potentially long meetings have a 10am start? Do you have any direct reports who could act up for you after 4pm and on your day off - sell this as a development opportunity for them.
Scenarios 3 and 4 - is this really a problem if you get the hours you want? Think about whether you want to prioritise your DC or your career. See different role as a development oppurtunity for yourself.

As a very long serving member of staff, I imagine they'll be keen to accomodate you. Cutting 1.5 days a week of your time is not a huge disaster!

Thanks for that - especially loving the development opportunity idea for direct report/s, it's the sort of line that's been used on me in the past! Good idea for long meetings to start at 10am. Luckily, my role is on the more creative side and hasn't historically meant hours in meetings.

And yes, I'd prioritise DD at this stage, so doing other projects per se wouldn't bother me. There's one particular one (well, it's not the project as that doesn't have a personality, it's the people) that would be a living hell on earth, the way it has been twice before. It's the project that just won't die. That just has to be a flat no and then insert something about taking a step back in my career if I had to work on it / with the team again.

Thanks for posting.

Do you think it can be done in shorter hours? What would be the impact on other team members - positive is easy, they can step up as already said but worth thinking about who picks up the slack.

Finishing at 4 - if just for logistical reasons, can you work remotely? So I leave at 5 everyday (well not now as on mat leave again) as I had to get home for DS but had a blackberry and would check in once DS was in bed.

Also is there any scope for flexibility on your part - eg if you have to work longer on the odd occasion etc? Can you work from home at all?

Yes I do. Before I left for mat leave, I used up holiday by doing 3-4 day weeks for around eight weeks (plus hospital appointments actually, as I had some other complications), so hopefully I've proved it. That wasn't the intention of doing that, it's just with hindsight it seems useful.

I'm not keen on work bleeding into the evening that much. In the past I've worked til the small hours and entire weekends up to a project launch, but I'd find that hard to justify now with DD. Could absolutely do occasional longer hours / calls tho, as DP could pick up.

Thanks so much, it's really helping me feel more lucid...should it be a no. Who knows, it may be a straight yes!

I know what you mean about work bleeding into your family time. But it's worth mentioning that you'll only do it if necessary (might be worth seeing how the conversation goes before offering). Also if you've done it before then it should be an easy sell!

I don't think I'd need to work the way I did any more, as I guess I'm at a more strategic rather than 'doing' level now. Fingers crossed!