Advice please! Am due to return to work soon, full-time. I want to ask to work from home 2 days a week. Best way to ask? Any helpful links? Should I email HR or my manager?

[OovoofWelcome]

Hello,

Am feeling really down about returning to work full time and have decided to ask to work from home two days out of five. We have childcare covered, I would be (hopefully) working at home while my mum has DS - therefore I could see him for breaks and lunch and be there as soon as my work is done.

What I am wondering is, what is the best and most official way to approach this? I am intending to email my manager, and try to put forward a proposal that frames my suggestion in a way that would be as positive for them as possible.

Btw we can't afford for me to go part time so unfortunately that isn't an option right now.

I am thinking of saying that I would be available to come in for meetings whenever necessary during those days (work is a 20 min walk away).

Any advice about any aspect of this would be very gratefully received!

TIA

Should have said : I'm on maternity leave, DS is 8 months old. (probably obvious ).

Look up "flexible working request" on the directgov site.

Also your employer may have a proforma for this. I'd contact HR and ask for a copy of their relevant policy.

Thanks hairytale - will do

I would say that your employer will be concerned about 2 things

1. That you won't actually be working but doing childcare
2. That you won't be able for calls/meetings
3. You won't actually get any work done

From what you have said you can reassure them on points 1 and 2.

if they are resistant ask for a 3 month trial to make sure it works for everyone

Good luck!

that should say 3 things....