I'm not allowed to park at work anymore!

[Carrie370]

I just wrote a huge long thread which has disappeared ... I'll summarise, as I just can't type it all out again!

The hospital where I work has just changed its car parking policy because it has sold off so much parking land, it can't accommodate all the cars any more. Although I provide emergency on call cover, this is the same day each week, so I only qualify for one day permits, not the general permit I have had (until now) for the last 16 years.

So ... my application has been refused. I am going to appeal, because I cannot, as has been suggested, take the park and ride to work - I have 2 primary school age children, I'm a single parent, and I cannot reconcile my childcare responsibilities with fulfilling my contract (as I have successfully managed for the last 10 years)

I have spent hours on the Internet, trying to find legislation to back up my appeal, but nothing under any discrimination/equality and diversity/family rights/employment law seems to come anywhere near fitting my circumstances. Anyone out there with ideas?!

Ive been told my I'd card won't open the barriers at pilgrim. Will have to try it next time.

Winchester is a nightmare for parking, I sympathise.

If all the spacecs are taken up by those without passes, what will happen to those who do have them?

I am assuming that allocations have been made on the basis of work-related criteria, and they have prioritised staff of all grades and types of work who are needed to keep the hospital functioning.

And I'm also assuming that OP is not using her consultant status in this negotiation - unless seniority was indeed a criteria and it had been misapplied in her case. For I can think of few things more likely to foster ill-will than "I'm a consultant with a complicated home life, the rules don't apply to me".

OP: any progress?

They must be doing this everywhere. I'm on Scotland and we've had to apply for a permit. I've managed to get one due to childcare and distance but I need to provide proof. It's easier to get a passport. A lot of people haven't got one. What they're doing here though is putting a camera at the entrance of the visitors car Park and anyone there for more than 4 hours will get a fine.

Would you be in breach of contract if you put in a flexible working request? I would have thought you'd be entitled?

Just a thought, but is there anyone you could car share with who would have a permit/working the same hours as you? Unlikely but just a thought.

Viva... your swipe card won't work at Pilgrim if it didn't before. Only at your base.

Amanda I understood from a scottish friend of mine that hospitals in Scotland are not allowed by Scottish law to charge for parking.

It's gone to appeal, and I am representing myself at the hearing next week. As well as several letters of support from the work side of things, I have a wonderfully assertive letter from my DCs' headmistress, Basically saying how inappropriate and potentially harmful it could be for them to be hauled out of bed at 6am on a school day to be handed over to others, just so their mother can make an unnecessarily long trip to work to arrive on time.

We shall see!

I response to earlier posts, I am not using my seniority as a negotiating tool - although my managers have pointed out in their letters that I lead the team, so no work can actually start without me.

Also, it is not a matter of paying for parking, (although there are some eye-wateringly expensive places at £1200 a year, I'm not paying that!) it is the same for everyone be they professor or cleaner - if you don't meet the exclusion criteria, you're not allowed to park.

And no, I would never have taken the job, or chosen to live rurally and send my children to a school out of town, had I known that at some point in the future I would be forbidden to park at work. Not sure how that stands up contractually, though!

Lizzywig flexi working would not work for me, as I am part of a theatre team. Also, car sharing really isn't practical, as my work finish times can be very unpredictable, and I'd risk being stranded!