Regular namechanger here
I am going back to work in October after nine months maternity leave.
I met my boss yesterday. I'm a CEO and he's chair of the board. He opened with 'what do you want to do when you return then?'
I said that I've written a Flexible Working Request to go to four days rather than five, to which he said 'I've been thinking about this ... my wife went back to work and quit within a month as she couldn't stand it. We could offer you a different post 2.5 days per week .. development or something .. think about what you want to do .. at the same salary but pro-rata'd. I don't think you could do your job four days a week'. And then proceded to bombard me with comments like 'mothers struggle when they go back to work'. He also asked about my partners financial circumstances (he's going to be a SAHD)
I was really taken aback. At this point I hadn't even got the envelope containing my FWR out of my bag. The fact is I want my own job back, and if I can't go to four days (I know the job and am sure it's do-able in four days) I will return to five. I can't afford to do 2.5 days and I don't want to change to a different role.
He's in his sixties and old fashioned. Of course the correct response would have been 'great, thank you, we will put this through the process and come back to you'.
I appreciate that this may be his cack handed way of trying to be helpful.
I have copied my FWR to HR and it should really go through a committee - or the whole board - rather than just this one person who clearly has made his mind up already.
What advice have you wise mumsnetters got for me, if any?