Right to refuse to work away from home (overnight travel)?

[onawhim]

Hello,

I've been working part time for the same company for few years now after having children. I requested flexible working when i returned to work after my first child and they accepted my application.

I've moved office recently (at my request) and there's now a bit of (unspoken) pressure to work away from my home office, which would involve a few nights away from home every so often.

I don't have anyone who can look after the kids while I'm away - I have daytime childcare only, so can I refuse to do this? I thought, when I requested flex working years ago, this included being able to work close to home, unless the company could show there was no work for me there.

Thanks in advance!

What does your contract say?

I'm not sure what the legal situation is, but they sound like they've been very accommodating to you, and they would probably expect a bit of give from you too. How often do they want you to stay over elsewhere? If its once a week, I think they're unreasonable. If it's once a quarter, I'd make the effort and pay for an overnight babysitter for the sake of harmonious relations.

Unexpected - my contract (pre-flex) says I need to work anywhere, but my understanding was that was mulled by my request for flex. I never got a new contract, but they did formally accept my request.

Agent - yes I've already been flexible for the odd occasion, but we're now looking at the situation of working away from home most or every week. My colleagues can all do it, so they're saying why shouldn't I have to do the same?

Nulled, even!

Unless you specifically mentioned this in your request for flexible working I can see why they may want you to do it.

You need to have this out with your manager and stop your colleagues' mutterings.

Can you do some of the overnight stays, if not all? Do you have a partner who can help with the children? However, moving from a situation where you (and others?) have been doing no travelling to a situation where you are expected to be away most weeks is a fairly drastic change to anyone's terms and conditions. Is there a reason why things have changed - business needs, more/less work?

Changing one aspect of your contract doesn't nullify other terms of it, so if you requested reduced hours or whatever, that doesn't mean everything else in your contract is now null and void.

Is it every week or is it a few nights every so often?

Do your colleagues have to do this, or is it because you've asked to move offices?

Thanks for all the advice. I think part of the problem is I sorted it all out and got it working with one lot of colleagues, and now I'm having to do it with a new lot, but they don't have much experience of working with me so I've not built up any 'grace' the way I had before.

Re travel, it could well be every week, and no-one else is at home with the kids, so it's really not do-able for me.

Hmm, think I need to dig out exactly what I requested and what their response was.

Thanks again.