Advice on part time hours being revoked?

[LauraJB82]

Hi everyone, I'm new to Mumsnet. I am currently on maternity leave, due to return back to work in 2 weeks time. I have requested part time working hours and about a month ago I received a letter from my HR department confirming my return to work date and my new hours (they were as I had requested)

However, this Monday I was called into work to tell me the other half of my job share had decided she would return to a different department full time, therefore my part time hours are being revoked - it's full time or nothing.

So now I'm just absolutely gutted. We worked out a budget/money plan based on these hours and what we would pay a nursery. My mother and mother in law both changed their working hours to look after my daughter, therefore keep nursery fees low. I cannot afford to return full time, nor lose my job entirely.

The fact is, my maternity leave is officially over, I am actually "back at work" now, just using up accrued holiday.

Can they legally do this? I don't know what I will do in 2 weeks time, I have no Childcare and just feel like I've been totally screwed and it's ruining my last precious weeks with my baby

Help please? Sorry about the essay

What was the reason they gave you for not returning part time?

They have to give a good reason for declining flexible working hours requests. Could they employ someone else pt to share the role with you?

The reason they gave me was that they only agreed my hours originally because my 2.5 days fit perfectly with another woman returning around the same time, therefore making up 1 person. Now she has decided last minute to return full time instead, making my job share obsolete, they would be down half a person on head count. There was no discussion on hiring a part time person during my meeting but I will raise it when I am granted my appeal

Hmm surely if you've been offered it in writing they now cannot revoke it unless they make you redundant??? Surely they just need to recruit someone for the other half of the job share...

Did they follow the correct procedure:

1. After the application

The employer must write to the employee within 14 days of the meeting to let them know what the decision is. This time limit can be longer if they both agree.

Agreeing the application

If the employer agrees, they should give the employee a new contract. The employer should write to the employee within 28 days about this and the date the flexible working will start.

I have not had a new contract exactly, I had a letter from my HR department confirming my new hours / days and start date, all within the timeframe you mentioned above

Has 28 days elapsed since the meeting regarding? Did the letter refer to your existing contract terms/conditions?

No, the meeting was this Monday just passed. And yes, the letter did refer to my current/old hours then the new hours it has changed to

You really need an expert, hopefully Flowery will be along shortly...

Thanks for your help RandomMess, it's much appreciated

It's not just an issue regarding the change from what you had agreed, in general they will need a reason to not grant your request - are you the first/only person to work flexibly at your work? If others have had their request granted I believe it makes it even harder to refuse. Are you in a union to go to for advice?

I am not the only person to request flexible working, my company is a huge international very well known brand. It happens frequently, but always (apparently) the women are returning into water-tight job shares. The second half of mine ( we went on maternity leave at the same time) has decided to take a full time role in a different department, so my job share no longer exists. They have asked other , part time workers (according to my boss) if they could match the opposite of my hours but nobody could or was willing to change