Need advice on P/T working.

[kaz33]

Just found out our nanny is leaving in a month or so ( very sad ) and will need to sort out a new nanny. Think that I might use this as an opportunity to ask to work 4 days a week, as desperate to do so.

Bit of background - I'm a solicitor in a big city firm in a department which has never to my knowledge had a proper part worker ie: reduced days. They will so desperately want to say NO, because of the precedent that it will set.

As I understand it under the new legislation they have to seriously consider my request and come up with reasons if they reject my request.

Also I need a quick response as need to find a new nanny quick.

Since my return from maternity leave recently I have been given little client facing work so therefore I don't really think that I need to be at the end of a telephone 5 days a week. That is my strongest argument.

Bit of a long shot really but just wondering if anyone had any helpful suggestions / angles ?

I work for a big city solicitors (I'm in admin though) and have recently put in the same request. Like your department, mine didn't have a precedent to follow and just as you suggest, they tried to put obstacles in my way. They admitted they were in fear of the floodgates opening and their suddenly being lots of similar requests. My advice is to check out what the policy is in other departments, if you give examples of how it works well elsewhere that will fight your cause, tell them when you want it to implemented (my request has been accepted but they are dragging their feet), decide which day you want off and give very good reasons for that (my day has been dictated to me). I would also think about how flexible you can be on your day and whether you can be available to work from home if necessary - not that I'm suggesting you should be flexible or available but they may suggest this. I wonder if speaking to personnel on a confidential basis would work for you before approaching the relevant partner.
Good luck and stick to your guns to get what you want.

Kaz - I have returned 4 days a week, and am the first manager in our company to do so. I'm very lucky that my boss is a real family man whose wife works part-time, so he completely understood why I wanted to cut my hours. Have to admit though that am finding it all a bit difficult at the minute as I am handling a 5 day workload in 4 days. I do end up bringing work home, and occasionally coming in for a few hours on my day off, but it is all worthwhile for having the extra time with my DS. Hope some others can advise you better on your rights, but just wanted to wish you good luck.

hi kaz33, i have been doing a variety of flexible work arrangements - i simply cannot bear the term part time for something which is 80%+ of a f/t job - for the past 2 yrs. i've been looking for a post where i advised someone else on this a while ago - but can't find it. i think the search facility is broken. i will contact mumnset and see if they can do anything - if not i will try to recreate what i wrote then.

i've just seen the search facility will be back to normal at the w/e so i hope to post again tomorrow.

I asked for flexible working - not part time, just to be able to work from home one day a week (which is something I used to do under previous boss anyway, but new one stopped it) and I even said it could be altered to fit in with their requirements to cover holidays etc. Well they did offer what they considered to be "flexible" and "better than I'd asked for" ... a reduction of 20% in my nominal hours - but it was 8.30-10.30, 12.30-2.30 and 4.30-6.30, 5 days a week in the London office which I currently only have to go to once or twice a week. Oh and it would still have the requirement for "additional hours as required" (which are unpaid of course) and they weren't proposing to reduce the workload which already means it is very unusual that I work under 50 hours a week. So in reality they offered me a 20% pay cut and guaranteed unsocial hours and extra travel costs.

The really annoying part of all this is that because they did "offer" flexible working, and I turned it down I now can't reapply for another year. Grrrr.

Kaz33 I understand how you feel. The place where I work had a policy five years ago on no part time working. They were a really old fashioned firm who didn't like change of any kind. I rocked the boat when I put my request in and didn't take the straight answer, no. I insisted on formal meetings. Review of the department. Outside help from an advise centre. It took a long time and the fall out was pretty bad. My line manager was very off hand with me for some time. But eventually I got to reduce my hours from 35 to 25. The flood gates did open and many people went part time after me, including my line manager who'd given me such a hard time.

As recently as July 2003 I asked for flexible working to enable me to pick my son up from school. Once again things got ugly. I was pregnant at the time and they made my life hell. But I stuck to my principle's once again and pushed them to look at my request. I even took along my sister to one of the meetings to speak for me because I was getting so worked up (hormones and that). My sister put the fear in them when she explained that she was the Manager of Bully Free Zone. They took that to mean corporate bullying. I chose not to put them straight. Also due to our surnames being different, they didn't know she was my sister so it worked quite well and we reached a compromise.

Your employer is bound by law to take any request seriously. However it is a very long process and they don't even need to respond to your first formal communication for 28 days. Nothing will happen quickly I'm sorry to say. But stick to it and make sure you push for everything you want as you cannot make another request for twelve months.

They must provide written reasons for declining any request. You can appeal. You are entitled to mediation between you and your manager by someone from personel. Make sure that you keep written records of everything in like a diary form. Be prepared for some fall out but it's worth it. I would never go back to working full time and I plan on once again rocking the boat when I return from maternity leave by asking to work just 2 days.

Here's a phone number you can ring for more detailed advise. They even send you out fact sheets on how to go about it. I think you need to live in the Greater Manchester area but it's worth a try. It's called the Low Pay Unit and because they are a charity they aren't open all the time but leave a message and someone will call you back. They are excellent and I would recommend them to anyone. 0161 9534024 or their website is www.gmlpu.org.uk.

Hope this helps. If you need anything else, let me know. I might be able to dig out my fact sheet from last time and post it to you.

THanks ladies, I requested 4/5 days on Friday and the head of department was initially very positive saying that if he had the choice he would say yes.

But I don't think it will be that easy. He did say that he would get back to me quickly so we will see. I'll keep you updated.