Flexible working request - both of us applying

[StackALee]

Can I just get some input from people who have put in flexible working requests at the same time as a spouse?

My DH and I both work fairly standard hours (Me: 9.30 - 5.30, DH: 8 - 5).

We have decided that when DS starts school (He will be 5) next year we would like to both take the option to request flexible hours. I will ask to start earlier and leave earlier (plus work part of my lunch break) and he will be requesting to drop some hours on some days.

The problem is I understand you can only put one flexible working request in a year? So if I were to put mine in and have it approved but he puts his in and it's denied what are the options open to us then?

Or can we have a consultation with out bosses while thrashing out the changes?

I would only be requesting to start earlier on some days.

Do you both work at the same place?

Each request considered individually,how that individual request impacts
You cannot work your lunch break,its illegal.that will be declined.must take minimum breaks
Have you thought this out,to accommodate what you need but still factor in lunch break

your applying as individual employees not a couple.your request needs ti be considered in individual merits

We work at different places, slightly different hours but same city.

We'd only want to work part of our lunch on the days we were working reduced hours. Legally we can do that.

If you work for different employers I don't think you can expect any kind of coordinated discussion. Presumably one of you having your request agreed would still be good even if the other one doesn't?

No.you must take stipulated minimum breaks.Workers are entitled to a 20 minute break after 6 hours work.
You cannot work through lunch.have you sought advice.your employer may stipulate break taken
Two separate employers,two employees.the employer under no compulsion to coordinate your two requests

You need to do some research,some reading before you proceed

Most people have an hour lunch break (although many don't actually take it all), so it's perfectly legal to work through some of it as long as you have at least 20 minutes left. However that of course doesn't mean either of your employers will be prepared to allow you to do so.

Why not both have an informal discussion first?

If one of you gets more pushback than the other, or one employer would do reduced lunch breaks but not the other, then you can adjust.

Or could you make one (or both) request even more flexible (I worked core hours and a minimum of X more per week, for example) so that one request could accommodate variations on the other?

Surely I can work through part of my lunch if I have reduced my seven hour day to six hours or five and a half?

My planwould be to work from 9.30 am to 12 (2.5 hours) have half an hour lunch break then work until half three (three hours).

Would that be breaki the law?

'Presumably one of you having your request agreed would still be good even if the other one doesn't?'

It would be ok if we were both requesting exactly the same thing but the idea was to both take the same (or similar) knock on our hours/pay so he would request shorter days for two days and I would request shorter days for two different days. This means if one of us was approved but the other wasn't then we'd still have two days to arrange childcare for (my mum would do the fifth).

I guess we could both request a reduction on all four days and then if approved ask to change it to two days? Trouble is, in my mind requesting the four days is much more likely to be rejected out of hand.

Cripes, it's all very well extending flexible working to both parents (and now to everyone) but there's no facility to co-ordinate that flexible working between parents in different organisations then it makes it pretty useless :(

Thanks flowery and billnted, if anything I think the lunch time shift is likely to be the one thing they DO approve. I will look into planning it so things can be shifted if one of us doesn't get the flexibility.

You want to work 6hr.930-330.legally you need 20min break,but employer may stipulate longer
Your day isnt two work slots,its a 6hr day to inc a break.your mistakenly breaking day into two components
now rub is work may not be able to ring-fence when you take break eg 12-1230
business demand may mean they wont guarantee you that 12-1230 slot

Flexi request need to be mutually agreed,both parties.

Do you feel an informal discussion first would be possible?

I basically chatted mine through with my boss, got his buy in and then submitted. But that wouldn't be the procedure everywhere.

Totally understand it needs to be mutually agreed and so on.

Isn't my day already in two parts? I don't get paid for my lunch hour. I get paid 9.30 - 12 then not paid then paid from 1 to 5.30. Or I can take my lunch at 1-2 or even later if I really like. Sometimes we skip lunch altogether and go home at 4.30 but that's all agreed as and when.

Legally I can just have a half hour lunch break, but business wise they may not find it works for them. That I do understand.

In fairness,you can't expect two different employers to coordinate to accommodate two individuals
its of no consequence to your employer what your dh does with his employer
It needs to be be agreeable to both parties.

I did already talk to my boss (who would agree or reject any change) and to HR about the effect it would have on my wage/pension/holiday.

My boss wants me to come back with a firm idea of wha I am asking for. So I guess there is room to negotiate but ominously she did say finding cover for me would not be an option so maybe I am stuffed.

you work continuously with a 30min break same employer.you dont have 2jobs
You have One job,with a 30min break
Good luck with your negotiations

Lots of people are technically unpaid on their lunch break, doesn't make it two sessions.

Ok, so your boss has had the way paved. What about your DH's boss?

Is it sep 2014 you need this for?

Ok, I think it's all semantics.
It is incorrect, though, to say that I cannot legally work through part of my lunch break.

No, for sept 2015. I am thinking ahead as I have to put the request in at least 3 months in advance and account for the fact that indon't know which school he will get into and I don't know if my request will be rejected.

The lack of choice bothers me.

And currently I have one job with an HOUR lunch break which I wish to reduce to half an hour.

You must meet your employer and discuss terms,you cannot just decide to adjust/work through lunch
You have one continuous job,with 30min break.one single employer
Youve not submitted a formal request,nothing firm.so work on reasonable request

Dp and I both submitted flexible working requests to go to four days a week. We both chatted informally to our employers first; mine said it would definitely be fine, his weren't so sure. So, he submitted his formal request first. If it was refused, the plan was for me to request three days instead of four, so dd would still only have had three days of Nursery. However it was approved so I then submitted my request for four days, which was also approved.

I don't think I have said that I am going to just change my lunch break without discussion or approval.

It's rather late, I am keen not to get into an argument on the Internet with people I don't know but I would also rather not be told I am doing something illegal when I am mnot.

Bed time I think.

Thanks for all the advice.

Like I said in my OP we are working out the best ways to put in a request and just wondered what it meant when they say you can only make one request.

Thanks again.

You dont know anyone on internet,thats an irrefutable fact
You posted asking strangers for feedback.You can take it or leave it.fact
Now you need to present your employer with a request and negotiate.fact

Stack, my DH and I did exactly this. By having grown up relationships and conversations with our managers and the decision-makers about our proposed, complementary working pattern we have achieved an ideal arrangement. DH's work came back on his first proposal saying that it didn't work for them but they were open to compressed hours, and I was able to alter my informal proposal with my boss on that basis, which he agreed. We now have a really good compromise situation but we only achieved it through open, constructive conversations with our employers and being willing to show some flexibility. It helps that we both had decent employers - but I have since changed jobs and my new employer has agreed the same working pattern.

Good luck with it!