Hi all I'm looking for some advice.
I made a flexible working request to my work to work my full contracted 37.5hrs over 4 days rather than 5 days when I return after maternity leave as I have one day a week that I have no childcare.
I was invited in to meeting with my manager and HR where I was told that this would not be possible as the maximum hours I could work in a day was 8 hours excluding my lunch break. They then proposed a number of options to me including the option of working 8 hours a day over 4 days thus reducing my contracted hours to 32 hours per week. I was actively encouraged to look at this option. The business is struggling and so it seemed a mutually agreeable solution.
I came back and said that this was the option of like to take up and was invited back in to meet with my manager. I thought this was just to agree things however when I went in I have now been told that my request is going to be rejected and I need to come back to full time hours. They said that circumstances have changed since I met with HR as a week later redundancies were announced and this means my request will now be rejected and that they need me full time.
I can't believe that they didn't know a week earlier that these redundancies were going to happen and my manager has said he was willing to support it but it is HR who have said no.
Can anyone advice if they can do this after they made the proposal to me? It seems very unfair and like someone has just changed their mind about it. It's very upsetting when you believe you have agreed a position. They say I've a right to appeal but I've not received anything in writing throughout the process.
Any advice appreciated.