Flexible working application. How can I guarantee they'll give me the hours I want? Please help!

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Hi. I currently work full time doing 37 hours a week, often a lot more. I'm on mat leave with DS2 and with DS1 just struggled working all hours as well as home stuff. This time I want to drop two days week and work three long days. The issue here is I am a Project Manager and kind of feel it might be hard with my role. It is doable if my employer gives me small and manageable projects but it's at their discretion.

I'm filling in my form and have to say how the change will affect my employer and colleagues and how the effect can be dealt with. Is there anything I can write which makes my application watertight so it can't be rejected?

For what it's worth I have very good performance to date and have been requested personally to work on projects in the past so I know if I went back 3 days a week the business would still want me to manage their projects because of reputation. All I know is I can't go back working all hours again because I'll lose my mind! Any suggestions welcome

I'm afraid there is nothing you can write that will force them to accept your application. They have to consider it properly but can reject your request provided they have a good business reason for doing so. All you can do is try to show that the impact on your employer and colleagues is manageable.

Hi. I know I can't force them to accept it and will detail a second option as well which means I can be in the office for more days but shorter days.

Do I just say the work/life balance will mean I'll be more productive when I am in?

I have a project manager working in my team who made the same request. We agreed on 3 days- not all in one block (so Mon, tue, thur) with her working from home 2 hours on the other 2 days. This meant that there was never a day when she just wasn't around and on the 2 WFH days she picked up urgent queries that kept the projects moving.

It's working well do far.

Thanks strugglingwithmaths. Two hours on a wfh day are something I've considered too because my son naps and I'll be logging in on my days off to keep an eye on stuff anyway. Does the person in your team do the 2 hours during the day or evening?

Make sure you set out any consequences to the business of the change and ig any of these are negative explain how they can be overcome or ways of lessening the impact.

To lessen the impact I know they can give me smaller manageable pieces of work but I can't suggest that can I?

I've been flexible about the 2 hours WFH but had to be clear that she can't be doing childcare. She's arranged for a grandparent to take the child 3 hours one day and has a reciprocal arrangement with another parent for the second day.

She arranges the times to suit meeting and teleconferences. Recently she was on a project working with our US division and did the hours in the evening.