Flexible hours - my ar*e!!!

[Nikki76]

Have just asked if I can go back to work on a 9-4pm basis with 30 mins for lunch, so basically only a 30 min shorter day than I used to work.....got a flat outright no...they want people to work 9-5....how can mums be reasonably expected to work these hours and still make it to nursery before 6pm (traffic allowing!!!!)....I can feel my blood pressure going up and up!!!

Equal rights and flexiable hours - my ar*e! Women are treated crap from minute they announce they are pregs!!!

Tills balanced at 4-30pm as soon as the doors shut and ATM done at the same time. So that is 4 people which leaves BM and senior clerk, FPM and possibly one other. Ho hum!

Night all. Hope you get it sorted Nikki.

Perhaps you could position it in your form as being of benefit to them, i.e. you provide additional cover in their busiest period. As you are leaving early you could volunteer to take your lunch at 11.30, thus ensuring that you are available all through lunch. Its a long time since I worked in a branch but I do seem to remember it being extremely busy at lunchtime, and not particularly so at 4.30 - 6pm

Good luck, I hope it works out. I work 9.30 - 4.30 with a half hour for lunch and the slight reduction in hours has made all the difference to our family.

whoops meant 4.30 -5pm. Banks should be enlightened enough to open longer hours, but I guess that wouldn't help you much !

Grrrr!!!!

Still haven't been told what role I can expect to go back to and yet am expected to fill in work options form and put forward a business case for it!! Am getting

Crikey-surely they have to tell you what is on offer to see if it is acceptable to you. for you.

Neighhhhh am not at a call centre.....

PMSL

Not the same one as me then. We are far more Global!

Ah ha!

Going to ring union tmw and get something sorted....am not going to take this lying down! Why cant they just get it that I need to know what I'm doing in order to put forward a business case! Its not exactly rocket science is it!!

you should be going back to the same role you left! what do they mean about you having to say what you think you should be doing? If you can do your old job on the hours you suggest they have to come up with reasons why they don't think it will work and at that point look a alternative roles (at same level) that may be more suitable. In your application (if you do it formally they have to respond in writing within set timeframes) try and premp any issues you think they may raise and why you don't think this is unworkable. I agree point out by taking a shorter lunch break you are actually covering the busiest time.

There's been a restructure so I don't know whether I'm going back to my old role or not....am asking and asking but no luck...will confirm with union whether I have to know/my right to know before filling form in (which I suspect is the case) and then I have something concrete to go on..always best to get facts checked before wading in fighting, which I intend to do....

[grins]

Good luck with the union. Used to be in BIFU many moons ago (is something different now I know) but left it as they showed no support when we were restructured and had to apply for our own jobs.

As I understand it-if you return on the same terms as you left you should walk into your old job. However, if you change something then as with me last time I was forced to go back to a different Branch (of which I handed my notice in to after 2 months and went on a Career Break) Subsequently left this to take a contract at my usual Branch but then fell PG. Am going to try and get back on this Career Break as still have another 4 yrs and 2 months of it left. When I left I sadly had to give up my A contract and am now on a B contract which is a flexible one so they can make you do any time or place they want to.

Lordy-that's an essay!

Been advised to fill form in as if going back to old role, albeit on lesser hours, so will do that...going on hols soon though so any meetings will have to wait until afterwards cos if I need to appeal, I need to be here to deal with it all. V annoyed as I started the ball rolling over two weeks ago to try and get this resolved before went on hols but they have been dragging their feet!!!

How v. annoying!

How long have you been off work? Isn't there some legislation about this? I think if you return within 6 months after maternity leave, you are entitled to your old job back; if you take extended leave of up to a year, you are entitled only to an equivalent post. This might be worth checking.

Getting hints of which bank you work for 'global, FPM and all that' I think I may work for the same bank? I'm now branch manager but prior to promotion my managers were incredibly supportive and I'm amazed at the problems you are having.
In the last 5 yrs I have had 2 subsidised nursery places, worked 930-430 (for a short period even did 930-245) then went on to a termtime contract which I gave up to get my promotion. I could not have asked for more to be honest. I was also a senior grade 5 running the front office of a busy town centre branch.

You need to put everything in writing, a full response has to be given within 28 days - state the benefits to the business - as stated previously being there during the lunch hours(I know which I would prefer in my branch!.

Good luck and stick to your guns - if neccessary go to your area team with your request and ask if a different local branch could accomodate your request.

Tis Nikki that is having the problems. I am going for my 'discussion' next month but luckily present Manager is fab. They do chop and change frequently in my area though.

I've got the union on side now

Told manager I would be doing the business case based on old role as they haven't told me what role I can expect to go back to and cc'd in a senior manager so they know that I haven't been informed of anything!! har har har!!! This manager by the way, had me up for a disciplinary when 7 mths pregs and no apology when HR said no case and shouldn't have even been brought to them so I'm not exactly charitable towards her and itching for her to slip up.....

Excellent news

Why the feck were you up on a disciplinary ? ? ? and at 7 months PG

Yes.....its a long story....I made a mistake when I was very sick with morning sickness...a big mistake mind you, but it was my first one and I was a walking zombie when I made it...also, someone else was responsible for it as well, but as said person has links with management, nothing was said to him....they yanked me in when I came back from two weeks off with sickness and grilled me for two hours in manner of criminal about it, then informed me it was going to HR......didn't get the hearing until 7mths pregs and was exonerated...thank God! Talk about stress!!!

I was told I had grounds to take it further for what they did to me but didn't want to cause any more stress to baby so I just backed down gracefully and kept muttering to self discretion is the better part of valour and all that!!! However, I'm not preg anymore so no worries about stress being passed on so....its WAR!!!

Go Nikki
Go Nikki
Go Nikki

Ra, Ra, Ra!

You should assume that you are going back to your old role - unless you have been formally advised otherwise. The only reason you can't go back to that is if it no longer exists.

Do the proper flexible working application sugesting how they cover the work during the time you are not there.

Inability to share the work amongst existing staff or to recruit staff to cover the work or additional cost to the business will count as a reason for them to say no. They need to justify it.

Sounds like they are crap there

That's what I'm going to do -although trying to remember exactly what I did after nearly a year off is hard work!! I've lost brain cells due to preg/birth I think!!!

It seems as they have already decided its no before considering anything so am taking a union rep into the meeting with me to make sure manager toes the line..although they don't know I'm planning that yet...it does say I can have someone with me and doesn't say anything about having to inform management about it......

Apparently there is another mum who has been refused flexible hours as well.....!! I will go on a career break and get a different job if I don't get what I want...am not backing down!