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Original poster

To ask to drop hours after just 1 week....

38 replies

SweetMummy911 · 08/01/2018 10:03

Hello ladies

Just started to work for a new company and DH and I have had a change in circumstances which means I can't work on a Friday anymore ... currently I work 4 days a week, I have 10 years experience in this field and I know my job inside out and realistically speaking I don't need to be in the office 4 full day.... I can well cover everything with time to spare on a 3 day week!

I'm terrified to ask in case they say know and then we are going to be monumentally stuck!

OP posts:

flowery · 10/01/2018 12:54

”The change in circumstance is my children nan is not well and she won't be able to look after her on a Friday. Financially speaking - an extra day of childcare is suicide, we simply cannot afford it”

But you can afford to reduce your hours?

Unless you get paid less per hour than your childcare costs, surely paying for childcare would be less costly than cutting your hours even assuming your employer would agree to such a request?

RedastheRose · 10/01/2018 13:08

Dropping a day clearly wouldn't help you as you would lose a days pay! You cannot look after a small child and wfh (I know I was self employed with a newborn I had to work evenings and weekends instead).

In the short term you may be allowed to use your holidays (although I would not be happy as your employer when you've only just started) for a couple of weeks but in the long term you are going to have to bite the bullet and pay for a childminder or nursery.

If you ask to drop to 3 days straight after starting, particularly with taking Friday's off (always a big ask because everyone likes Friday's off), then I would assume that you took the job under false pretenses and only wanted 3 days a week with Fridays off!

TheBadgersMadeMeDoIt · 10/01/2018 14:42

Is the illness likely to be long-term? As in, Grandma will never be able to help with childcare again? This would be a very different situation from, for example, she's getting over a chest infection which is taken its time to clear, but she will get better.

A temporary childcare crisis is likely to be viewed more sympathetically than a permanent change of hours, especially if you offer to use annual leave or swap days until the problem is resolved.

ShiftyMcGifty · 10/01/2018 20:41

What I would be thinking is that’s one hell of a turn grannie took within days.

Lots of people do just that. Suck it up with little take home pay after they pay out childcare and travel costs because they can’t afford to be out too long, as their skills won’t be up to date otherwise. Which is the case in your area.

Also, gran getting on in years and unable to take care of child is hardly unforeseen circumstances. It’s also extremely easy to fix with alternative childcare.

YellowMakesMeSmile · 10/01/2018 22:43

You can afford to drop a days pay but not pay childcare, that doesn't make sense.

As for wanting to WFH and do childcare, that shows a lack of regard for the employer and the role. Fine if self employed but unacceptable when earning a salary from an employer.

You can still work four days, you just don't want to pay for childcare.

dorislessingscat · 10/01/2018 22:54

If I was your employer I would assume that was your plan all along and be mightily pee'd off.

You can't work from home and look after children.

Can your DH change his working hours?

RandomDreams · 11/01/2018 11:47

Working from home is to enable an employee to work flexibly when required, it is not intended to enable an employee to look after their children whilst working.

If I was your manager I'd be letting you go.

windowdresser44 · 11/01/2018 22:36

And asking for Friday specifically won't look great either. It's the day everyone wants to drop.

CotswoldStrife · 12/01/2018 00:17

That would be asking your employer to pay you to do your own childcare if you WFH on the Friday. Can you swap one of your days instead?

Amaried · 12/01/2018 23:43

I would be very unimpressed with you and would say no. Even if you stayed on I would always think of you as someone who tried to pull a fast one.
I really wouldn't go there.

KatnissMellark · 12/01/2018 23:49

Get DH to drop a day/work compressed hours?

TyneTeas · 12/01/2018 23:50

Can you perhaps do compressed hours ie 0.8 FTE over three days?

Struwwelpeter · 16/01/2018 15:13

"I can well cover everything with time to spare on a 3 day week!"

If you tell them that, then expect to have your job reduced to 3 days a week. Or to have a load more responsibility put on you. If I were your employer I should expect you to tell me that you had 33% additional capacity!

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