Hope you can help / cheer me up and make me hopeful...

[Summerfruit]

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I am no expert in this but I would have thought the answer will depend on whether you are their employee as yet or not until Jan 2008. If you have already signed on the dotted line, etc then I believe they have to consider your proposition although they don't have to actually do it. My advice (for what its worth!) is to firstly have a very firm idea of your childcare arrangements will be and then speak to your boss and explain your predicament. Bit difficult to suggest when to have this conversation. If you do so now at least you have enough time to find another job if need be and if too close to the date it may be risky if your boss doesn't agree. Tricky one.

Re: whether he thinks you are taking the piss. I guess this depends on what he's like, ie. How sympathetic is he to people with kids, etc.

TBH it's just one of those things so he should be able to see that.

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under flexible working they have to consider a request but you have to have 26 weeks service with them.

Even if you don't have that, I would ask them anyway as you have nothing to lose. Put a case together and demonstrate how it will work etc. Emphasise how good you have been, so much so that they have taken you on permanently etc. Also the cost to the business if they lose you now - all those agency fees gone to waste and now they will have to start the recruitment and training etc process all over again and so soon!

You need to really sell it to them and keep your fingers crossed

I wouldn't discuss it in a meeting - I would write a very pleasant and polite letter pointing out how much you've enjoyed working for them and how much you want to carry on working for them and exaplining that you are in a predicament because of x,y,z. Then I'd suggest you write that you understand that you have no rights to flexible working or whatever but would appreciate if there were any way the two of you could work out a solution, but that you understand if that isn;t possible. I would NOT point out how great you are or anything like that - they will know already how much they value you and this (and only this) will really decide what happens. A polite letter will improve their impression of you. Good luck.