Work haven't received my flexible working request

[MrsScamander]

Hi all, wondering if I can get some advice as I'm unbelievable stressed about this!

I went on maternity in Feb 2018 and I'm taking the full year off. I contacted my manager about flexible working not long after my DD was born, however my manager told me not to worry about that just yet.

So I waited until September to contact work to discuss flexible working again. Unfortunately I was never able to speak to my manager as she was always in meetings and didn't respond to my messages to call her.

Due to a family loss on my managers side and then wedding and honeymoon my manager only contacted me to discuss flexible working in early November. I know I should have been more persistent and spoken to another manager but I wanted to discuss my hours with my manager as I would remain on her team.

By the time I received the flexible working document it was exactly 3 months before I'm due to return. I sent the forms back 1st class the same day I received them.

I had no confirmation my request had been received so I contacted my manager to check she had received the request (she told me to send the request directly to her)

She confirmed she had received my request and forwarded it onto HR and she would chase them up this week. I called HR myself as I had another query about holiday. HR have not received my flexible working request, they have no correspondance of ever having received it. They said it's procedure to send confirmation of receipt and they would arrange a meeting to discuss my request within 28 days.

So now I'm due back in 2 months and still don't know what is happening with my hours. I need to find out as it means I either need a full time nursery place or a place for 1 day a week. We've found an excellent nursery and I want to get her signed up as soon as possible.

I'm already a nervous wreck about going back as DD is a breast fed, bottle refusing clingy little thing and I want to get her acclimatised to nursery sooner rather than later.

We are also waiting to find out if my request has been accepted so we can put in a mortgage application, we've already seen the perfect property.

I'm so stressed and don't know what to do?! If I have to re-send my request will my employer still have 3 months from the date they receive it to consider my request? That will mean I will have to go back full time initially which I really don't want to do! Will they be able to fast track my application?

Hopeful bump, I'm in panic mode right now

It should count from when your manager first confirmed she received the request. Did you get that in writing?

No I had to call her and she confirmed she had received it, that was 3 weeks after I had sent it. She said she should have sent me a text to tell me but didn't.

If they say I have to send a new request it will it be another 3 months for them to decide do you think? I don't know what I'll do about childcare if I have to go back full time until I get a decision.

One thing you can be sure of is that legally they have to reinstate you to your previous post, so at least you know you have a job.

Also you have a legal right to be considered for flexible working. You have done everything right in terms of formalising your request and you should expect the company to respond and give you their decision in a timely fashion, as per their FW policy.

Write to HR with a summary of all the timescales to date re your FW request and highlight you need their response with a decision by x date to enable you to organise childcare in readiness for returning to your post on x date. Attach a copy of your original FW request "for your ease of reference".

Send the correspondence by recorded delivery, signed for. That in itself sends a message!

Thanks so much daisychain!

It doesn't help that my manager is notoriously hard to get hold of.

I will do what you advised, I think I'm going to have to take some holiday before I go back to give some more time. Any advice on when I can ask them to make a decision by? When I sent the original application the 3 months would be up exactly on the day I'm due back (kicking myself for not asking to speak to another manager and getting the application sooner!), I was just hoping on getting a decision a bit sooner!

I think I'm going to reserve a place for her nursery on the days I've requested to work and hope it can be changed at a later date. I do have family support if I need to go back full time temporarily but I don't want to burden my family with childcare when my DD is quite full on.

This is such a bloody mess, it could only happen to me!

Good news! Called my work and they had received the request, they don't know why HR couldn't find it, but they called me back 10 minutes after discussing it to say it had been approved! I'll be getting a letter in the next few days to confirm!
Weeeewww

Congrats @MrsScamander, I'm so pleased it all worked out in the end!!

Thank you @poppyseed2 I'm so relieved! I feel like I can stop panicking and enjoy the rest of my leave