Flexible RTW agreed- can employer renege at later date?

[Indecisivehead]

I've NC for this as could be identifying. I'm a full time teacher going on mat leave shortly. I have already met with the head and agreed when I will be returning and what my role will be- I requested WFH one day a week for childcare logistics planning which was agreed and confirmed by email. I know WFH isn't usual in teaching but my role is quite unusual and it will work, I've no doubt.

However I have today been offered WFH for some of the time in the run-up to my mat leave, for a different reason, but the head would not put it in writing as he did not want to set a precedent (?). I have stated that as the risk assessment clearly asks about home working it will have to be declared on there.

I'm now worried he might be about to renege on the one day a week WFH for when I return because of how twitchy he has been about it today, but as I have it in writing can he actually do that? I have asked my union but like most teaching unions they want your money but don't offer a great deal of service in return...I have emailed him to ask him to confirm but again I'm not expecting a reply due to his attitude today.

Anybody know where I stand? I won't get or expect a new contract as we are all on the standard teacher one (and I'm not actually going PT so won't get a new one on that basis) so that isn't an avenue to explore unfortunately.

You don't need a new contract stating your new working location, but you should get a contract variation. A flexible working request which is agreed then becomes your terms and conditions.

Did you put in a formal flexible working request or did you just have a chat.

What does the 'written confirmation' actually say? Email is perfectly acceptable as confirmation of a variation of terms and conditions, but is it worded in such a way as the Head could argue it wasn't definite?

I emailed asking to meet to discuss my RTW, then after we'd met I sent a follow-up email to confirm what we'd talked about, ending with the question 'does that sound right?' to which I got a reply stating that he agreed this was what was discussed, that he would let the relevant staff know, and thanking me for putting the summary together.

I'm now worrying that 'what was discussed' isn't the same as 'what we agreed' but in agreeing to let relevant staff (HR, finance, timetable) I hope that implies strongly enough that there was no further negotiation required?

Are there other teachers working fixed days from home at your school? If not I wouldn't count my chickens until you have it approved and something in writing from HR. Also discuss and notarise the details such as what happens when there are meetings/parents evenings/inset days that fall on your WFH day as your childcare that day may need to be flexible if you need to go in if required.

No there's nobody else doing WFH but my particular role and the circumstances that come with it are unique and could never be applied to anyone else or any other role in school, can't go into detail as it would be totally identifying.

Good point about which day it is, my parents have both offered to do childcare with notice (but not on a weekly basis) so hopefully that would resolve that one. My partner is also doing WFH one day a week as he is his own boss so could possibly do two WFH days every now and then with notice. I'd definitely be required to go in for such things and rightly so if it's a paid day of work, will see which day works best from the timetable point of view as some days are almost never used for meetings etc.

I don't think it will go to the LA HR as it its a local variation but I will check with our internal HR lady whether she has had anything to put on file yet...I suspect not.

Are planning to have your child at home while you WFH? I have never seen WFH approved if also caring for a young child and would be surprised if anyone did. Make sure your HR knows that is the arrangement and they agree with it or you could see it being revoked suddenly if they discover this later.

Indeed, he protected himself by saying he agreed thats what had been discussed rsther than what he officially agreed. Sadly, if he wanted to retract his agreement he could do so.

If he’s letting HR know what was discussed then he may be able to wiggle out of it.

What childcare will you be using on the days you WFH. It does sound from your last post as though you might be planning not to use any? I wouldn’t expect that to be acceptable at all.

It's possible though to use a half day childcare and make up the rest of the day after the DC is in bed.

You can't WFH if your child is home and you are looking after them. Its either WFH or childcare not both

”It's possible though to use a half day childcare and make up the rest of the day after the DC is in bed.”

I’m not sure how you could know that, unless you know the ins and outs of the OP’s job? And even if that is your opinion, it is up to the employer as to whether they agree to that arrangement.

It's been agreed (although starting to doubt it...) that the nature of what I would do WFH doesn't have to be done within the traditional working day, or indeed during that specific day at all, as long as I can evidence spending the correct amount of time working on it (and my output will be monitored although my integrity is a reason it's been offered in the first place).

It's not normal teacher stuff so not being unfair to colleagues, but a very specific separate project so if I do as much as I can during naptime/bedtime on the day itself then find I haven't worked long enough, I can make up the time here and there when DP is around or DC is asleep. It's totally ICT based and doesn't require me working with/speaking to anybody else so isn't time-sensitive.

Sorry to not be able to give more info but it really is such a weird one. Rest assured I won't be working when DC is awake and DP isn't home 🙂 that's if it actually comes off, of course, which I'm starting to doubt.

I guess rather than WFH it might be better described as that thing when people work 5 days worth of time but squished into 4 actual days- what's the proper term for that? As that's more likely what will happen.

I guess rather than WFH it might be better described as that thing when people work 5 days worth of time but squished into 4 actual days- what's the proper term for that?

It sound like you mean compressed hours. Several people at work have this work pattern - Days 1-4 long days with Day 5 off. It's very do-able (Public Sector)

Very common for flexible working arrangements to be a temporary thing until they’ve been reviewed.

Oh it was only ever going to be for the remainder of the school year when I go back to work- the project fits nicely into that timeframe then I'd go back to doing a normal pattern and timetable at the start of the new school year. It seemed like a win-win for everyone when we first discussed it so I'm surprised the head has gone cold on it. The project will still need doing even if it's not me that ends up with it but he'll have to pay an external consultant instead, there's no other capacity/expertise in-house for this particular thing.

Thanks for the proper term @daisychain01, I'll restate my request for confirmation or otherwise using that as it does sound much better (and more accurate) than WFH.

OP, compressed hours mean you don't do any work on the 5th day

I would never agree to staff WFH without a childcare arrangement being in place x