Work refusing flexible working

[Confusednewmum1]

I have worked for a company for 10+ years and I am due back from maternity leave. I am a team manager and as such need to work an element of evenings and weekends. I have came up with a shift which I think would suit teams and it’s been flat rejected because they are recruiting on another shift and that’s where the “gaps are” the issue is I can’t possibly work it. It involves sat and Sunday working as in whole weekend and individual days and regular working a week at a time until 8pm. I will be using a combination of nursery, childminder which runs from 7-18:30 and adhoc family support. But literally can’t get home after 9pm. Other team manager, have people in there team that work this crazy shift but have kept a more palatable shift. The reason I have been given as to not getting to work that shift is I will be taking a full new team, so I have to mirror. I challenged my manager and now I have to submit a formal appeal ect, I’m so stressed and ill. I’ve always been great at my job ect and feel like I’m being singled out.

So who or what do you propose to cover those hours you can. I longer work?

God I'm sorry to hear this, sounds so stressful. They have to have a very good business reason for turning your request down. Could you get some advice? E.g. ACAS have a free number to call, or citizens advice?

I really hope it works out in the end for you. X

Actually they don't need a very good reason to refuse a request. Just one that fits into one of the 8 prescribed reasons in the Acas guidance, but that's fairly easy to do as they're quite vague eg detrimental impact on quality.

The employer's duty is only to consider the request, it's easy piss peasy to come up with a valid reason for refusal and not a lot you can do if the decision is upheld at appeal sorry OP I'd be looking elsewhere for more family friendly hours if I were you.

I just don’t see why I can’t work the other shift that my peers are? If I had been in the business then I wouldn’t be taking a full new team. It would have been a level playing field.

They don't want you back now you have kids. Can you get a union/solicitor/ CAB appointment for help with the form? Don't let them get away with treating you differently to others.

The union are involved, they have agreed it’s discrimination. The last meeting was held by my manager and the minutes paint a different picture to what was said. I believed that there would be another meeting to discuss the points I raised about how I could make it work. I feel like I have given my life to the place just to have been treated like this