Work not accommodating R/T/W wishes after mat leave

[MRS54321]

I know they don’t have too, but they’ve not budged on inch!
Just a flat “no” to anything I have suggested
They did offer a zero hour contract which was laughable.
Everything through email or letter - no one available ( it seems) for a zoom or face to face chat
I work a shocking rota and currently, I would not see DS for over a day, at one point.
I work nights and feel the day staff are better accommodated
Why is there even flexible work policies when they are not often implemented? Are they just there so wotk places can say “ well.. we HAVE one …?”
I’m so upset and dreading my return to work , even more now.

What sector do you work in?

Time to find another job. There are lots of vacancies in most areas so a good time to find an employer who treats you better

@pastabest a hospital
@anniegun yes but I’m not a nurse, I’m what you would’ve called an Auxiliary,back in the day and apparently ten a penny …
I’ve worked there for a good many years so I’m a bit gutted.
I feel like it’s a constructive dismissal, as I’ve no idea how people on my shift pattern actually find childcare that agrees to take your DC random days or hours ?

you could literally walk into almost any care home or domiciliary care agency at the moment and be given shifts you like.

@hatgirl it’s not that type of hospital

[quote MRS54321]@pastabest a hospital
@anniegun yes but I’m not a nurse, I’m what you would’ve called an Auxiliary,back in the day and apparently ten a penny …
I’ve worked there for a good many years so I’m a bit gutted.
I feel like it’s a constructive dismissal, as I’ve no idea how people on my shift pattern actually find childcare that agrees to take your DC random days or hours ?[/quote]
But it's not constructive dismissal. You agreed to the terms and conditions of the role. You've now decided that you don't like these. Your employer feels they have sound business reasons to not be able to meet your requests. Have you offered any mitigation and suggestion of how to work around what their concerns would be? Working nights it may well be very difficult to get staff that would work the shifts you now dislike. It could be that it wouldn't be financially sound to split the role as this adds significant additional costs. Do you, for example, know someone who'd happy do the shifts you don't want to do?
Working night shifts and needing childcare was never going to be feasible, so I'm not really sure about your childcare comment, beyond how you provide the care for your child is your concern, not your employer's.

@ChoiceMummy
Cheers for that insight
I feel better now …..

Random hours is hard, but if you can get the childcare needed to fit a standard childcare day, there are childminders who will accommodate rotas.
My flexi working was rejected. I stuck it 2 years and left. They asked what they could do to keep me..... err not reassign me to the manager who put me on antidepressants and contemplate my reduced hours request, like everyone else got.....

[quote MRS54321]@hatgirl it’s not that type of hospital[/quote]
It doesn't really matter

Every single type of caring profession is crying out for staff at the moment.

My local authority currently has 60+ jobs available for people without formal qualifications to do care work, assistant OTs work, reablement support work, support work with people with LD or MH issues in supported living or day services, commissioning roles etc.

Someone with your experience even if its not strictly relevant would walk into any care related job.

That is before you even start considering private agencies and things like doing direct payment work.

What suggestions did you make that they turned down?

@MaizeAmaze aw I’m sorry that went that way for you

@HunterHearstHelmsley a fair few variations but kept just getting “Nope “ like, they werw absolutely not having it.
I thought at least I could use up my holidays to break up my shift pattern, but they said they wanted me back on my original shift pattern ASAP
Just quite stressed and sad now.

Can you quit your job and join the bank?

Or are you in a private small hosp?

@Isahlo kind of ,
Essentially that’s what their zero hour contract would be. But it’s covering shifts at short notice but again, not helpful for organising child care
So they could offer me my “hours” a few hours notice before the shift, and if I can’t do it :find childcare- that’s them held up their end of the deal…

[quote MRS54321]@ChoiceMummy
Cheers for that insight
I feel better now …..[/quote]
You may not have liked my response, but its a business response.
I suggest you go back to it and see if you can offer any mitigation and suggestion of how to work around what their concerns would be? And suggest how to get staff to work the shifts you now dislike. Do you know someone who'd happy do the shifts you don't want to do?
*If you had appropriate business focussed responses/suggestions to the above, you then stand a chance to find some flexibility.
The employer has 8 reasons they can refuse and atm, you're not providing any work around to their adversely impacting the business refusal that they can not facilitate.

@mrs54321 what hours are you being asked to do and what do you want to do?
Do you plan on having more children and need maternity benefits etc?
Working Bank as a HCSW within the NHS could work well, you can block book shifts months ahead if you work well on a ward....everywhere is short staffed and would be glad to book you up