Advice on applying for part time hours

[pinkpolkas]

I'm hoping to go back to work part time after my mat leave comes to an end. Maybe 3 days a week. I'm at the early stages of making contact with managers at the moment. As in I haven't made contact yet.

I was looking for advice as to how to go about it. I know there is a form to fill in and give reasons for applying for it. My reasons are basically cost of childcare and wanting to spend more time with my children before they start school but I'm looking for ways to dress that up a bit. My employer has a history of not being very accommodating to flexible working requests so I'm trying to get my ducks in a row. Any advice would be very welcome and stories of what worked for you/did you have to appeal etc

I don't think you can dress it up to be honest. They either like you and will be flexible accordingly, or they will be arseholes if they don't like you/don't like part time working.

I would be honest, but make sure you think about how your hours change may affect the business and try to come up with solutions. Eg. If Mondays and Fridays are quiet days, offer to work Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday because it's a busy time for the business. Or if you want shorter days offer to do 10-4 if those are the hours of most business activity, for example.

In my experience, making out that you need them to bend for the sake of your childcare provision won't go down well. Your childcare isn't their issue.

I think my fear is that they are exactly as you say, arseholes. I do understand my childcare isn't there issue. I am willing to be completely flexible with the days I work as long as they were set days. Also willing to do it on a temporary basis for a set period or alter my contract to be permanent part time.

All you can do is submit a formal flexible working request
Do other people work part time
IME if the Company is against part time work it's quite easy for them to turn down the request
Don't go on about your childcare arrangements
They are not interested in that

Other people do wort PT yes but that was set up when there were no staffing shortages. I need to give a reason for requesting part time work though so I really need to talk about my childcare and desire to spend time with my children.

Mine asked me how it'd benefit the company so if you're good at bull shitting...think less wage for them to pay, happier staff moral with increased productivity etc etc

@11stonesomething that's good advice thank you. There is days that would definitely be busier than others in my workplace and I'm more than willing to work those days. I'll try and have a think about how else it might benefit them but they may just see less man hours means less work being done.

Just be prepared that they may well say no. I asked for part time after giving birth and was given a flat no. If anything, they were looking for people to take more hours.

My DiL applied for part time hours when she went back to her job in the City and was refused. She was very upset but the week after she returned to work the company made all part timers redundant and she realised her boss had deliberately made her go back full time. Just saying - sometimes there is a reason why you are refused.

I am prepared for a no so I think I may need to come up with compromises or go to appeal.