Flexible working after maternity

[star-87]

Has anyone been turned down for flexible working after going back to work after maternity?
All help with this would be great thanks

Ye I got turned down, appealed it and for turned down again 🙄

I got turned down, but this was pre-pandemic. I asked for 2 days a week at home, in the hope I'd get 1. Boss said no as I was in a senior position, and "needed to maintain a high profile." I'd left by that workplace a couple of years before Covid hit, but I know from ex-colleagues that everyone there worked from home for at least 6 months.

At the workplace I left there for (I've been here 4 years now), I work a 9 day fortnight, plus 2 days each week from home. Employers who want staff to be rigid aren't going to attract many people.

My tip is to ask for more than what you would be comfortable with; if you get everything you ask for, it will be a bonus, or they may negotiate you to where you actually wanted to be. If they dismiss your request entirely, I'd look for a new job. The world is a different place since Covid, and so many employers are far more open to flexible working than they were before.

How does that work?
If they refuse what happened???

Thank you for your reply. I'll keep that in mind. I probably sound thick but when you say ask for more than what your comfortable with in what sense sorry?

I got refused part time working. If they refuse and have a valid reason (you can look up the reasons they are legally allowed to give) and an appeal is also refused your choices are sadly to accept it or find a different job.

What flexibility is it that you are looking for? Compressed? Part time? Wfh?

What are you asking for, and does anyone do similar now?

Going back from maternity leave has very little to do with it. As a carer to a child you have a statutory right to apply (although some employers like mine allow anyone to apply) and they must consider it, but the proposed arrangement must also work. Which includes meeting the needs of the business, which is where many fail.

I disagree with aiming higher than you want as you can apply once a year (unless your employer allows more) so don't waste your chance on something totally unworkable.

My tip is to find out what other fwa there are and mirror them- for example colleague doing same role is off on Tuesdays so offer to do a long day on Tuesdays.

I got declined, appealed, got declined and had to find a new job.

As a carer to a child you have a statutory right to apply

anyone can apply for flexible working. Regardless of carer/children etc.

Yep, my company are arseholese

@star-87 I meant to ask for more than you're comfortable with/need, as in if you want to work from home 2 days a week, ask for 3 initially. If you want to go part-time, have an informal discussion with your manager about what days/hours could work before making the formal application. If they are any kind of decent employer, they'll negotiate with you.

It's also worth bearing in mind that you need to think about what would be realistic for the business e.g. no good asking to work from home if you have a customer facing in person role as a sales advisor, for example.

Ultimately, your workplace can turn you down; mine did, "for business reasons". I didn't appeal as I knew it wouldn't be overturned; I just left the company within 6 months when I'd found a more accommodating, better paid employer, so it worked out well.

If you say roughly what kind of industry and work you do, and what you're looking for, people may be able to give better advice.

Just ask. Plus, flexible working practices are now the norm in more sectors since the pandemic.
I went from FT to PT after mat leave several years ago. I then asked for school hours a few years later, so we could put middle DC in the school nursery in order to avoid paying one year of private nursery fees. My request was declined, although I did not make an official request. I left a few years later. Was a SAHM for several months. Eventually got bored once youngest DC was settled into school. Got a job closer to home and school, working school hours and hybrid working. I unfortunately took quite a big hit compared to previous salary. Lockdown hit within weeks. I’ve not been happy in my current job for a while - small team, workload increase due to the pandemic, been working crazy hours, apparently no resources for additional staff and an awful micromanaging Manager. I’m now going back to my previous employer, as they’ve asked me to go back and have offered me the flexibility that I was previously refused without me having to ask for it. School hours, a day off, more money, WFH with the occasional day in the office or whenever I want to be in the office with a bigger and nicer supportive team.

Yep applied to work 3 days per week but was turned down for business reasons.
3 weeks later they decided to move me to a different team that negated the reasons they turned it down but it was too late to appeal.
tbf it worked out ok- can wfh if I want to but I hate it. I’ve established myself in my new team and kept my income. I will be applying for shorter hours when it comes to school times but making myself indispensable before then 🙂

I asked to drop one day and they said no as I'm a manager 🙄. You can put in an appeal (can't remember how long you get to do it) I put together a case of how it would work, staff cover etc but they still refused. I did go back full time but ended up falling pregnant again lol. So currently off on maternity leave just now. I'm not going back once it ends

Also applied, got rejected, appealed, got rejected. The reasons they have for rejection were then invalid as they changed my job role on return. I couldn’t appeal again as you can only appeal once!

Definitely don’t ask for more than you want, they’ll just say it’s unworkable and they have no obligation to compromise. The only people I know who this has worked for is those who have arranged informal agreements with their line manager.

Ive been successful both times. Second time in a management role too.

Whilst we all know this is about making your home life work well and ensuring time with DC whilst maintaining income. Thats not how to approach the negotiating.

Its about making it look well thought out and how it will suit the business/work well with business. Make sure you are covering the busiest days of the week. Or the busiest hours of the day etc.

Yep. I stuck it for a year, and left.

It varies so much, jobs even with the same title just aren't the same. When making a request think whether you ca. genuinely work in that way without it impacting on others? If so then most companies do try to offer some flexibility but not all jobs lend themselves to it especially small teams

I work in retail and after 15 yrs of service I thought maybe they would be a bit nicer tbh I've ran a department and not got paid for it I've cancelled holiday done 18days in a row I'm shocked how now they don't care 😲

Have you actually asked @star-87, and what did you ask for if they've turned you down?

Ultimately if they say no you have to suck it up or get a new job