Advice needed: working hours

[Sandysandy999]

Hi.
Myself and a colleague have the same job role. My colleague recently made a request to reduce their week to 3 days (from 5). I have now asked the same but have been refused as they said there's too much work and they cant have 2 people on reduced hours.
Any advice would be appreciated :)

They are allowed to do this.

Did you make a formal application and explain how the business could adapt for this?

Unfortunately a flexible working request is just that, a request. They felt they could allow one person in reduced days but not two. Unfortunately your colleague got their request in first

Thanks for the swift reply. I have made the formal request and suggested adaptions. Is there anything I can do to appeal?

Have a look at the ACAS website under flexible working - it's hard without knowing the specifics.

You can appeal, they can say no still.

Basically you're saying the two jobs can be done by just over 1FTE?

Previously 10 working days per week to do the work

Now with your colleague's reduced hours it's 8 working days - they accepted this

You're asking them to accept the work can be done in 6 working days... I think that's a hard sell and I can see why they refused.

By adaptations do you mean changing the role or putting the work elsewhere?

Your employer is absolutely within their rights to do this.

Decisions about flexible working (like reduced hours) need to be made based on business needs at the time of the application. So it sounds like the business could accommodate some reduced hours working at the time your colleague made their application but once that had been agreed there is then no more slack to agree any more reduced hours working.

Did you submit a formal FW request? If so - you can appeal but for it to succeed you will need to set out how the arrangement could work successfully for the business, your colleagues etc. ie how will the work be covered? Maybe suggest recruiting someone else do do a jobshare with you?

Could you and your colleague perhaps consider a job share? Would that work