DH's colleague thwarting flex working request

[mamabeeboo]

Hi all

We are due twins in 8 weeks time, really excited/nervous/stressed, but trying to prepare as much as we can. 😁

DH works in two different shift patterns alternating weekly. One week 6-2pm, next week 9-5pm, then back to 6am.

The plan for the twins is for DH to submit a flexible working request, where he can do 6-2pm shift indefinitely. So we can keep nursery costs down by paying for half day for the twins until 1pm. I can take my lunch break until DH gets back. This works for us financially, for obvious reasons.

The flex working request means his colleague is stuck on the later shift, which is the "worse shift" since you don't have a free afternoon, you are stuck on your own finishing everything etc etc. No real reason other than it's a bit of an inconvenience.

Question - what do we need to be aware of when submitting a flexi working request? Is there anything we can explain on the request to make sure that feedback from colleague is not a reason for a no? Does management even have to share the request to colleagues to get some understanding on how this would be received? Ideally we would like to keep it confidential.

Of course manager will consider the impact on the team, but technically 'colleague doesn't like it' isn't a reason for a decline according to the gov website. But he can make life a bit difficult for DH and kick off quite a bit. He seems to be quite a rowdy person from the few times I have met him.

Not fair that your partner bagsies the better shift. If I was the employer I would compromise with offering permanence of the later shift. That would still have the same result financial pay for you wouldn't it?

I would suggest you to the colleague openly and discuss with him your thinking and what he’d like. I’d be suggesting things such as taking every Mon/ Tues as an early shift and letting him have weds-Fri if he agrees to it. That’s way it’s set days for nursery and your colleague would support the request.

Just to answer a few questions here:

I asked how best to submit the working request, I didn't ask if IABU nor did I post this on that thread.

The plan b we have is that DH will have to leave his job as a double set of nursery fees costs more than he earns.

Looking at the gov website, there are only a few reasons for the request rejection (such as if it costs the company money), so will have a think about how best to approach the "impact on other colleagues" part. I already have some ideas for this, such as usually the person that does this later shift leaves early because everything is pretty much done by 4pm, so the extra hour is spent paid whilst you go home. Whereas the early shift, you do stay for the whole time, so it's pros and cons with both shifts.

We want to submit the request soon, so that we have time to add the twins to the long nursery waiting lists etc, and we know where we stand in terms of finances, planning etc .

DH working the later 9-5pm shift still means paying 2 sets of nursery fees, so this won't work for us.

It's not about pinning the problem on the other colleague, it's simply a request, if the answer is no, then it's no.

And DH isn't going to be having free afternoons on the morning shift, he will be looking after the twins.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember a rule that says you can only put in a flexible working request once per 12 months. So rather than waiting for the answer to be no and then thinking you can counter offer, you may need to put a better request forward.

If his colleague's opinion on his own job shouldn't be taken into account neither should your partner's childcare requirements.
Your wants/needs aren't more important than his.

Ha! OP, you can't do this!

You're basically saying the colleague has to work all the bad shifts because you have twins and want to save on nursery fees!

Wow this is very selfish of you. Why should someone else be stuck with a shit shift just because you don’t want to pay for childcare?

It will get declined, you can be sure of that.

So you're also going to drop the other person in it by pointing out the bunk off the last hour of the day?

You need to think of another plan.

Requesting set days each week on the shift patterns could work - it would just depend on the number of rest hours between the 5pm finish and 6am start.

I think the only way this would work would be if your husband spoke to his colleague to see if they would be happy to work 9-5pm. Personally I’d prefer this as I would not want to start work at 6am!! If they agree then your in a stronger position to put the flex work request in with any ‘issue’ already addressed so it is more likely to get approved.
That said, you are 2 months off having your twins and will no doubt take full maternity leave so 14 months and then holiday circa 15 months until this is a problem. A lot can happen in that time! You also might not want to go back full time so you could see maybe about splitting the week on set days so you can book childcare in appropriately. Also, other colleague may leave and they could then advertise new position as 9-5pm.

I would hang fire putting the request in myself.

It is understandable that your dh wants permentant early shift. If that means one other person gets permenant late shifts then and they don't want them then it is very unlikely it can work.

If your dh is very needed to the business due to his niche skills they will try to find a way for it to work for dh and the colleague.

Is there no way dh can do all the late shift and you could drop twins at nursery on your lunch break and only paying for afternoons? Sounds like colleague would be on board with that.

I asked how best to submit the working request, I didn't ask if IABU nor did I post this on that thread. yes but we can still think its unreasonable. And therefore likely to be declined.

The plan b we have is that DH will have to leave his job as a double set of nursery fees costs more than he earns. fair enough. You won't get tax free childcare though.

I really, really hope they say no

Looking at the gov website, there are only a few reasons for the request rejection (such as if it costs the company money), so will have a think about how best to approach the "impact on other colleagues" part.

Firstly, “business needs” is a big umbrella that covers rejecting this.

And secondly, it doesn’t matter what you think the impact is, it matters what the colleague thinks.

You can only submit one request every 12 months. I understand the reasons behind wanting the switch, but you must realise you're not being particularly kind to the other employee. You're not being unreasonable in requesting it, but you're being unreasonable by deliberately looking for ways around the negative impact it would have the other staff member to try and get it approved. Do better and teach your kids better mama.

You seem fairly certain the request doesn't fall within any of the reasons to reject. It does very easily. I can make it fit several, for example, your DH not being able to work the late shift means less flexibility for coverage - impacts the business - it's a no.

How to word your request? Very simply is the only way, there is no easy way to make your request seem like a great option to the employer, bar the possibility of losing an employee. They will have to weigh up their options.

I have had such a shit day but this has cheered me up immensely. Laughed like a loon at reading it so thanks OP. But then, just when I thought the level of CF couldn't get any better you added I already have some ideas for this, such as usually the person that does this later shift leaves early because everything is pretty much done by 4pm, so the extra hour is spent paid whilst you go home. Whereas the early shift, you do stay for the whole time, so it's pros and cons with both shifts.

Absolutely brilliant. You'd better hope that dh gets his request to shaft his colleague to care for your twins and gets that later shift which three comments ago was the shit shift but is now the 'here's an hours pay for nothing' shift because if dh gets that shift, I'd guess he WON'T be getting an hours freebie cash as you'll have so cleverly informed the Company of their wasteful ways.

👏

I would also discourage him from leaving as he might want to go back to work when you get more free childcare/kids are back at school and as he has very niche skills he might find it hard to find something.

And when the other colleagues partner gets pregnant with triplets and puts their request in? what will happen then? Yes you are being unreasonable as apparently your children who are not born yet are priority in your small minded world!

When are you planning on putting your children into childcare? If he's the low earner, what does his shared parental leave policy look like?

P/T hours? Many be they'd be willing to let him keep a couple of days on permanent earlies (share the week with existing colleague) & they could find someone to pick up the remaining lates?

So, let me get this right....you think that you (not an employee of this company) can make demands to this company in your DH's favour and try to give them an ultimatum that he will leave if you (his wife not an employee of said company) don't get your own way.
OK.
Why should a company and an actual employee of said company, be put over a barrel because you and your husband decide to have children?
The level of entitlement is through the roof.

Given the cost of 2 x nursery fees, you might be better off looking for a nanny as it may work out cheaper.

Does your husband not have a brain what with all his specialist skills? Why are you doing this? Is he also unable to speak? Why doesn’t he have a chat with the colleague?

The request is idiotic, your reasoning about how your husband and his colleague bunk off when they’re on the late shift is hilarious, although in complete contrast to you saying how they have to stay and finish up.

"No real reason other than it's a bit of an inconvenience"

How could you possibly know that the other colleague doesn't have a reason to now want to work the later shift?

He also really needs to be doing this himself as if it's like my company there will be a meeting to discuss it.