Found out on first day back my promised change of work hours wasn't put in place

[ToCaden]

What would you do?

When baby was six months I went in for a talk with my line manager. My mother had offered to look after baby when I went back to work after a year, but only for a certain number of days a week which was one day less than I was doing previously.

Line manager said this was no problem and guaranteed he'd have the change of hours put through in time for my return.

I just finished my first day at work. Now have a new line manager who said no change of hours had been requested, and was very negative about it being changed (seems most of her team is only on two or three days a week so perhaps she wants to keep me on more or thinks no more will be honored?) She seems nice, but we reached the end of the day and she still hadn't even put a request in.

I was panicking as only have childcare for the hours the previous line manager promised. My mother has sportingly agreed to try the increased hours until something is sorted which helps, but I feel sick being away from him longer than I'd planned every week.

My line managers only input was that I could try taking an annual leave day a week, but she wasn't sure how long she could honor that, and they probably wouldn't reduce my working hours anyway.

Honestly? If nothing was put in writing by your old line manager saying they’d accepted a flex work request and issuing a new/amended contract, I’d chalk it up to experience and a. Put in a formal flex request then b. If it wasn’t accepted, start looking elsewhere.

Assuming you have nothing in writing from old line manager?

Can you contact your old manager to get something in writing to evidence what had been agreed?

I've learned from bitter experience, as both an employee and a manager to always get these kinds of things in writing. People don't stay at organisations very long these days and this situation is all too common. Succession planning and record keeping are now diabolically bad at most organisations.

Are your HR any good? The union? You can now request formal working hours almost immediately in a new job (I know you might think this is your old job but it doesn't sound as if they do). And, sorry, but get ready to start job hunting.

Still need to check all my emails, but don't think I had anything in writing. He was quite hard to get hold of. That was my only face to face with him for the whole of my maternity leave.

Again he was nice and couldn't do enough to help me while I was pregnant before maternity. I know he and his partner were having issues getting pregnant so did wonder if that was why I had such little contact from him after the baby came along.

Will need to check to see if he's still working for the company. He was so on the ball with everything prematernity leave that I didn't expect him not to do what he said he would.

Hindsight I really should've asked for it in writing, but he was so definite in that meeting about putting it through. And I felt like a bother as he was so busy whenever I contacted him during maternity.

Feel like a bit of an idiot as thought everything was sorted. Trying to pull myself together emotionally as it's the baby's first birthday tomorrow. Thankfully managed to get that day off at least.

Will see about contacting hr. Tried today but there seems to be dozens of hr and got the wrong one so need to try again.

Went through the hr guidance also and there's all this talk about line managers contacting those on maternity to discuss changes to work hours etc on return (which I thought we'd done), and feel very caught off guard that none of it was done.

When you gave notice of your return did you mention your proposed hours? Did you ever make a formal flexible working request? You could do so now but they can cite business reasons to refuse.

My work wouldn't accept this without a formal flexible working request form being filled out. They would then send a letter detailing new salary and new contracted hours. Unfortunately I think it'a a case of making sure you get everything in writing going forward.

Hope you get it sorted though cause I know how stressful it is trying to sort childcare and a work/life balance!

Sort of thinking out loud here.. Your old manager said it was fine to reduce your hours, could he have been expecting a flexible working request? As in, you had an informal chat, he agreed that all was good and expected your request formally?

It wouldn't look great if he reduced your hours without an official request.

Assuming nothing has been resolved since your last post, your only real options are to put in a flexible working request and request annual leave to cover the days you don't have childcare

Have you go anything in writing about this? If not it is tricky...if your previous manger is still at the company can you try and contact him and see i f he can help? Not easy nowadays...

Agree with this. He might have been unclear with you about it but I would check your HR processes and assume a written flexible working request would be needed.
I have often had informal discussions with my team about flex working so by the time they formally apply I can just rubber stamp it, but nothing happens until they formally apply.

Surely you must know that you are meant to put these requests in writing? How do you think the request gets actioned by hr with no paperwork? Best do it now quick and make sure you mention that this was agreed by x at x date and you are still awaiting the new contract to sign like it's a done deal?

Did it really not occur to you to get this in writing?

And why are you saying the new line manager hasn't put a request in, it is for you to put a flexible working request in not your line manager.

I also find it strange that you think your manager should contact you to discuss changes to work hours on return. I have managed a lot of maternity leave returners and I assume they are returning to their previous role and hours unless they proactively tell me otherwise - and put in a flexible working request in writing.

Completely agree with @HunterHearstHelmsley. This is what happened with me. I chatted with my manager at a branch level (I’m assistant manager) about my intention to try and reduce my hours on returning from ML. She looked at it and made sure it was feasible in terms of staffing etc. All fine and she was more than happy to accommodate. I then put in my formal flexible working request to HR and it was supported by my manager when she was approached by HR as we’d already put a plan in place at branch level. HR then dealt with change of contract/salary etc.
Perhaps your old line manager was then expecting things to be dealt with formally through HR.

Dont chalk it up to experience or let the manager off the hook. If you cant do the full time job look for an exit package.

Line manager said this was no problem and guaranteed he'd have the change of hours put through in time for my return.

Its not your problem OP its a company problem
the old manager changed your contract
That can be an oral contract.
Yes you should have gotten it in writing or followed the HR process yourself but that bit is not in your job spec its in your managers.
The managers job is to manage the supply of labour while your job is to show up (and work).

My line managers only input was that I could try taking an annual leave day a week, but she wasn't sure how long she could honor that, and they probably wouldn't reduce my working hours anyway.

if she the company can not provide your contract hours in your new role they need to start offering you an alternative role or a redundacy package.

Went through the hr guidance also and there's all this talk about line managers contacting those on maternity to discuss changes to work hours etc on return (which I thought we'd done), and feel very caught off guard that none of it was done.

he was so definite in that meeting about putting it through.

You have nothing to loose in this situation by pushing the ownership of the problem firmly back on the company.

If you were not on mat leave and had no paperwork, you would have only come to work on your new schedule, the new manager would have accepted that schedule plus get HR to issue a contract.

Now
You get the old agreed hours and stay
Or
You agree the mistake was your fault and hand in your notice and leave
Or
You argue that it is the fault of the manager for not keeping meeting notes and not doing the HR he agreed to do. You came back and were also offered a "new job role" now the role you were offered no longer exists so they either provide a similar role or an exit package.

It is a different way of looking at it.

They don't have to offer a similar role, they can cant change t and c s but they can change the role.

The role doesn't sound like it has been made redundant either.

Op you can put in a forms flexible working request but they can refuse it.

This. It's your job to put the formal request in not your line managers

You get your role back or an equivelent with same T&C

OP was given her job back which was the same role as the one she left having to work a full week
This was the company complying with legislation
If OP could not take the role of a full week she has resigned and the role still exists for any applicant and the manager has ticked the mat leave obligation.
(This would be upheld by case law)

Then they both entered into a negoiation which created 2 new role with the key change of T&C of hours worked.
The manager company now has
1 role of X days filled by OP and
1 open role of Y days
both of which add to a full week.

The agreement is a verbal contract of employment.
She can not create/offer a new role only accept it.

The OP's argument is she was offered (by the company) and accepted the new role and gave notice in the old one. Once she gave notice the old role was made redundant and the 2 new ones replace it.

The new manager is saying the company now have 1 role of a full week not 2 roles.

It is all about the timing.
If the OP can not do the full time she is not due anything from the company.
But she is at a disadvantage now because she relied on the old manager to push through the change.

You really do need to put in an official flexible working request ASAP, if you haven't already done so.

Your workplace couldn't unilaterally change your working hours whilst you were on maternity leave, this is why a paper trail is needed and likely why no changes have been actioned.

It's unfortunate and it seems like a big communication cock up. I expect the old manager meant the changes would be ready on your return, assuming you'd put in an official request but didn't articulate this and didn't follow up when he didn't receive anything.

Yes. Made sure paperwork now submitted.

Suppose it's a bit different in other jobs. In my one for official stuff like change of hours it's the line manager who puts the paperwork through. Various line managers differ as to how much they get you to do on the electronic form they send, a few send it to you then you type in which days you want to change to then you send it back and they fill in rest of form and send it (one end of spectrum) and on the other end some just require a verbal chat (which was done during the only keeping in touch chat) then type what days you want in the request form themselves and send it off.

As I did not have access to the forms, etc, and he said he'd get it done that's what I assmed happened. Next time I'll be sure to ask the manager to send a copy of completed paperwork to my address or personal email.

It's apparlently the responsibility of the line manager to do so in my company according to guidance and chats I've had to make sure I understand it.

Basically as with long term sick the LM is supposed to have keeping in touch chats over maternity and at some point is supposed to ask if anything needs to be put in place for return to work such as a request of change in hours due to new childcare responsibilities.

A flexible working request is a real legal thing and it definitely needs to be initiated by you.

This. You should have chased this up before you came back to work.

Totally. Which I did according to the companies procedures six months ago when I verbally requested it during a meeting and provided during that meeting the information needed for the form.

Though from this experience I now understand much better why other companies put more of the process on the employee rather than most of the process needing to be done by line manager.

I one hundred percent own up that I should've chased up to make sure he did complete the form following the meeting and submitted it. He just told me not to worry about it, to just concentrate on baby and he'd make sure it was done and approved, and I unfortunately took that at face value.

Also been having fun at work as it turns out he also didn't keep other paperwork up to date so been trawling through emails and files for past few years getting all that up to date.