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Original poster

Has anyone appealed to their boss for Flexible working rights? I want to be able to work from home.

37 replies

VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 11:04

When i started working for my company 3 years ago they let me work one day a week from home. They have now been bought out by a bigger company who doesnt like me doing this and iv'e been told i cant. I have read up on my righs and because ds is under six i can apply for flexible working rights

Would someone be kind enough to read through my request to my boss before i send it to him and tell me what you think of it?

Ta.

OP posts:
Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 11:06

Dear Boss

I would like to apply to work a flexible working pattern of at least one day per week from home.

My current working pattern involves a lot of traveling as I am spreading my time between the office and * office, traveling to involves a 2 hour round trip commute and traveling to involves a 3 hour round trip commute.

I would like my future work pattern to involve one day per week working from home, 3 days based at office and 1 day traveling to *** office when is necessary. I am willing to be flexible on which day I work from home to fit in with what will suit my job and the business. So for example if one week I work from home on Monday and the following week my job requires me to be in the office on Monday then I will change my working from home day to another day during that week.

As I already have all the equipment set up to be able to work from home it would be of no extra cost to the business to allow me to do this. As I do not have to manage a team or be based specifically at one location to be able to do my job it should not cause any issues for me to not be on site for that day.

Working from home would allow me to get more work done, because there are less interruptions at home, and I would be more productive because I you wouldn?t waste time traveling to and from work and would be more refreshed at the start of my working day

Improving my work-life balance will help my morale, motivation and commitment to the business. I need to work flexibly because of family commitments, and granting my request will make sure that I can stay with the business and I am not forced to look elsewhere. It will also enhance the business's reputation as an employer of choice.

If you are not sure that home working will work, we can agree to try out my new working pattern for a short period. I am willing to be flexible on which day I work from home to fit in with what will suit my job and the business. So for example if one week I work from home on Monday and the following week my job requires me to be in the office on Monday then I will change my working from home day to another day during that week.

Kind regards

VT

OP posts:
Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 11:09

its just a rough draft, lots of mistakes now that ive read it again

OP posts:
Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 11:26

Anyone? please have a read of my final letter:

Dear Boss

I would like to apply to you to allow me to work a flexible working pattern of one day per week from home.

My current working pattern involves a lot of traveling as I am spreading my time between office 1 and office 2, traveling to office 1 involves a 2 hour round trip commute and traveling to office 2 involves a 3 hour round trip commute.

I would like my future work pattern to involve, 4 days based at office 1, one day per week working from home, and I will travel to office 2 if and when it is necessary for the business. I am willing to be flexible on which day I work from home to fit in with what will suit my job and the business. So for example if one week I work from home on Monday and the following week my job requires me to be in the office on Monday then I will change my working from home day to another day during that week.

As I already have all the equipment set up to be able to work from home it would be of no extra cost to the business to allow me to do this. As I do not have to manage a team or be based specifically at one location to be able to do my job it should not cause any issues for me to not be on site for that day.

Working from home would allow me to get more work done, because there are less interruptions at home, and I would be more productive because I wouldn?t waste time traveling to and from work and would be more refreshed at the start of my working day

Improving my work-life balance will help my morale, motivation and commitment to the business. I need to work flexibly because of family commitments, and granting my request will make sure that I can stay with the business and I am not forced to look elsewhere. It will also enhance the business's reputation as an employer of choice.

If you are not sure that home working will work, we can agree to try out my new working pattern for a short period.

Kind regards

Vinegar Tits

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 11:32

Looks good. Do I read OP right that you have been doing this for 3 years already?

Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 11:47

Yes but unofficially, its not in my contract that i can work from home, just that my last boss was a really nice guy who let me do it, hes left now

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 11:52

Doesn't have to necessarily be written down to be contractual. Has it been an ongoing arrangement for those 3 years, every week you work one day from home?

It may count as an implied contract term, in which case they can't necessarily just take it away.

Having said that, even if it's not, it would be extremely difficult for them to justify refusing it if it's been in place for 3 years and working successfully.

Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 13:23

Do you think i should put that in my letter to him? thanks for you advice btw

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 13:55

Put the working successfully bit or the possibility that it's an implied contractual term?

HappyMummyOfOne · 13/03/2008 14:05

I'd take out the threat of leaving personally as it looks a little childish - ie if you dont let me i'll cry and leave.

That sounds a bit harsh and its not meant too, just trying to say it how I would read it if that application was received in our office.

mollymawk · 13/03/2008 14:11

I would add something about the fact that you have been doing it already for three years and it has worked/no problems etc. I think they can only refuse for good business reasons and if it has worked for three years I can't see that there would be any business reasons for it suddenly not to work (unless they can say the business itself has changed).

flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 14:21

Missed the bit about might have to leave, agree with happymummy about that, take it out definitely.

Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 14:30

I cut and pasted that bit off the governemnt website, i agree with you, i'm taking it out. Will put in a paragraph about my doing already for 3 years and it being very successful. thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 14:37

Ok i have changed that paragraph to this:

Improving my work-life balance will help my morale, motivation and commitment to the business. I need to work flexibly because of family commitments, I have worked from home in the past, one day a week, with the permission of my previous boss, before the company takeover and it worked very successfully for over 2 years, with no issues.

Sounds better doesnt it?

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 14:42

I don't think put need to work flexibly for family commitments either actually, I'd just leave that out.

Can you put more about how it was successful, rather than just saying it was? What potential issues were not an issue and why, how did you avoid them being an issue, iyswim?

Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 14:42

Do you think i should also state the fact that i am a lone parent to a one year old? its such a struggle for me to do all that commuting, im dead on my feet by the end of the day

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 14:47

No. Definitely not. Your personal circumstances and childcare arrangements, all of that stuff, while very important and significant to you, are not your employer's concern.

All they need is confirmation that you are entitled to put in this request, I would say anything and everything else you include needs to be about how and why it will work and how it will benefit the business.

Sorry that sounded a bit harsh. I just don't think you will help your case by putting any of that in really.

flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 14:49

Oh, and can I assume you are not proposing to be caring for your child on the day you are working from home?

Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 14:55

He would still go to nursery on that day, does it make a difference?

OP posts:
Bubble99 · 13/03/2008 14:56

fbb. I know an employer can't ask about childcare at interview. But, wrt a request for flexi-working where an employer knows (or has been told ny the employee) that he/she has young children - are they (the employer) then able to ask if the employee has childcare arranged for the working from home day?

ProfessorGrammaticus · 13/03/2008 14:58

Yes it makes a massive difference - I'd make that clear

flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 14:58

Apologies, just thought I'd check. If I were your employer it would make a difference if you were proposing working at home and looking after your child at the same time, yes.

But you are not, so that's fine It wouldn't occur to most people to do both at the same time and didn't sound like that was what you were proposing either but it does happen occasionally that people want to do this so I thought I'd check before you went wading in

Original poster
VinegarTits · 13/03/2008 14:58

It does say on the gov website to make them aware that i have family responsibilties and therefore i am entilted to flexible working, it does say that i am entitled to care for a child as well as be able to do my job.

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 14:59

yes absolutely bubble99, that would be fine to ask

flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 15:00

vinegar without even checking I am certain that nowhere does it say that you are entitled to do both at the same time. But you are not proposing to so it's fine

Monkeybird · 13/03/2008 15:01

flowery, in such circs (caring for a child during normal working day) is it acceptable though to document how you might cover workload at other times? eg extra evening/weekend work? I know this isn't what VT is asking for but thought I'd hijack abit (Sorry VT)