Can work expect my attendance?

[Sendinsanity]

Does anyone know where I stand with my job? I work 9.30-2 5 days a week during school hours. My contract doesn't specify those as my hours but that I work 22.5 hours a week. It is in my contract they can expext me to attend things that are reasonable requests outside of my usual hours. We have a whole service catch up scheduled 1-4.30pm that they want me to go to.

I have two disabled children with EHCPs and significant needs. They are let out of school 15 minutes early to get my oldest out safely before the chaos. Oldest has a blue badge. I don't have anyone else to do school runs and they can't attend wrap around. They can't just be released to a neighbour/other school parent etc. due to the risk to my oldest in particular. Their dad was last seen January 2017 before disappearing into things air.

Can work reasonably insist I go?

Yes they can. You could talk to your manager and try to work out a solution but they'd have every right to tell you you need to be there.

Can you do your usual hours and then leave (or work as late what is feasible for you?)

If it’s in your contract then, yes, they can expect your attendance. Have you discussed the issues it causes for you with them?

Have you asked to be excused at 2pm and been denied? I would expect them to agree given the situation.

I literally have no options for the children.

My manager doesn't have an issue and is quite firmly on my side, she hired me knowing my circumstances and on the basis I had to be able to do school runs, she'd also happily catch me up. It's come from above her following us being moved from one service delivery unit to another.

They don't like the idea of me only attending until 2pm as the first hour is the "fun" bit.

My team is also a really unique team as we have to be arms length from the over riding authority and separate in terms of data and what can be shared between so the last one they ran from 9.30-1.30, other than the informal first hour, we were only allowed to actively be present for about 14 minutes and the rest was in a side room, which just makes the whole situation all the more frustrating.

Our place has emergency carer's leave - do you have anything like that? You could submit a form for the piece of time from 2pm-4:30pm.

Conversely, what would happen if you said 'I apologise but I can not attend' - this is not gross misconduct, so what would happen?

I'd speak to your Union or ACAS as they are being twats. Sorry this is happening to you

Yes they can as it's in your contract. If they make you in reality....who knows, only your manger can give you that answer so you need to speak to them.

I work flexibly for similar reasons. It's been agreed, but the same as you I am expected to be flexible the other way round and attend things that are outside of my usual hours if important. I have found that it's working well for my work because I often volunteer to do things out of hours or on weekends that others don't. I try to make it work both ways so work are more willing to accept it when there is something I can't attend. I understand that's easy for me to do because my dh will be with the dc and leave work early if I need to stay late. If not we can pay for childcare. We don't have any family that can help but my dc are able to go to paid care. Obviously if you don't have this option there is not a lot you can do. All you can do is speak to your manager, explain the situation and hope they will agree it. If it was me I would go armed with suggestions and solutions on how I would get the information from the meeting without it having a huge impact on others and also how I can contribute or offer something to them to make it go down better.

What do you do during school holidays OP? Would that be an option?

You don't have to answer this in case it's outing for you but from your update I assume you are in an IRO/CP chair or similar position. If so you should be absolutely fine. Just tell your manger and don't attend. The higher ups won't even know and you will be fine if they do.

I work term time only, but that is where I do work flexibly. Usually as we are inundated with paperwork over the holidays so I tend to do 2 hours a day before the children wake up and I can bank some TOIL for if an issue arises.

Your contract says a 'reasonable request' outside of normal hours.

Expecting a lone parent with not one but two disabled children, who has no other help (and no childcare alternative), to attend something that goes on until 4.30 is not a reasonable request.

Thank you, a formal flexible working request is a good idea. I've been working this pattern for 18 months. It's in September.

Other than 2-3 hours when they get short breaks in the holidays they are always with me or at school.

Yes they can insist but you also have a reasonable caring duty elsewhere. I agree that the only place that will be able to decide which is more reasonable than another would be a tribunal.

Given your children’s high needs, they must both have at least a 1:1. I’d recommend speaking to them about the possibility of being an emergency back up if anything comes up in the future as you might find something happens where you need to be elsewhere (possibly with one of the children) and you do need to have someone who can help out.

Yes this is the salient point. The request is not reasonable.

Have you actually told them officially that you can't do it? Because so far it doesn't sound like you have.

If your manager is supportive of you not attending, and you just need a way to get it past more senior bods - can you take annual leave for that whole day and not go in at all?

Then can, but please do talk to your Line Manager who may be able to mitigate your attendance by agreeing to cascade the information to you. If no luck, HR or any Wellbeing Ambassadors you have in your workplace.

They legally can insist but they would be unreasonable to in your situation in my opinion. If your manager is supportive of you then hopefully higher management will see that this doesn't qualify as something they can insist you attend.
I suppose the last resort is going off sick but that could end up with disciplinary action so very risky

Just take to your manager and explain why you can't. If I had a manager who wouldn't let me off this I'd be looking for another job, it's a fairly reasonable request

This is partly why I'm frustrated. My manager and team are brilliant, they know I go above and beyond my job and are very very supportive of my circumstances. It's above my manager that is causing the issue 😞