Flexible working request

[mamahg]

Hi everyone!

I'm due to go back to work in April.

I have submitted a flexible working request to work from home. The reason for this, is that I don't have any help with childcare and the kids would be at nursery 07:30-18:00, and there were a few times I was late picking up my eldest because of constant train delays.

My days were:
Wake up, get ready, get little one ready and drop off at nursery at 7:30. By the time they take him inside it's about 7:35/7:40. I get to the train station at 08:00. Trains were delayed A LOT or cancelled. Which means I'd be late for work by a few minutes quite a bit. I start work and I finish at 5. Train doesn't leave until 5:30 but again lots of delays and by the time I get to my car and go to the nursery it's past 6 and I don't have any other childcare. I am also now a single parent doing it completely on my own.

My little one was so tired all the time and so upset. He was happier on shorter days when I took AL for the afternoon just so he can come home earlier. He was only 11 months old at the time. I was beyond exhausted having to come home, make quick dinner, bath and bed. I was in tears at one point.

I want to work from home so the kids are only in childcare from 7:45- 16:45. My work hours would be 08:00-16:30. The job is incredibly easy and doable from home. No one speaks to each other in the office, very introverted colleagues and even if they're next to you they message you on teams 🤣. Same with the manager/supervisors. There's barely any talking so it won't be detrimental to employee relationships at all. It's a hotel reservations job, pretty much a call Center job. We are separate from the hotel ops side of things and we do not have any contact with the rest of the hotel staff. We are in our own little bubble.

I told them in the letter that I'd be happy to go in for training, meetings and other necessary activities. But I would like to wfh permanently. I'm worried that this might be turned down as nobody else in the office works from home (apart from manager every now and then), and they'll blame it on "Quality of work might be affected".

I have my meeting with HR and manager end of this month and I am so nervous.

Has anyone managed to successfully get their WFH request approved? Do I have a leg to stand on? I'm so nervous in case they say no as I do enjoy the job.

You need to be able to prove there will be no detriment to your performance. Maybe a trial period?

I would also think about what compromises you are happy to make, ie you will do 2 days in the office and 3 at home.

Or you want shorter hours, so you'll go in but you leave at 4pm.

Basically a list of options that allow you to propose solutions to their objections, if indeed they have any.

Can't your partner do some pick ups?

I did mention to them that hybrid working will still put me and the kids under the same stress as previously with the super long days. And cutting down my hours will mean that I will still pay for a full day at nursery and same high transport costs but with less income 😮‍💨

I told them I'm willing to do weekends once a month, same as before. And I'm happy to go in for training etc.

I'm alone unfortunately

it sounds like you need to look for a job that fits you and your family better

how long have you been there?

does anyone in the team work WFH even part time let alone full time?

you are due to go back to work in april

but speak as though you relay have a lot of experience of doing the above?

I am also now a single parent doing it completely on my own.

So no..

How would you manage weekend working?

Can you reduce your hours instead?

Yeah that's not going to work if you've no childcare

I would focus on having a thorough list for your discussion with HR, on why your job won't be negatively impacted by the new set up. I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the impact of cost to you, as most employers ultimately see this as not their problem. I successfully submitted a flexible working request (1 day a week in the office) on returning from Mat leave so we could move to a more rural location. I am the only one in the office who does this. I made sure to try and anticipate any issues my manager / HR might have with it and agreed to a review period after 6months. Ultimately I think it comes down to how long you've been there / are you a proven valuable employee and how 'progressive' your employer is. Good luck with it!

op i see from your other thread that you started in September and became pregnant during your probationary period

you have actually hardly been there for very long at all

i i think you’ll have a tough time convincing that your suggestion will fly

the fact that you are a single parent with no support and have told them that weekend working would be ok… would be a major red flag for me in Hr

This. They don't actually care about the impact on you. Make it about them

They can always hire someone without this level of "fussing".
Plenty of people around...

Your personal life and childcare arrangements are not relevant.

You need to make a business case for your request and explain how it can work.

That is all.

You don't have to 'prove' anything. Your employer can only refuse on certain grounds (you can look them up). .If what you say is true I'd just agree to it. The fact you are being called into a meeting, I suspect means they will decline ... unless they like having meetings for meetings sake.

Hi just wondering if I’d be able to get a little advice.
Returning to working from ML, have holidays to use which should take me up to April,

I’ve requested to change my working days from 4 days to 3/3.5. The days requested have been rejected apart from 1 full day. I have explained I only have childcare for these days and they are the only days I’d be able to work.

hasn’t really offered an alternative just give me the option of the days he needs me to be there.

I’ve then gone back and said I’d have to drop to 2 days if he cannot accommodate the days I’ve requested due to childcare, but when doing this he has turned around and said I can do the 2 days but they would have to be the days I’ve already said I cannot work!
where do I stand with this?
I’ve offered to work Tues-thurs with half day Friday (originally) as i do not have childcare for a Monday or Friday afternoon. His response was Monday Thursday full day Friday.
now I’ve said I’ll do 2 days and he has said Monday and Friday! I feel there is no compromise with him and he’s not taking into consideration I do not have childcare for the days he’s asking me to work

Childcare is not his issue to solve . If he as a business needs full cover on Monday and Friday then you need to try to work towards it. What options do you have for alternative childcare?

I manage a team and would likely reject this request.
Your childcare arrangements are not a businesses concern.
my concern with approving this is it often opens the floodgates for others. Everyone has some sort of reason it would be better to wfh. Not always feasible.
As a business this is hard to manage.
You accepted the job on the terms you now have.

"Do I have a leg to stand on?" Yes you do.
Could they find a reason not to accommodate it? - yes they could

It's a fine request, and if THEY feel that there is indeed no disadvantage to you not being in the office, they might happily accommodate it. There are obviously reasons, just in generally, why it might not be convenient for them to have you working at home, in which case it's fine for them to reject it. There's no way of knowing more.