Apologies for the length of this post, I just need to get this off my chest as it's stressing me out.
I returned to work full time in April following 10 months off for a cardiac arrest which has caused a hypoxic brain injury and fatigue.
In June I put forward a formal flexible working request asking to drop from 37.5 hours over 5 days to 30 hours over 4 days as a reasonable request to help with my fatigue.
This was declined in July; however, my line manager did suggest that I could build up flexi time to take a day off (the usual amount allowed is 2 hours at a time). It was also suggested that I could consolidate my hours to work full time over 4. I have all this in writing as part of my letter declining their decision.
The Head of Dept (my line manager’s manager) apologised that I couldn’t have the hours I wanted and asked if I’d taken up any of the suggestions put forward by my line manager. I said no and I think doing a ten-hour day to consolidate my hours over 4 days would be too much and make my fatigue worse.
I then went away and started looking into working a 9-day fortnight whereby you work approx. 50 mins extra per day to get the 10th day off. This would be utilising the suggested compressed hours and building up flexi to take a day off.
I suggested this to my line manager, and she seemed positive. I gave her an example of what the hours would look like, and she said she’d speak to the Head of Dept.
A few days later my line manager said she’d spoken to the Head of Dept who said that she would have to speak to HER bosses and get back to me.
I feel like this is leading to another rejection because I highly doubt that the Head of Dept (an NHS 8b manager responsible for 60+ staff) doesn’t have the final say on something like this. I think that’s an excuse and provides someone faceless for me to blame.
I’ve spoken to my union but had no response.