Asked to reduce hours but turned down

[Rose38]

So it's a bit of a long story but basically I do a remote job full time. I have been there less than a year. I really enjoy my job and give my all. But with 2 kids as well I found it quite hard to manage everything. I can just about manage everything but I find that I never have time to fully rest (apart from when I take annual leave). I'm always playing catch up with housework, what the kids need etc.

During my last one to one a few weeks back my manager mentioned that they have finally gotten the OK to recruit. She didn't know how many people she would be allowed though. I thought right here's my chance to ask if I can reduce hours because potentially if they recruit then my hours could be given to a new person. She seemed very positive about it and said she thinks she can make it work and hopefully they will allow her to take one full time person and one part time person. The part time person could pick up the hours I drop.

After this a couple weeks or so later unfortunately I become unwell with very bad sinusitis. I had to call in sick. The doctor gave me antibiotics. By the end of the week I was getting worse so I went back to the GP & she sent me to the hospital to get checked out (in case infection had spread or meningitis). Luckily it is just really bad sinusitis and hospital doctor prescribed stronger antibiotics. All the evidence of this I sent over to my manager. Doctor signed me off for a week. Unfortunately after a week I had yet again gotten worse (possibly because my son had covid and I ended up getting it too). Doctor signed me off for another week & also gave me a few more days of antibiotics and a steriod nasal spray.

Now I let my manager know this. And she said thats fine. And also added a message to say they have spoken to HR re:reducing hours and HR only agreed to let them recruit one new person so I can't reduce my hours.

I don't even understand why this conversation had to happen now and via message. Anyway I found out my friends had had their hours change approved (although theirs was moving days and shifts around). I feel like my manager was angry that I have been off sick for so long so has purposely not made an effort to try and push my hours change through.

I then messaged her much later to ask her if theres a form I can fill to formally request the hours change or someone in HR I can speak to regarding this as I want to state the reason for wanting to reduce hours and also explain why I think it would help the team (if they took on a part timer to do the hours I drop).

Her reponse was well the person to contact is xxx and she's actually the one who confirmed no to your request anyway. You've been here less than 12 months. If you can't do the hours then there is obviously always the option to leave...and then some nonsense about how they obviously don't want me to do that..

After this message there was some back and forth between me and her which looking at it is ridiculous given that I am off sick and she's not the one who decides about the hours.

I then sent the HR lady an email explaining why I want to reduce my hours and explaining how taking on a part time person would also help my team. We constantly have overtime requests and no one really wants to do it because the majority work full time. If we take a part timer, that person would be likely to pick up shifts sometimes.

I've worked in HR in my previous job so I have experience of all of these things. I just feel like my manager is angry I am off sick so now trying to push me out...so disheartening when I work so hard.

Yeah I think I will need to start getting my husband to help out with things. Recently he has started to buy food from some restaurant every other week so that relieves some of the cooking pressure from me. He usually buys a number of items and then deep freezes some of them.

I think you are reading too much into your sickness leave and request for part time.

From an outside perspective, less than a year ago the business decided they needed a full-time person so you were hired. Now you want to change the terms of your employment, in less than a year. Asking for a 50% reduction isn't a minor adjustment.

I don't think that's reasonable, given you already have flexibility. I also think you are over valuing your contribution as most people perform well in the first 2 years. Wait until you have had many formal appraisals before you come to that conclusion and I personally wouldn't rely on feedback from other colleagues.

It costs substantially more to employ additional staff, payroll, NI, employers liability, IT costs, payment for absences etc. this is especially true since the budget has placed much higher costs on employers. Many, many employers are reducing headcount so rather than seeing your personal needs you should consider the broader economic picture.

If full-time doesn't work for you then look for another role but bear in mind the "return to the office" mandate that means fully remote roles are now less common. Otherwise keep on, rebuild your relationship with your manager and get through a few appraisals before raising the request for a substantial reduction in hours.

Too much analysing, really.
At the end of the day, it all depends on how much the job is needed for the OP to pay for their living.
Full stop.

I will bring these up with HR. Just feeling so gutted that I did so much for them and now they are turning down my request just because I was off sick.
You've just decided this is the reason. That doesn't make it a fact.

The fact that you are so determined to believe this and that you describe yourself as being like Monica from friends and need things done your war suggests you are quite rigid in your thinking and perhaps don't see things very accurately or without bias.

You want to cut your hours by 50% and want the company to employ an extra person to accommodate this.

Head count matters. It costs more to have a new employee than simply their wage. You can't demand a company accept your request

I think you’re losing a bit of perspective here.

Your manager gave you a simple update. You’re the one who turned it into a discussion back and forth.

Your manager was supportive, and then HR weren’t. Your manager is tied by HR on recruitment, so it’s not that they’ve changed their mind. An awful lot of places put caps on head count rather than full time equivalent staff. There’s a lot of costs of employment that are per person rather than per hour they work.

So two half time staff cost significantly more than one full time.

So while yes, it may be sensible to make a formal request when you’re back at work it’s not sounding promising that it will get anywhere.

In the meantime, sounds like there are plenty of other ways you could make life more straightforward.

eg.
Stop doing overtime.
Take proper breaks during the working day.
Get a cleaner to reduce the housework you do outside of work hours (or ironing service, or laundry, or window cleaner, or pre prepared meals or whatever works for you).
Use your annual leave to get breaks occasionally. No reason you can’t take a half day Wednesday morning once a month. That’s 6 days leave for the year. Use a week of unpaid parental leave to get the holiday time back and you’re achieving fewer working hours per month.

I'll apologise in advance because I know I sound like an arse but your relaxation time and childcare arrangements aren't a concern whatsoever for your employer. They care that you turn up and do the job well.

Advising that you can leave if you don't like the hours is quite direct and a bit rude but also true.

Maybe start looking at some part time roles with another employer.