Flexible working

[Tiggermad]

Manage a medium sized team of 18 staff. We work hybrid so 2 days in office. 3 wfh.
I have a few who have young children and I have allowed some flexibility in collecting children from school.
However in office days they’ve been doing the same. None have formal agreements this is all informal.
Ive been extremely supportive to these moms allowing them to wfh if children ill.
Recently due to changes in working practices and service demands changing I’ve had to reevaluate how I manage office days so am now giving them some notice period to make arrangements on office days so they have to stay the full day.
its been met with outrage as if I am an ogre ! One has escalated this to her Union rep. Probably the one who I’ve been the most supportive to. I’ve explained my reasons so that I can meet the needs of the service but also that I need more structure and consistency across the team.
i simply cannot allow these arrangements to continue as it is blurring lines with other staff who are not moms.
i accept my flexibility has back fired on me now however im giving notice to change arrangements due 2 days a week and feel I’ve been more than fair in giving notice period.
What else can I/ could I have done ?
it’s disappointing when you try to be supportive but sometimes arrangements need to be reviewed/changed.
Has anyone come across this before in terms of team members feeling entitled ?

What do your company policies state about flexible working - sounds like the policy hasn’t been followed and now it’s blowing up in your face. Do yoi also allow the same degree of flexibility to those staff who don’t need to leave early.
I personally would be pissed off if X got to leave at 3pm whilst I had to stayed until 4pm etc

That’s why I am changing it as I put some temporary arrangements in place but they have taken them to the extreme overtime.
ive had a hard job getting them in the office as when I took over the team the previous manager allowed them to come in when they wanted so it’s been a hard slog.
i do accept this is largely my own fault for allowing flexibility and now I’m trying to re establish standards of consistency across the team.

I do wonder how we got to a point where it has become normal for people to do child pickups mid working day, or juggling work whilst looking after kids.

People work to live not the other way around. 🤷‍♀️

We have core hours between 10 and 4.15… so 10am is the latest time we can start, 4.15pm the earliest we can leave
Newer members of staff have thought that it meant the day can be 10-4.15 if they wish 🙈 not acknowledging the 7.5 or 8 hours still need to be worked accordingly. One even jumped at the chance to leave at 4.15pm, as if it were optional to do 7.5 hours..
it’s hard work OP, I don’t envy your position.

Some may say you are discriminating against working parents as for example a single parent may not have the option to
ask someone else to help carry the burden of school collection or drop offs.

I think it depends on the work these staff are doing. If they are paid til 5pm and they leave the office at 3pm but are back working at 4pm and carry on until 6pm then they have made that time up but if they are swanning off at 3pm then logging on again for the last hour while their colleagues work straight through- that’s unfair if they are paid the same.

The backlash will be happening because you are reining them in after they have had freedom.

Check with your own HR if how you are approaching this is correct - if nothing is written down but there has been a verbal agreement I am not sure where you stand.

The only other thing is to respond to each case as individual so if Mrs A makes her hours up at home so meets the required amount she needs her usual pay but if Mr B leaves at 3pm and doesn’t then work until the next day, his pay/ hours need to reflect this. Then at least those in the office with no kids aren’t picking up the slack for the same pay.

How long have they been leaving early, since Covid times?

If the job makes them ‘needed’ in the office with no early finishes, you may have to explain this and then go down the route where they have to request flexibility so you have control.

Seen this so many times, usually with parents who got nothing put in writing then are shocked when employers go back on previous arrangements. I can’t give advice but there is a risk that some things are custom and practice. Your HR should be able to advise on whether this may apply in your case.

It’s not an easy area because I can see it from both sides. You’ll need to be clear about the impacts of people doing this, and really, if they are not completing their work because of this, perhaps you should have dealt with that side of things with them sooner. If they are, you might struggle to justify ending the practice.
I suspect the employees will be advised to put in formal flexible working requests. If you can’t accommodate the requests, you’ll need to be sure that your reasons fall within the law as a statutory reason (probably do but check).

Either way, I think you are in for a bumpy ride unfortunately. Going forward, you'll need to be clear with everyone. If it’s possible to have some on flexible working arrangements snd still meet service standards, that would be the ideal but everyone needs to know the rules of the game.

Nothing formal ever agreed. It has only been for past year 1 to 2 staff.
There is a business reason for them to be in the office but it is hit and miss. Demand from customer we support up and down as hoc but I need people there.
I cannot justify continuing this as everyone could say I need to leave at X time then I’d have no one in.
i am giving them plenty of notice to make arrangements.
It’s 2 days a week not 5. It appears no one wants to pay for childcare now for a couple of hours twice a week now they get the free hours.
I've consulted HR and I have their full backing.

I need to leave at 3 and I get paid til 3.....might that be an incentive? Say they are welcome to reduce hours for reduced pay?

How long have they had this flexible arrangement?

Approx 1 year but the original agreement was to leave around an hour early so around 4 pm then they got the free hours so changed their arrangement as child’s hours changed at Nursery so without consulting me started leaving earlier so that’s been since September.

Surely if it isn't a formally agreed flexible working pattern and /or in their contracts, you can demand they stay. A perk not a right, we were told when companies starting moving towards more days in the office.

Just say by which date you expect it and leave them to it. Be prepared to follow up from a performance perspective though

I had a fight with a similar situation. We moved to 50% wfh during Covid. We now have more face to face meetings and have been asked to provide in person support across the organisation.

as a result gave notice to work 1 day wfh. Our contracts do not say wfh and state place of work is company address. Had back lash and my compromise was I need x amount of staff in each day, so work out a roster. They settled for set days wfh.

child care issue the people affected had notice to sort out arrangements, extend their working day and split their lunch for 1 day, as technically they worked 2/3 days at home. Or some compressed their hours into 4 days and finished their day at home. I also set hours of work of 7.30am - 6:30pm. Worked their with core hours of 9am- 4pm.

seemed to work now and offers a degree of flexi working. So far no one has taken the Micky.

I’d just say the current patten of informal working arrangements no longer meets the needs of the business and after the notice these are the hours required by the business, however you can put a request in for flexible working arrangements , be that reduced hours or fixed times, I’m sure Hr will back you on this.

Could you ask if anybody wants to change their contracted hours - no promises until you have full picture. Maybe employ someone else to infill?

I have made all of these suggestions however said person just wants it all their own way. Not prepared to reduce hours due to finances. Wfh 3 days and only do half days when in the office.
ive given notice period to change hours to full days in office and will accommodate school runs on wfh days.

Yes, that’s unreasonable. You probably need to give an ultimatum that they reduce their hours or work their contracted hours. If they refuse to do the former and continue not to fulfill their hours, talk to them about this and explain the impact on the rest of the team. Then it’s off to the disciplinary process if informal warnings and discussions are ignored.

I have learned the hard way that if you bend over backwards to accommodate people, rather than gratitude they seem to expect more and more.
It seems quaintly old fashioned that I reduced my hours - and salary- when DS was young, to accommodate school hours and make sure he wasn’t in after school every day.

But if the children are young enough to have to pick up then they will be there when your staff are working hours after? Are these children 5 or 10? Big difference? I can work with a sick 15 year old but hd to take AL with a 6 year old so couldn't have worked 4 - 5 after leaving at 3pm so I reduced my hours...

They sound like piss takers tbh. Are they currently fulfilling their working hours when they leave the office early? I.e. are they then logging in at home?