School rejected job share request after maternity leave, considering appeal options

[TheHazelViewer]

Hi all!
I’ll try to make this as short possible! Made a flexible working request for a job share (work in a school). My job is probably one of the easiest jobs in a school to share but the new manager who I have never worked for has rejected it. I knew this was going to happen, just had a bad feeling and how she spoke to me in the meeting was so condescending and almost like she was reading from a script. Everyone else in the school I’ve spoken to in different departments who were coming off mat leave never had a meeting, their hours were approved straight away.

They went through the motions of advertising and interviewing for my job share but it was clear to everyone in the team that they were never going to hire the people that came for interview. I got a phonecall where the manager said I could either “come back full time or make alternative arrangements” and told me to let her know my decision this week. Which essentially means.. leave.

The issues I have are:

• they rejected two internal applicants due to them not having degrees. One spoke to the head who said they do not need a degree. They still weren’t interviewed
• The comment she made about making other arrangements just doesn’t sit well with me, it makes it more obvious that she was never going to approve. She knows there are two days I cannot get childcare for so my only option really is to leave. But doing this before October would mean I have to pay back my enhanced mat pay (£3000).
• The person doing my mat cover was going to apply but after a conversation with manager, he did not apply.
• Im not due back until September so they could realistically advertise again.

On paper, I sound insane but I just KNOW they’ve told him not to apply as I would hand my notice in and they can give him the full time position.

I’ve written my appeal but I think I’m just looking for anyone who has been in a similar situation? Or any thoughts?

Have you tried contacting the head teacher directly? Pregnant and then screwed may have some advice but ulimately you can only request part time and they can say no.

Can your childs dad not ask for flexible work at his job? At least until you are able to get full-time childcare.

Well, obviously I don't know exactly what's happened here, but recruitment processes are expensive and time consuming so I would be surprised if a school went through all that effort simply in order to "go through the motions". If they were never intending to approve the flexible working request, surely they could have just found a way of refusing it in the first place? I mean, it wouldn't exactly be difficult for an employer to come up with a spurious reason that would align with the permitted grounds for refusal if they were that way inclined.

Maybe they just didn't feel that any of the candidates were appointable. I don't think they should necessarily have to go back out again, potentially wasting more time and money on a recruitment process.

Can you go back full time for a while if you don't want to repay your enhanced mat pay?

What is the issue with childcare? unfortunately that is not your school’s problem to solve and they can refuse fw request if the proposal is not workable for the role.

I also think it's unlikely they would have gone to the time and expense of recruitment if they were not prepared to employ any of the candidates.

You can't rely on hearsay as the basis for understanding why none of them were employable.

Surely your husband could take leave to cover 2 days a week between September and October? Or you could find other childcare by September?

Unfortunately they don’t have to approve your request. Even if they were just going through the motions it will be seen as they have tried to accommodate it and have been unsuccessful. What would your appeal be based on?

They do t have to give you part time working, or the days you want. Why can’t you get full time childcare, could you look at other childcare settings?

How does your notice work? If you went back in September, would you be committed to work through to after Christmas term? Or could you return in September, and hand your notice in the next day to work exactly one day over the enhanced maternity pay?

If you can finish in October, I would get dp to request two days a week annual leave to cover the childcare gaps. I’d also consider shipping in any parents/siblings/grandparents/distant cousin who can come and stay to cover a few weeks.

Can you source hybrid childcare? Nursery 3 days, childminder or nanny for 2 days?