I submitted a flexible working request following maternity leave to reduce hours to allow for childcare responsibilities.
My request was rejected on the basis of unable to recruit additional staff / reorganise work. However the underlying reason was my manager deemed the role to be ‘full time only’ and would not even consider reduced hours from the offset.
My role did not have maternity cover whilst I was on leave.
I appealed and they have now said I can work the reduced hours but not in the same role. Even though in the letter provided at the point of rejection said the role was integral to the department.
They have offered me a role with the same grade/salary.
However the role ‘job title’ appears to be a demotion with regards to seniority within the department and I have not been provided with a job description. So it would appear at face value to anyone whom doesn’t know my grade within the system that I have been demoted by two grades via the job title change.
I also heard from a colleague they have moved my PC and personal items from my office (shared with one other of the same grade) to a communal office where less senior staff are located. No other colleagues of my grade are located in this communal area, so it appears the new role is less favourable.
The request and appeal process has been going on for months and it has already taken a toll on my mental health and ruined the last few months of my maternity leave.