Colleague "doesn't do paid childcare" how to deal with situation?

[Middlechild3]

New role, shift work, told it would be a 'fairly' stable pattern mostly a combination of 2/2/2 pattern per cycle, except when someone is on leave (and then less or no day shifts). Colleague has boasted about not having to pay for childcare ever despite both her and husband both working full time with shift work (different employers).This has been facilitated because she request shifts around her husbands roster unofficially and the person who does the roster gives them to her at the expense of her colleagues. This is going to mainly be me as we are opposing shifts. This means she will request say all late shifts meaning I would get stuck with all early shifts. This wasn't what I signed up to when I took the job but the emotional blackmail has started and I know she wants the arrangement she had with my predessor to continue. I really have no interest in her childcare woes and think she needs to get paid help in. She's been very lucky for so long but with new staff things will change and she must see this. How to deal with this diplomatically but firmly? to be clear this isn't an HR arrangement she has, she has just buttered up the man who does the roster over the years.

What do you mean by 2/2/2?

Just to be clear, this person hasn't made a system work for her without trampling all over her other colleagues for a long time. The sense of entitlement from having kids is off the scale. Nothing to admire or learn from in bullying, entitlement and emotional blackmail under management's radar. Especially whilst bragging about not having to pay for childcare.
I won't be negotiating anything with her, My contract is with my employer.
I'm not the only new staff member, there are others.
She has been incredibly fortunate to have had a colleague (who begrudgingly) let this situation go on for so long. He has now left, whatever unofficial arrangement he put up with has ended with him leaving.

As a couple of people mentioned up thread, time to forget about her and simply insist I have my contract honoured. Anything else is no concern of mine.

You come across as spiteful - wanting to make things difficult because you begrudge her the arrangement. “Quite frankly she needs to get paid childcare in”…who are you to dictate to her? Complain to HR and let them see that you’re the problem - not a well established colleague.

Look for another job if you can’t get the shifts you like but don’t just demand shifts to make another persons life difficult. Smug people exist in all walks of life. Learn to ignore them and focus on your own responsibilities.

If they don't honour your contract and the shifts don't work for you, phone in sick. If you were supposed to be on an early shift, but got moved to a late, let them know that it was a shame it was moved because you felt fine in the morning and would have completed your scheduled shift.

Good luck and I admire your stance on this. It didn't work out for me. I hope it does for you.

That's fine. Assert your insistence on that but do not make it about her. The only discussion should be between you and the person in charge of the roster and focused on the Ts&Cs and advertised official policies. Do not be drawn into any duscussion about your colleague's preferences.

You are so wrong in every single word here.
Utterly. This is how ignorant entitled people get away with workplace bullying.
Established ? Wld ya stop.
Shes blagging and boasting about it.
Ita about time someone stopped her in her tracks..
Go to HR and get them to honour your contractes shift.
What happens your colleague matters not a jot to you.
Id laugh in her face tbh.

It sounds as if your predecessor accepted the shifts that came his/her way, while the cheeky colleague asked for specific shifts.

I would approach this problem by submitting my shift requests to the manager in the same way that your colleague does, requesting 2:2:2. Then the onus is on the manager to decide how to accommodate both of you.

I didn’t do paid childcare either!

My husband worked days I worked nights 🤣🤣🤣

A 2/2/2 shift is a work schedule where each employee works two early shifts, two late shifts, and two night shifts, usually followed by three or four days off. It works well because it is usually reasonably compatible with keeping up normal sleep patterns, and allows a 24/7 service to be maintained. OP was promised that this would be the usual pattern except for occasional cover of colleagues Leave but is instead being expected to work whichever shifts CF colleague doesn't want

Unclear if this is directed at me but no I certainly won't be inconveniencing my life to facilitate my colleagues. How dumb would a person be to accept that. Its not about "wanting to make things difficult".

Her previous colleague who UNOFFICIALLY, begrudgingly, facilitated her demands has now left, it ended then. So unless she finds friends or family to provide free flexible childcare for when both her and husband are working she probably WILL have to pay for childcare. However not my concern.

Say no. Sorry but her want to avoid childcare costs shouldn’t come at colleagues expense. I hate people like this who refuse to pay for childcare whilst the rest of us had to make sacrifices. I’d only do it if it suited me, and personally i’d prefer earlies but clearly you don’t so just say no that doesn’t work for me.

It's obviously not your problem @Middlechild3 but paid childcare really doesn't exist outside of 8am to 7pm so it would be virtually impossible for 2 parents to both work shift patterns without some kind of employer cooperation to help ensure that there aren't situations where both parents are supposed to be working before 8am or after 6pm - unless they have a team of very helpful and flexibile grandparents, aunties etc

In her defence, she's not looking for 'free childcare' as some people have suggested. She's looking for hours that allow either herself or her husband to care for their own kids. She's not expecting anybody to mind her kids for free.

Other shift working colleagues with shift working spouses have au pairs.

You sound like a very unlikeable angry person!

Then it's time her husband took a turn.

whatever

No she doesn't!

I haven’t read all 4 pages yet so hopefully I’m not repeating what others have said but I think you just have to say “sorry my contract says 2/2/2. That’s what I accepted the job as and that’s what I need”. Both to CF coworker and HR/Management who make the roster

She really doesnt.

Look for another job if you can’t get the shifts you like but don’t just demand shifts to make another persons life difficult

Well her colleague has spent years demanding shifts that make another person's life difficult, @RumPidgeon

Just to be clear, the norm is no one requests shifts.

With a full team headcount the pattern should be roughly 2/2/2 for each person, worked out fairly across the month.

When this colleague requests multiple specific shifts each week over the month it really screws up others rosters.

Have you actually read the thread and the work shift pattern is 222

op isn’t being difficult. Just wants the terms that she agreed and took the job on

Are the shifts you have actually a problem for you or do you just feel a type of way about her getting to work a schedule that avoids having to pay for childcare (something that many don’t get), and you feel the need to put her in her place? Because it sounds like the latter from the tone of this.