Flexible working request after Mat leave

[KieferSutherland]

I put in a flexible working request in October 2025, before I went on maternity leave, to reduce my hours to 4 working days a week when I return in January 2027.
At the time, my manager told me verbally that it should be “99% okay”, but she couldn’t give me a definite answer as it was still quite early. I didn’t receive anything in writing from either my manager or HR confirming this.
I went on maternity leave in January 2026 and haven’t had any communication from work until today. My manager called me for a catch-up and explained that, because my role is a full-time position, I won’t be able to reduce to 4 days unless they can recruit someone to job-share the remaining 1 day per week.
She said it’s unlikely that they’ll find someone who wants to work just one day a week, but they are going to try and recruit anyway.
I’m honestly not really sure where I stand now or what my options are. I know realistically that I wouldn’t be able to cope with going back 5 days a week with two young children. I’ve also experienced postnatal depression, so I’m conscious that I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself when I return to work.
Has anyone else had a similar experience with a flexible working request, particularly where the employer is saying they can only accommodate it if they find a job-share? I’d really appreciate hearing how it worked out for you. 😊

I’m sorry, I don’t know the answer and hope you’ll get some experts replying.

Would three days a week be financially viable for you? I wonder if it might be more possible to recruit someone else to cover two days rather than just one.

If not, would compressed hours over four days be a possibility? I know you have to be careful of workload stress, though.

I also found this page on Citizens Advice (assuming you’re in England; but they have links for Scotland, Wales and NI too) which might help you with your next steps if you haven’t already read it.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/flexible-working/if-your-employer-refuses-your-flexible-working-request/

What is it you do, I’m due back off mat leave just after then and would love a one day a week job!

in all seriousness, would you be able to drop to 3 days? You might find it easier to recruit someone for 2 days to do a job share.

I think they are within their rights though unfortunately :(

Thank you!

I did think about compressed hours but they actually need someone working Monday-Friday.

There is one other person who does the same role as me so they need me there if my colleague is on leave etc.

I also said that I could potentially do 5 days if one was at home. My manager said this wouldn’t work as it’s ‘easier’ for them for everyone to be in the office.

What’s so important about the work that it can’t wait a day until you are back?

What happens if both of you are off? Eg one on holiday and one off sick ?

I’m a finance assistant. Essentially just admin!

I did think about doing 3 days if that’s the only way I could go part time. This wouldn’t be feasible long-term though unfortunately.

How did you sell your FWR to the business? Did you explain how it would work and the benefits for the business? I see far to many requests which focus on the benefits for the employee without explaining why their role is no longer needed FT and can be done in 4 days.

OP they haven’t complied with the statutory timescales and processes for a flexible work request. I would have a look and check what the consequences of that are in the flexible work legislation.

I did do this when I first completed the request. My maternity cover started a few months before I went on leave to get familiar with the role etc.
At the time of my request, my manager was saying she hoped the cover would stay on permanently once I returned. I think that’s why she told me that dropping to 4 days would 99% be okay.
However, it seems like now the problem is they now only have the budget for 2 members of staff in the role so I will need to be full-time to cover my colleague on leave etc.

Why can’t they let you do a day at home?

Them just saying its a full time role isnt good enough at all and they havent handled your request correctly.

Bear in mind now there is zero requirement for you to state the benefits and how any concerns can be addressed. Thats for the employer to consider.

What about 5 shorter days instead of 4 longer ones? Would that be an option if the issue is cover? Might be easier to balance without having a mad rush in the morning or evening.

otherwise I think it will be very difficult to recruit to a 1 day role. So worth considering how to make 3 days work - or indeed to look for a job that suits you better.

I am curious about the statutory requirement to respond quickly though and how it works if you’re on mat leave. Worth checking that with HR to make sure they are doing what they’re meant to do.

Do you have a trade union rep?

Would you propose to work 5 days up to 4 times a year to allow your colleague leave. This would be at their choosing but could give you the 4 day a week most of the time. Also if you could be flexible with the day off to again allow for your colleague time off could be a solution for you? I do realize childcare could make this a non runner.

Was it a formal written flexible working request?

Like @PurpleThistle7 I'm not convinced your employer has followed their statutory duty to respond to a flexible working request. You should have had a written Yes or No within a certain timeframe (I think it's on GOV.UK and/or ACAS website). I would appeal as the process wasn't followed.

When I suggested this as a possible alternative. My manager just started saying it’s hard to get in touch with people sometimes when they’re not in the office.

I feel like I wouldn’t mind a set up like this. However, I couldn’t guarantee I’d have childcare on those days I’d come in to cover my colleague.

Yes it was a formal request. When I mentioned to HR that I wanted to reduce my working hours on my return, I was sent the form and policy.

I returned the form via email to both my manager and HR. My manager called me in for an informal chat a few weeks later and just explained it was too early to give me an answer yet but that I would receive an email from HR explaining this. I never received this email.

I work in the finance department for a trust of schools. A significant part of my role involves dealing with requests that come in and need to be resolved on the same day.
There have only been a few occasions where both my colleague and I have been off on the same day, for whatever reason. On those occasions, my manager has had to step in and cover the work herself.

Then this does seem like it would be an acceptable reason for refusing a flexible leave request. Still think it’s worth talking to HR (or your union if you are in one), but if your work has daily tasks that cannot be covered in your absence that’s a clear reason they can refuse. I’d start thinking of other solutions. You couldn’t work from home the 5th day anyway as you said you won’t have childcare organised.

Flexible working: Applying for flexible working - GOV.UK

It looks like they should have given you a definite answer within 2 months rather than saying it was 'too early to give you an answer yet'.

You could submit another request as gov.uk says you can do 2 in a year. But afaik not being able to recruit to fill 1 day a week is a valid reason for an employer to refuse.

I'd push a bit harder on the wfh and ask for a trial period (this is allowed for flexible working requests). If your manager genuinely has trouble getting hold of you while wfh during that period, then the arrangement ends.

I offered to work from home on the 5th day if I was unable to negotiate fewer days with my manager. This would be a last resort for me though.
My baby has a nursery place reserved for 5 days with the hope that I would actually only need 4 days when the time came

You should still put in the formal request. Everything at this point is chat. They need to review your request fully. Do you work a full mon-fri week or is it shift work?

My hours were 8-4 Monday- Friday.

Can you offer to work Fridays that your colleague has leave for if you are given x amount of notice?

Means your manager would only have to cover short notice absences.

I wouldn’t get into the timescales too much, you submitted the request very early and I think it is reasonable of them to say they do not know if they have approve a leave request over a year in advance.

Their reason for denying home working doesn’t sound like it meets the statutory reasons for refusal though, you could challenge that further if it came to it. Does your manager know you would have childcare for that day? They may mistakenly be under the impression you’d work from home while taking care of your child.

Yes, my manager knows that I have reserved five days at nursery, so when I offered to work five days, with one of those days being from home, she understood that this would be on the basis that I would be utilising the five days of childcare.
I could offer to cover the occasional Friday, but this would only be possible if my mum was able to provide childcare that day. I’m probably not explaining myself very well, but if my regular contract was only four days, with the occasional Friday cover, I wouldn’t realistically be able to afford to pay nursery fees for every Friday just on the off chance that my colleague was on leave.
I know my work are very much against working from home in general, so I expected that they probably wouldn’t be keen on that alternative. However, I thought it was worth suggesting as I wanted to show that I was willing to be as accommodating and flexible as possible.