I have to return to work in a couple of months and I put in a request for reduced hours. I would work 29.5 instead of 35 so it's not even a whole day less. But it would mean 1 full day and a half out of teh office but longer hrs the remaining days. they denied my request. Apparently it's too busy for me to be out a full day and I'd need to be in the office for at least a half day every day. I travel and hr to and from work so it's just a pain in the bum to go all that way just to work 3.5hrs.

I'm so fed up, there are other people that work reduced hrs and have a full day out of office but apparently it is busier now than when they had it approved. I'm waiting for HR to send me the flexi working police but wondered if anyone else had advice or smiliar probs. S x

No advice - sorry but just wanted to say that my company turned down my request too, I took it to appeal and still lost, they have their ways of getting round the laws. It really isn't fair and I feel for you deeply.
I hope you manage to get something sorted
xx

I have my return to work meeting on Monday and I am petrified that my request will be denied. I am already going back earlier than I would have liked as it was pretty strongly hinted that my position was being kept at great effort to them.

I can't afford to not go back but it galls me that if they don't agree the reduced hours I requested I will basically be working 5 days to pay for someone else to look after my baby!

I have scoured all the small print in our company's policy and apparently I only have the right to return to my job if I go back exactly the hours I left, and if they argue that there is a detriment to the business then they don't have to agree me anything at all!

I really hope you come to some compromise with them ... and fingers crossed for me!!

Clare & Harry x

Hi ladies,
Just wondering if you were able to sort something out with work?

My flexible request has just been denied and I am now trying the appeal.

Thanks,
Lisa

Hi what reason have they given you for dening it Lisa, hope you win your appeal xx

Hi guys - thought i would chip in with my tuppence worth as my going back to work has proved quite complicated!

okay, to sum up my situation (BTW i'm a secretary) - in march-time, due to job losses etc, i was told i would be put on a 3-day week in months time (ie april). they didn't know i was pg then, but i couldn't believe how well it had worked out. then another girl left and i was given some of her role at around the same time i told work i was pg. because of additional duties, things had to be jigged a bit. luckily, i'd signed by 3-day contract , otherwise i think they'd have snatched it back off me. i agreed to work full-time till june, then do 3-day week to cope with new duties.

however, i've now come to june and time to work 3-day week and it's changed again! half of its in my favour - they say if i can stay full time for one more month, my maternity pay will be based on full time not part time. that bit's good for me, so i'm happy with that. i'll take a friday off as holiday so i'll only actually work a 4 day week.

now's the tricky part! they are not keen on me doign a 3-day week at all and have suggested either a 4-day week or 5 mornings a week. similar reason to another lady - they say the department cannot cope with a secretary for two whole days. BUT, HR have said the only way to guarantee what hours i come back after maternity is to be on that contract when i actually leave. so, the only way to guarantee coming back to a 4-day week is to leave on a 4-day contract. so, i need to think that bit and i've got a month or so to give a decision.

the interesting bit i learnt from HR which might help all you girls (supposing it's the same everywhere) is that, whilst we have the right to REQUEST flexible hours, and whilst your company have to have a very good reason to turn it down - all they have to do is allow you to, say, leave half an hour early to fulfill their obligations as to flexibiilty under the law! so, if they say you can finish at 5 instead of 5.30, then they have been flexible and have done all they're obligated to. they have no obligation to let you chose your hours when you come back. so, i guess i'm lucky that i'm in a situation whereby i can chose now (mostly) and i'm also lucky my HR have told me all this! they didn't have to i guess and i'd have been stumped. the only reason i know is because i asked them as i needed to secure a nursery place now not when i was returning to work.

So, basically girls, as i understand it, the only way to guarantee what hours you return to work for, is to be on that contract when you leave. unfortunately, it doesn't help 90% of workers out there and i still think the law is an ass and has too many loopholes.

hope you all get to reach some compromises though
xxx

Hi Chip Butty

sorry to hear your flexi request was denied.

Also, sorry not ignoring you i just dont get much time to come on here any more now im back at work - most days i feel like ill meet myself coming back im that busy

my initial request was denied too, with no discussion or attempt to compromise or suggest alternatives, so I said fine Im going to appeal and Im going to bring the union.

At that point they panicked and back pedalled furiously (!) and I got to have my first meeting over again, with a real discussion about how we could both compromise a bit to find any way to make it successful.

Upshot is, for a three month trial I work 4 days from 9-4.30 taking a half hour lunch instead of an hour so they still get a full days worth of work out of me when i am there. So far it seems to be okay, I am definitely making sure I keep notes of good things I have done, things outside of my job remit, so I can really argue in September (at the end of the trial) that it works otherwise I dont know what Ill do.

Like Teabag said they arent obliged to give you anything other than the contract you left on, although your company policy should set out exactly the reasons that a request can be denied for.

Might be worth speaking to your union (if you have one) I found ours very helpful information wise, even though I didnt need them as the mention of it must have showed I meant business

Good luck with your appeal

Clare & Harry x

I've also agreed a temp solution. However my line manager thinks it's only until I can arrange alternative childcare to fit in with their preferred working week for me (Ican't secure childcare on a thursday so currently a 4 day wk)
So far it's not been an issue and I've not been chasing up the waiting list for a nursey place. I'm hoping that if I can do the job competantly then I'll have a better case to argue with and involve the Union as Clare suggests.

Mind you we're being resturctured and I might be made redundant so it might all be irrelevant anyway !! S x

HI I am on reduced hours and was granted them without any bother. The way I reduced mine was to finish earlier in the afternoon and took a shorter lunch break. this works out good for me. Instead of finishing at 5.30pm I finish at 4.15pm and I take 45 mins for lunch instead of an hour. This means that instead of working 36 hours I work 32.5. At least I finish earlier and don't lose as much wages as I could have if I only done a 4 day week.

I'm already thinking about this and I haven't even left yet. I'm hoping I can do compressed hours - so 5 days in 4. Luckily there are other people in my team who do somethig similar but I'm still really worried that they'll say no.