Childcare/Family friendly hours

DocketLefty · Post by **DocketLefty** » 15 Jun 2016, 18:47

Evening,

My wife is going back to work in a few weeks after maternity leave... what is the likelihood if i request Monday off every week (in writing) that I will get it?

Many thanks,

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 15 Jun 2016, 18:58

Its impossible for anyone to give you a meaningful answer as they would need to know the local situation and manager to give you an indication. Somebody like the local rep.

However, you are entitled to ask, and the business is also entitled to refuse or accept once they have assessed your request.

On 6 April 2003, the UK Government will bring into force new employment legislation on flexible working. The provisions governing these changes are set out in the Employment Act 2002, which received Royal Assent on 8 July 2002.

To be eligible to make a request for flexible work, a person must:
a. be an employee
b. have a child under 6 (or a disabled child under 18)
c. have worked for at least 26 weeks prior to making the application
d. have not made a similar request within 12 months

A request for flexible working may include:
a. flexitime
b. job-sharing
c. working from home
d. staggered, compressed or annualised hours

An employer is required to arrange a meeting with the employee to discuss an application for flexible working within 28 days of receiving the request and must provide written reasons for accepting or refusing the request within 14 days of that meeting.

If refused, the written notification from the employer must include:
a. the business grounds for refusing the application
b. sufficient explanation why the grounds apply in the circumstances
c. details of the employees right to appeal

Acceptable business grounds for refusing a request may include:
a. burden of additional costs
b. detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand
c. inability to reorganise work amongst existing staff
d. inability to recruit additional staff
e. detrimental impact on quality
f. detrimental impact on performance
g. insufficiency of work during periods the employee proposes to work
h. planned structural changes The Sex Discrimination Act prohibits direct or indirect discrimination in employment. Indirect discrimination may be established if a procedure or decision is such that it will affect a considerably larger proportion of women than men. As many of the applicants for flexible working hours will be women it is expected that refusal to accept such applications will give rise to claims of indirect sex discrimination (an issue which the Government acknowledges in its 'Flexible Working' Guides for Employers and Employees produced by the DTI).

The flexible working legislation does not permit an employment tribunal to question the employer's business reasons for refusing a request for flexible work, but it may challenge the facts asserted by an employer in evidence of those reasons. Under sex discrimination legislation, however, the burden of proof is moved to the employer who is required to justify any business decisions affecting the employee or establish that they were within a range of reasonable responses.

houseoflords · Post by **houseoflords** » 15 Jun 2016, 19:09

Let's get one thing straight Royal Mail are not family friendly, they only care for the share holders.

DocketLefty · Post by **DocketLefty** » 15 Jun 2016, 19:26

Many thanks TrueBlue. I will get a letter drafted up... I will ask my local rep to proof read it for me.

rubberbond · Post by **rubberbond** » 15 Jun 2016, 20:40

houseoflords wrote:Let's get one thing straight Royal Mail are not family friendly, they only care for the share holders.

It was on the radio today,that a happy workforce is a productive workforce,we must be the least productive group in the country.

DirtyHarry · Post by **DirtyHarry** » 16 Jun 2016, 06:10

Royal Mail, and, family friendly, are like chalk is to cheese.
Hell, Royal Mail isn't even human friendly, when it comes to its poor downtrodden staff.

bigbazza · Post by **bigbazza** » 18 Jun 2016, 16:06

There is a colleague in my DO who does not work Monday or Saturday so he can look after his kids. Which is pretty descent from our DOM but he is approachable on all matters and is fair with most things. I also know that all DOMS are not the same and some can be up their arses. You can only ask and hopefully you get the answer you want. Good luck.