Flexy time_refused_what now?

[smiley]

My flexitime app has been refused so they wont let me work from home 2 days a week and 3 days in office or let me go part-time (3 days a week in office). My job is totally email based and they are refusing on grounds that the email access I will have at home isnt goo enuff ie slow and attachements cant be opened etc.. I have appealed and that has been turned down too.

I am in two minds about whether I should pursue this matter or just look for a new job...?

Smiley

xx

[Scarlet]

Smiley,

So sorry to hear this. Is it a well paid job? If not, then I would be inclined to look for something else unless you really enjoy your work, doesn't sound like they are very flexible and can accommodate you. It's a pity they wouldn't allow you to work p/t for a while though, did they tell you why they couldn't allow this either? Maybe you could pursue the p/t option more.

Have you had more time to think about what you are going to do? What does your hubby say? Sorry can't help you more hun.

Scarlet
X

[sianyc]

Why is it too slow? Do you have broadband or could you upgrade it so it's faster?

[winegirl]

Hi Smiley

I think that once you have appealed and lost then it is kind of the end of the road. Although if you think that there reasons are not good enough then you could go to a tribunal over it. Of course the problem with that is that even if you did then win, I dont know what the atmosphere would be like on your return to work.

What is it you do Smiley? Do you feel you could be up for the challenge for a new job right now?

WG x

[Bobyn]

Hey Smiley,

I said I'd tell you my tale if you started ths thread so here goes...
When I was pregnant with my first daughter I was working at a college as a lecturer where my pay scale was capped at scale 6, which I had reached that year. While I was on maternity leave everyone in my department had their scales uncapped to be able to progress yearly up to scale 10. Everyone but me. When I returned I took this up with my manager as I couldn't see why mine had remained capped when we did the same jobs. She said it was because I was part time so didn't contribute as much to the team (one member and I had set up the department years earlier!!!).

I took this to my union and they supported me in taking the issues forward to HR. They asked me what outcome I wanted as the options were a: just get my scales uncapped as they should have been and continue working as before or b: make it a case for sexual discrimination (as the only reason I'd not been uncapped was either because I was on maternity leave or because I had started flexible working). They said it was likely I'd win with option b but that it would then be difficult to stay in my job. Also it was a long drawn-out process which the union rep said was stressful and can get nasty. He said that he'd had a similar experience in his last college and that he wouldn't recommend it, but that he would support me through it if it was what I wanted.

Strangely enough I went for option a and the rep was brilliant. I went to the meeting with HR, arranged by him, and said very little. He just told them the facts without getting emotional or angry (which I wouldn't have been able to do) and reminded them that there is no limit to compensation for sexual discrimination - their faces were a picture at that comment. Within 24 hours I had a letter of apology for an 'admin error' which had led to my pay not being increased as it should have been!

However, the experience was not pleasant and my boss then made me feel really uncomfortable and gave me awful classes to teach. I left and I now have a much more satisfying job, even if it isn't as well paid. I have had a completely different experience with this pregnancy and maternity leave and I'm so much happier.

I think that if you were to fight them over not allowing you to go 3 days a week in the office then it's likely you would win as the flexible working laws say that they have to let you go part time unless it's detrimental to the business. i.e your job couldn't be done part time or done as a job share. However, like Scarlett says, do you really want to go back there now anyway? And do you really want to go through a long fight with them? It's really up to you to decide how much you could cope with. You could always give your union a call if you're a member or try Working Families (formerly the maternity alliance) who I know were helpful when I called them years ago. www.workingfamilies.org.uk/ is their website.

Good luck Smiley and let us know how you get on... x

[smiley]

Hi guys

Thanks for all your thoughtful comments. I have been thinking about it all and I do not actually want to go back. I think it will be quite stressful to take on such a big company in a discrimination case. Now that I have pni I dont think I could deal with it. The only thing that angers me is the fact they are lying and saying they cant accomodate me when I know realistically they can.

Anyway good news as I have a interview next week for a part-time or flexible working role. They have an onsite nursery too and the company is local. Fingers crossed

xx

[Scarlet]

Fingers crossed for you hun.

Scarlet
X

[Veritee]

Of course realistically they can accommodate you ( as it does not take a very fast Internet connection to read and reply to emails and open attachments)

But you are right to consider if you really want to stay there now and commence - at this time when you have PNI - what could be a long and stressful battle.

I will not tell my whole story now - but I was a Senior youth worker when I had PNI and I suffered both discrimination because of my PNI and sexual discrimination due to being female and having just had a baby .............
I did try to fight it and struggled on for many years fighting it .

It was in my case the wrong thing to do as I pretty much failed and it caused me stress I really could have done without at the time.

My hat goes off to Bobyn who fought and won ....
I know others who have also

So I do know that the fact I did not - that my failure is not the only outcome and you can beat this sort of discrimination at work .

But I think that to attempt this you really have to absolutely love your job and want to stay there despite what is happening.

I used to love my job but at the time I tried to fight what happened with it when Caja was born I was beginning to get burnt out and tired anyway ..........

In retrospect I know now I should have called it a day and saved myself some stress.

So I guess my opinion is to fight it if this job still feels worth fighting for - if not, save the stress and find another - which I am sure you can
Weigh it up and decide which one it is for you

Love Veritee

[smiley]

Thanks Veritee. Although I like the job (not love the job) the people are really boring and anti social so I think I would have probably left at some point anyway. The only regret I have about not taking any action is that I wanted out of principle to teach them a lesson and to prove that they cant treat people like this.. But on the balance of whether its worth the stress I would say probably not.. I just feel its wrong to be treated in this way and I want some kind of payback but maybe thats not realistic.

Anyway, I have an interview lined up with another company that appears to support the work life balance and maybe I should just start afresh and not look back..

Smiley

[Veritee]

Good luck with your interview - and congratulations for getting one.

Perhaps just go to it and see how it pans out

I understand what you mean about wanting to fight this to teach them a lesson and prove they can not treat people like this

I think this was my reason for trying to fight it - as I felt it was 'immoral' that a service that was supposed to exist to care for and help others, could act like this with anyone including a member of staff and I wanted to say that it is not OK to have one set of principles for 'service users' and another for staff.

So I do understand what you mean.

But it caused me at least 4 years of grief .

I did not totally lose - I sort of 'semi' won my point, but at great cost personally

I do wish now I had just cut my losses and got another job which I could have then with ease.

But we all have to decide for ourselves if it is worth fighting and I guess I may not have done anything else at the time.

So good luck for the interview

Let us know what you decide

Veritee XX

[newbymummy]

I wish you lots of luck with your interview...

I recently returned to work on a 3 day week - this had been agreed with my manager last April. However two weeks before I was due to return she tried to go back on her word saying that there wasn't enough work on the days I wanted to work.. Having arranged childcare etc etc I was devastated. Having the pni makes it much harder to take and yes I know what you mean about not being sure if its worth the fight...

Again I wish you the best of luck with your interview.

X

[carol]

Good luck Smiley. Just to balance things, I work for a great company, American. OK I haven't had a pay rise for 4 years (true) but the flexibility, I can work from home as and when I like, support with my PNI and support from collegues has been excellent. Paid for counciling thorugh BUPA, even telephone calls from the company occupational health making sure I was OK with my current work load and not to hesitate to take time off. My manager is in the US and I have never met her, she has been great. Maybe because she had PNI many years ago. Even on my recent evaluation, my manager said she hadn't written it but wanted to tell me how impressed she was on how I have handled 'my personal issues'. There are companies out there that treat you well, shame on the rest. Best of luck, Carol xoxoxox

[flobob]

Hello Smiley
You might want to check out a website
www.wherewomenwanttowork.com - it is UK based
I came across it a few year's ago when using a women's business networking (Aurora). Apparently this site is full of companies who support flexi-working, p/t, etc etc.

You mentioned that your company is a big company. Maybe if they're on this site your payback could be reporting them to the organisers of the site as they shouldn't be there

Good luck with whatever you decide.
FloBob