Advice and support
Top Story
How do I pitch my flexible working request: ask the expert
Thursday, 2nd February 2012
I am planning to return to work in September after taking my 52 weeks maternity and some owed holiday. I am wanting to request flexible working and have found forms etc to help me do this. However, my hours were not 'fixed' as I am a head chef in a hotel and my contract states that I work 39 hours or to the 'needs of the business' which seems to be a very loose term! I do my own rotas and those of my staff and this consists of a mix of early, mid and late and split shifts. If we are low on staff I can end up doing 70+ hours or 6 / 7 day weeks to cover. If myself or other staff mention we feel we are working too much we currently get told if we don't like it we can go. I don't think my request will be successful therefore. A few colleagues have told me they think my boss doesn't want me back. Also, I am not sure how to word the request as my hours were never set in the first place. Any suggestions on how to go about this woud be much appreciated.… More >
Q and A
Got a question on work rights, career, chidcare, business? Then ask our expert panel for advice.
Before I went on maternity leave my employers advertised some promotion opportunities internally. It took them about 8 weeks to arrange interview dates and I went for the interview 2 weeks before my due date, but did manage to pass the interview. I was not appointed to the role until after I came back from maternity leave and then was given an equivalent role, rather than one of the roles I had applied for. I had thought that legally they should have appointed me to one of the roles I had applied for and then arranged maternity cover for that role. Is the law clear on this point?
View full answer >
I am currently on maternity leave. Our holiday year runs April - April. I have accrued my 28 days, but since being off, there have been seven bank holidays. I'm not concerned with whether or not they can be carried over, just whether or not they have to give me these extra days, they are currently saying no. I usually work a five-day week and would have bank holidays off. My contract says 'the holiday entitlement is 28 days paid holiday per annum, excluding public holidays. We reserve the right to make any working day or days falling between 22nd December and 2nd January inclusive as compulsory holiday'. We always get ALL bank holidays off. What is my legal position?
View full answer >
Most popular questions
I have been a IT project manager for the past seven years, and in the seven years, I have gained a work qualification and have had two beautiful children. After the first child I went back full time and then after my second child I've now gone back part time (3 days from 5 days). Since being back the company has been taken over by an American company and so much has changed. I have been told that I am unable to apply for a director's role due to being part time. Therefore I feel I have no future in this company. All that I feel I can do in this company is gain knowledge on the vast programmes that are being run. I have thought about having a 1-2-1 with my manager (senior director) to discuss my career, but am not sure how this will come across.... what do I do, I am hungry for the responsibility and want to further my career, but a few friends keep telling me I can't have it all at least until my children start secondary school! What do I do in order to have job satisfaction and career development? I know the company has been really good to me by allowing me to reduce my hours, but feel I should not be punished for this! Please advise....
View full answer >
I have been employed for the last five years and since joining my company have worked between 9.00am and 3.00pm which enables me to drop off and pick up my daughter from school. The organisation I work for are now re-locating me to another site 30 minutes drive from my current one. Am I entitled to apply for protected hours, therefore reducing my working day by 1 hour for the journey time and enabling me to still do my school run without losing money? I have heard that because they are forcing a change in circumstance for me with the relocation this may case, is this so? Also are they entitled to change the hours I work and put me on a shift pattern (in which case I would be unable to stay in my job as it would not be financially viable to do so). Also could you tell me how much notice of change of working pattern/location am I entitled to?
View full answer >
Career Toolkit
Essential advice to help you get a new job.
How to handle interviews
So you’ve got an interview. Well done. Now comes the hard part, convincing your prospective employer that you are right…More >
How to write a compelling covering letter
You may think that the covering letter is not as important as your cv, but it is the first point…More >
Career advice
Top tips on everything from how to get promoted to how to run your own
The first 100 days back
You’ve been offered a new role, you’ve organised your wardrobe and you’ve sorted out your childcare – now you need…More >
Using social media for business
So you're thinking of starting a business, but how do you get people to know all about it? These…More >
Focus On
The sandwich generation
Are you part of the sandwich generation or are you likely to be in the future? An increasing number of…More >
Childcare support
Some 60% of employees who are very happy at work have good childcare arrangements, compared to only five per…More >

