I've have been working for a hotel company for four years, doing a morning shift ie 7-3 or evening shift ie 3-11 or 5-11. Last year when I became pregnant, the HR manager was made redundant. My manager had no experience on pregnant employee issues so my risk assessment wasn't done and my hours were cut down. From a 39-hour contract, I was given 15-22 hours. Due to heavy lifting or moving of furniture, I injured my back so I took early maternity leave. During my leave, I found out about the procedures which were not followed while I was pregnant. I filed a case before an employment tribunal, but was rejected as it was not in the three-month claim period.
When I was due back at work, I put a flexible working request to work a particular shift ie morning only & weekend off so that we can work out childcare arrangements between my husband and myself. This was refused due to business needs. I can either to full or reduced part time hours. I do not believe there is a good business reason. My manager gives me all the difficult shifts, for instance evenings one day and early mornings the next. When I have objected, my manager says he has heard how much I like going to the employment tribunal and making a fool of myself so I should do that. Online I read that employees should have an 11-hour break between each shift, but my manager says that the hotel policy does not acknowledge this. I've found out that employees in different departments have been given flexiblity as they have young babies. Also, in my department, they have one part-time morning supervisor. Recently my husband has changed his job and he gets weekends off so I asked my manager not to give me weekends off as my husband can look after my baby, but he won't listen and keeps giving me the weekend off. Can I ask only for evening shifts? Also the hotel has just been bought by a different company so can I make another flexible working request?
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I'm due to go back to work in two weeks for an online business. Before I left on maternity leave, I had an agreement in place with my boss and HR on the hours of my return which included afternoons working from home. I now have a new boss who wants to revoke this agreement, stating that the needs of the business has changed and I need to be in the office full time. I have met and discussed with him what this change is, but I'm not convinced it's enough to warrant this change. I'm at a senior level and always displayed high work ethic, so I'm concerned that he is trying to change this for other reasons and stating change of business needs as the excuse. Do I have any legal rights to stick to the agreed hours?
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I am currently on maternity leave and due to go back soon. I work for the NHS and, unfortunately, a number of changes have taken place within the department - including extended hours. There has therefore been a recent consultation regarding working late nights til 8pm and also working on Sundays. This is not really what I had in mind, especially as I now have to care for a young baby (and also have to commute into work). Original working hours before maternity leave were: 9am-5.30pm plus Saturdays and bank holidays on a rostered basis. I have put in a request for flexible working and also had a meeting with both my manager and HR to discuss both flexible working and the recent consultation (which has now closed: with working hours extended as above). I am still waiting to hear from them, although I have been told that if they cannot find a job share then I must return at the original hours. I am unclear legally whether they can impose these extended working hours on me and refuse a job share on the basis that they cannot recruit into it. Do you have any thoughts?
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I am currently on my maternity leave and will probably have to return to work in three months. The worry I am having is that there have been a few women pregnant and returning to work at the same time and all have requested flexible working with some of them going part time and working from home a day a week. One girl has recently returned to work and was refused flexible working on the basis that she was not as senior as the other women and could not work unsupervised and with a baby at home with her. There have been rumours that the company is regretting being so flexible with the other mothers as there are now so many of us requesting flexible working and they are now cracking down on it. I was planning to return four days a week (I was previously working a five-day week in the office) and asking to work from home one day a week. I am worried because I am at the same level as the girl that was refused. However, I did work from home one day a week towards the end of my pregnancy. Also I am now a single mother as my husband just left me so it is even more important that I go back flexibly as it is just me looking after the baby and I want to limit the cost of childcare. I am going to have to prepare my written notice soon and was wondering if you had any suggestions to combat some of these issues as I am really worried that I will be treated unfairly over this as I have missed the boat on the flexible working.
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I am currently on maternity leave and due to go back in April. I work for the NHS and, unfortunately, a number of changes have taken place within the department - including extended hours. There has therefore been a recent consultation regarding working on Sundays. This is not really what I had in mind especially as I now have to care for a young baby (and also have to commute into work). Original working hours before maternity leave were: 9am-5.30pm plus Saturdays and bank holidays on a rostered basis. I have put in a request for flexible working and also had a meeting with both my manager and HR to discuss both flexible working and the recent consultation. I have been told that if they cannot find a job share then I must return at the original hours. I am unclear legally whether they can impose these extended working hours on me and refuse a job share on the basis that they cannot recruit into it. I have said that Saturdays are plausible, but have pointed out that Sundays are not viable as I physically cannot get in via public transport for the 9am start.
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