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What do employment peeps think of this?

4 replies

PussinJimmyChoos · 11/03/2008 20:28

Have posted this in AIBU but then decided to put here also as I'm interested to see what the view point is.

So, last week DH's manager committed suicide. DH is really shocked and upset, as am I as I knew him and DH worked closely with him.

This means that DH will have to do a lot more work in the meantime until a replacement is found etc etc. This could have an impact on our childcare arrangements - i.e on one particular day that DH picks him up, it could well be that on the odd occaision, he'll ask me to pick DS up as an urgent request has come in that he has to deal with (he works in the Biomedical Science field so patient care and all that - no finishing on the dot of 5pm)

I've explained all this to manager and said I don't want to change my hours on a permanent basis, I just want a bit of flexibility should the need arise, although we are going to try our best to keep things as normal as possible. This was passed onto the senior manager whose response was basically that I need to fill in a work options form to get my hours changed....I realise there is a business need and everything but given the situation, I'm just asking for a bit of flexibility and any time taken (no more than 30mins at any one time) would be made up within the next two days

Also, I asked for time off in lieu to go to the funeral and it has been refused...I either have to take it as a holiday or make the time up in advance of the event, which I can't do because I only work part time and this has been totally unexpected - not something you could plan for!

Surely this is being a bit too rigid? I'm blardy cross I tell you!

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flowerybeanbag · 11/03/2008 20:46

Difficult to comment on the request for a bit of interim flexibility and how much of an impact leaving early every so often would have on your job/colleagues, how often it realistically might be and all that.

Was it actually a straight 'no' or was it a 'fill in a form and we'll see because I can't manage to make a decision that doesn't involve following a procedure'?

I'd hope a manager would be able to be a bit flexible on a temporary, ad hoc basis like this for a specific reason though, it does sound a bit rigid.

With the funeral, 'friend of DP who you also knew' isn't exactly immediate family, which most companies use as a definition for acceptable funerals to take leave for, so taking it as holiday rather than making up the time later sounds reasonable to me I'm afraid.

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PussinJimmyChoos · 11/03/2008 20:53

Have to fill in a work options request form to formally change my hours but I don't want to do that - the whole nature of the situation atm is that its unpredictable iyswim?

If DH gets an urgent sample that could have previously been dealt with by his manager, while he did the nursery run, I'll have to step in and take his place because its seriously ill patients that cannot be left...whereas what I do in that last half an hour would have no impact at all in really! Plenty of cover around if required....its pants really. We'd just got into a lovely settled routine and had it all sorted with all managers involved happy with the childcare/work arrangements!

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flowerybeanbag · 11/03/2008 20:57

That is a bit rubbish really I agree, most annoying!

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PussinJimmyChoos · 11/03/2008 20:59

I take your point about time off for the funeral btw - can see how they would prefer hols rather than time off in lieu for non relations as it were - I'm pretty fair (most days!)

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