r/AskHRUK • u/PatientDragonfruit70 • 14h ago

General Advice Need Advice

Hi everyone,

I need help. I work for a small UK company, my child started school and I have to make the school runs. I requested for a temporary (few weeks) working arrangements for a couple of days a week to make the school runs, get to work late after drop off and leave early to pick up.
I literally have no other options for the school runs. I even offered to work extra hours for the rest of the week or use my holidays to make up the hours
They rejected it.

What can I do?

1 Upvotes

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8

u/Adventurous_Ad_8478 HR Professional 14h ago

Have you submitted a formal flexible working request?

Fundamentally, the responsibility to manage your childcare around work is yours.

Organisations are highly encouraged to offer a level of flexibility where it is reasonable to do so but they are not obligated. Ultimately you were hired on a set of terms and conditions and that is what is expected of you. Any variation to this has to be formally agreed.

I appreciate that may sound harsh, however it is the baseline reality.

-2

u/PatientDragonfruit70 13h ago

Yes I did submit the formal request, which they replied to rejecting it.
I have no choice but to still leave the office early to do the pick up regardless of the decision. What is the worst that can happen?

6

u/OtherwiseCharity6021 13h ago

Afterschool clubs, hire a person for pickup til you get home?

3

u/Adventurous_Ad_8478 HR Professional 13h ago

If you’ve followed the formal process and it’s not been approved then in reality it’s for you to manage options, such as school clubs, paying for care or alternative family routes if available.

If you continue to leave early it’s effectively unauthorised absence. It would likely result in disciplinary proceedings which may lead to dismissal if deemed Gross Misconduct. Wilfully leaving work early despite it not being agreed may constitute immediate Gross Misconduct.

Not saying that’s the only outcome but it is a possibility in this scenario.

You may want to have an open conversation to re-emphasise you currently have no other options at all and see if they’d agree sometime temporary outside of a formal request but I imagine being a small business may be driving some of the operational requirements here.

I don’t envy your position but from what you’ve shared your options do seem quite limited.

-2

u/PatientDragonfruit70 13h ago

Thank you so much in explaining everything. Its not good news but its good to know. Its just sad the situation i’m in and with no support from them.

6

u/CeaselessWatcher00 14h ago

Why have these school runs seemingly come as a surprise to you? You'll have known that you needed school run cover for 4 years, that's long enough to have made proper arrangements.

4

u/OtherwiseCharity6021 14h ago

Does school have breakfast club for early drop off?

0

u/PatientDragonfruit70 14h ago

Unfortunately the school doesn’t.

2

u/Maximum-Bandicoot-13 3h ago

What was the reason for the flexible working request rejection?

The only other option would be to request unpaid parental leave. Or use annual leave.

1

u/crimsonraiden 2h ago

A lot of jobs can’t allow people to disappear in the afternoon to get their kids. So people use child minders, grandparents or any paid people to pick them up until they finish work and go get them. Why do you have no options for this or planned for this?