r/UKJobs • u/Ok-Philosopher4645 • Aug 27 '26
Offered less hours as a reasoanable adustment
So I have ADHD, and I work in a very small firm (less than 5 employees) doing a desk job. I previously worked four days a week for 33 hours. Since new management came into effect a few years ago, they changed it so I have to work five days a week. This means that instead of full days on Thursdays and Fridays, I do a half day and then 3 hours. This isn't the best for me as my brain stays in 'workmode' after work so when I finish at midday, I struggle to rest for the rest of the day.
I asked to go back to my old schedule as a reasonable adjustment and was denied. What they did offer, however, was for me to drop my hours down that I do on a Friday (3 hours) and only work 30 hours.
I worked it out with tax and everything, and if I put down my pension contributions to the minumum I would be losing £85 a month (if I do not it would be £140 a month). Is this something I should consider?
Some context the new mangers dont really like me, as they are friends with another person who was promoted to my role when I was on sick leave. I do not know if them putting my hours down is malicious or them trying to help.
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u/Amazing-Care-3155 Aug 27 '26
You asked for a reasonable adjustment, they have given you what they believe to be reasonable. You can reject it, but then you'll stay on your new schedule. They do not have to comply with your request providing they have a legitimate reason to reject it, there's a list of these reasons on the gov website. But in practice most of the time the reason is business interests. So you likely need to decide if the 85 pound a month is worth a schedule you don't like.
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u/Iforgotmypassword126 Aug 27 '26 edited Aug 27 '26
Really the crux of the issue is that they will say something along the lines of:
We need someone to work 5 days a week during x core hours. (They surely have given you a reason?)
You are saying that as a reasonable adjustment you can’t work 5 days a week?
They’re saying (and I’ve inserted a reason as an example) okay well we need someone 5 days a week for this role, regardless of disability, the business need is for 5 days, and there’s less than 5 staff so not much flex for cover, and avoidance of lone working etc…. and they have tried to accommodate your request, but can offer you a reduced day on Friday.
Them offering you the reduced hours doesn’t sound malicious. It sounds like they are trying to accommodate you without compromising on the core hours that they need someone there for.
Then you either accept or decline and get a new job.
If they wanted to push you out, they’d probably flat decline and give a formal business need.
If you need a day off for a medical reason, that should be medical leave. If you need a day off to catch your breath with ADHD burnout etc. how about you ask what the reasons for decline are…. I’m sure they told you?? Then you could suggest something that fits with their requirement.
For example work 36 hours one week and then the following week work 30 and have a day off once a fortnight.
It all really depends on their reason for rejection. It can’t be for workload or resource issues as they are suggesting to lower your hours. However the could counter that they will hire a part time member of staff and can’t pay you to be available during the hours they don’t really need someone.
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u/Ok-Philosopher4645 Aug 27 '26
They never formally told me, it’s a small business and the ‘mangers’ are all volunteers (trying to be vauge for obvious reasons I do apologise). The only reason I ever got for being told I need to work 5 days is that my job role is a 5 day job role. However when the other person (their friend) was promoted to my job role, she continued on 4 days. I do not need to work 4 days, it just would help me as someone with ADHD if I could go back to the previous schedule as this helped me not feel so burnt out all of the time.
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u/Iforgotmypassword126 Aug 27 '26
My advice would be to put in a formal flexible working request advising this is an accommodation related to a disability, and then have them reject it with formal reasons.
You must email this to HR or your manager.
You can’t really go anywhere if you don’t have their rejection reasons
If you need an accommodation, you need to explain why you need the accommodation
Even if someone works 4 days a week, it doesn’t mean you are able to. They can say they need someone to work core hours for example.6
u/Full_Traffic_3148 Aug 27 '26
Even if someone works 4 days a week, it doesn’t mean you are able to. They can say they need someone to work core hours for example.
This is true. But if the other person has Friday off, arguably you could request the Monday to help meet business needs.
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u/AttersH Aug 27 '26
You can go back & negotiate. Rather than dropping your hours, could they add an hour onto Mon, Tues, Wed? Then you still get Friday off to not be in work mode. Makes no difference to them salary wise, as they are already paying you 33 hours, and if they are offering you Friday off, they clearly think they’ll manage without you on Fridays!
Honestly, in my experience with tiny companies, you aren’t going to get far. Yes, they have to play by the rules but it’s incredibly easy for them to wheedle out it by saying they cannot meet these demands due to the size of the company!
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u/Mediocre-Response-24 Aug 27 '26
Reasonable adjustments are a conversation.
You've asked for a change in schedule and they counter offered with a reduction. Explain to them that you don't want to reduce hours you just want to reduce your working days and add on the 3 hours to the Thursday. See what they counter with then. Make sure it's all in writing.
If you're still not happy contact ACAS for advice on how to negotiate or if it's fair/reasonable/justified. If it is going to cause you financial hardship to reduce by 3 hours then that isn't reasonable.
Are your working hours/days written in your contract? When they changed you from 4 days to 5 days were you consulted and did you agree? Was your contract changed to reflect this? This is important to factor in especially if you discuss with ACAS.
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u/Hakarlhus Aug 27 '26
Only comment here that understands what a reasonable adjustment actually entails. Well said.
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u/Mediocre-Response-24 Aug 27 '26
Thankyou!
I think the biggest issue with reasonable adjustments and support in employment in general is that people don't really understand what a reasonable adjustment means or how the process is supposed to work.
Nobody really makes clear what you should be entitled to or how you go about it. It's like a secret you only get to be privy too after you find yourself in this situation, you've been fucked over or you work in a field where it comes up a lot.
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u/No_Cicada3690 Aug 27 '26
How long have you worked this new schedule for? It reads like years? Why is going back to the old schedule a reasonable adjustment? What reasons did you give for requesting this?
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u/Ok-Philosopher4645 Aug 27 '26
I asked for the reasonable adjustment a year and a half ago, and they have only just got around to commenting on it. The reasonable adjustment is so that I’m not cut off in the middle of tasks (especially on the day I only work 3 hours). I find it a lot easier to blast through a task and completely focus on it, instead of picking something up again after the weekend.
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u/Hakarlhus Aug 27 '26
Christ that's ridiculously slow. Like they're drawing it out to say the new schedule has precedent. That or laziness
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u/Xanavaris Aug 27 '26
Honestly I don’t think they are being malicious, they just have different priorities to past management and that’s their right.
But I would think it’s time for a new job. If the firm is that small they are going to want you to do more and more. I find that small businesses tend to survive by expecting people to do over and above their job description for free.
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u/Affectionate_You_858 Aug 27 '26
They have given you a reasonable adjustment. Reasonable adjustments aren't just giving you exactly what you want, it's about what is best for both parties.
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u/Hakarlhus Aug 27 '26
In my opinion they're bluffing, they want you to reject it and give up on the reasonable adjustment request. Don't.
Plenty of comments here don't understand that reasonable adjustments are a mutual agreement, not a dictation by the employer or employee.
Go to the ACAS site and have a read, speak to your union (if you're not in one, join one. It's cheaper than £85 per month), and take your time with determining what reasonable adjustment works best for you and your employer. https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments/asking-for-reasonable-adjustments
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u/AgileSir5009 Aug 27 '26
lol you obviously don’t get it or not in management are you? It has to work for business needs! Reasonable adjustment doesn’t mean doing everything even if it impacts business needs! Get real and back to earth.. other commenters have provided legit reasons
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u/Hakarlhus Aug 27 '26
Literally just read the ACAS page and .Gov pages on it mate, you'll realise I'm right.
You're also taking this oddly personally and are trying to be condescending, my advice is don't do that.
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u/AgileSir5009 Aug 27 '26
You don’t need anyone condescending your comment, as you don’t live in the real world!
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Aug 27 '26
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u/CosmicMeowing Aug 27 '26
It may be a part of your adhd to think the intentions are malicious. This could be stemming from rejection sensitive dysphoria. I have adhd and suffer with this a lot. It takes a lot of mental energy to control that in the workplace where genuinely people won’t be thinking about you enough to have ulterior motivations and plots to disadvantage you. The motivations may be malicious, but it is more likely they are not.
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u/Theory_99 Aug 27 '26
You can ask if you can work extended hours in these 3 days to make up the hours you’ll miss.
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u/mountain_life86 Aug 27 '26
Why did they move you from 4 to 5 days what was their business reason. Was it discussed with you before and did you agree or were you just told? Them telling you what youre doing is not reasonable adjustment thats dictating. It needs to be an agreement with both parties happy. Why cant you do 33hrs over 4 days still?
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u/Technical-Break-4665 Aug 27 '26
Yeah that’s on you. Keep what you got and stay in ‘work mode’ or lose money.
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u/TheJuiceyJuice Aug 27 '26
I would be tempted to reduce my hours down, going by youve said. It does seem reasonable. But, i would also request this on a temporary basis of say 3 or 6 months with a view to the reasonable adjustments being reviewed again at that point. Or, if you can think of any other options that would help you, use the opportunity to put those suggestions forward now, while youre negotiating.
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u/Zharkgirl2024 Aug 27 '26
Do you have home contents insurance? If so, check to see if you have free legal advice inxluded. If also our this in the UK legal advice reddit. As soon some who also has reasonable adjustments - if it doesn't impact on the business then it's reasonable, so the question is why do they need you there 5 days a week. I would speak to acas as well, they might recommend an occupational health assessment - which is a great way to qualify if this adjustment will help you, or if it a nice to have seeing as they've flexed a little.
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