returning to work
I am returning to work shortly, the company I will be working for stated the job was flexible hours. At the interview i explained that i can only work alternative weekends as i share access with my ex husband and the weekend I have them i have no other childcare available. The interviewer then put on my file that saturdays are at request only and i dont have to do it. However at the induction day this was totally different, told me i would be working saturday and sundays on a rota basis and they could not guarantee i will get my weekend off with my children.
does anyone know any laws regarding this, both my children are under 5, i have no night time childcare or weekend childcare available to me so how do they expect me to go to work? childcare providers are not open on weekends. I know i have a right to flexible working hours but can i state i cannot work a particular weekend without getting sacked, i need this job to get a roof over our heads.
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Hello Joemerry
There is no law that can "force" your employer to take your parenting responsibilities into consideration but your employer has to consider your request for flexible working hours, they do no have to grant this, however. See here
Where the law kicks in is that if you are a lone parent with a child under seven, you can choose to be on Income Support and when you look for work, provided you have a child under the age of 13, you can insist on only being put forward to jobs with school hours (16 hours or more per week) There is an article about this here.
This does not solve your problem, and in the end it is up to you to negotiate with this employer...but rest assured that you would be able to go on Income Support if you had to not take up the offer.