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Compressed hours request (5 days in 4)

Laura

| 0 Posts

28 Feb, 2023 14:14

Hello!

A person on maternity leave has put in a request for compressed hours. Working 8-6pm, with a 30-minute lunch break over 4 days, instead of 5 - on full pay.

Our core hours are 9-5:30pm.

We are a PR company, thus clients expect us to respond 5 days per week. 

My company is hesitant to approve this request - because they say the person "cannot fit 5 days of work into 4" and they don't want to set the precedent.

However, they are happy to provide part-time working of 4 out of 5 days, or 9 out of 10 days. 

My query is that wouldn't this be the same, legally, as compressed hours in 4 out of 5? 

Whilst I understand the reasons, I have tried to explain that these are not legal reasons to reject the request. 

In all honesty I think the person will put themselves under too much pressure and I am worried about their mental health, but again, not a legal reason. 

It is true that there would be a "lack of work to do during the proposed working times" in the sense that no meetings that might be necessary could be booked outside our core hours, but I feel that is a bit weak?

Any advice or help would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

Laura

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  • Robert James Munro

    | 0 Posts

    28 Feb, 2023 14:58

    Laura

    Irrespective of the merits or otherwise of the request and consequently the Company's ability to grant the request there are a number of the eight lawful reasons that could/would apply:

    - quality or standards will suffer (possibly)
    - they won't be able to recruit additional staff (probably)
    - performance will suffer (possibly)
    - won't be able to reorganise work among existing staff (probably)
    - will struggle to meet customer demand (almost definitely)
    - lack of work during the periods you propose to work (almost definitely)
  • Laura

    | 0 Posts

    28 Feb, 2023 16:03

    In reply to Robert James Munro:

    Thank you very much, this is helpful!
  • Ann Simpson

    | 0 Posts

    1 Mar, 2023 09:12

    Interesting that the company is willing to allow p-t work (4 days per week) but not full time work for 4 days a week- I wonder if the issue is about trust (ie they don’t trust that the person will work full time on the 4 days and the company’s approach is to suggest part time instead as then they’ll only be paying pro rata salary). A suggested option is that if the full request can’t be agreed permanently, for one of the 8 business reasons, you could suggest to the company that they partially agree it by way of a trial period (eg 3 months) - ie let them test it out in practice and see if their fears are realised or not- trial period should have a clear end point and terms attached as to what happens at the end of the trial (ie either ends and person reverts to previous work pattern, ot if it has worked out well and if mutually agreed, becomes permanent working arrangement). Worth a try
  • Laura

    | 0 Posts

    1 Mar, 2023 10:22

    In reply to Ann Simpson:

    Hi Ann,
    Thank you! Yes, this is my conflict here and I am still no closer to understanding the reasoning, seems like something related to the very fast-paced PR world - where the expectation from clients is to be available.
    But for me, legally, a compressed 4-day week and a part-time 4 day week are the same.
    I've suggested a trial, thank you!
  • Juraj Kecso

    | 0 Posts

    2 Mar, 2023 14:57

    Hi Laura,

    I also find it a bit odd that the company can accommodate part-time work, but not compressed hours using the same argument, that just makes no sense.

    Also, the lack of available work argument seems fairly weak. Unless your job is literally just about attending meetings 24/7, I am sure there are tasks task that can be outside the "core" hours.

    However, if the client is expecting 5 days a week availability or response to a query within a set period and by not being there on Fridays this would suffer (and you are unable to allocate the work to others or recruit someone for Fridays only), then it would be possible to decline the request.
  • Laura

    | 0 Posts

    2 Mar, 2023 15:23

    In reply to Juraj Kecso:

    Thank you Juraj, completely agree and hence drama. There have been many more discussions after I posted it, I keep pushing back. Appreciate your thoughts very much!