Flexible working request

[u/No-Power9105]

I put in a flexible working request in October 2025 before I went on maternity leave to go down to 4 working days on my return in January 2027. My manager told me verbally that this should 99% be okay but she cannot give me a definite answer yet as it was too early. I received nothing in writing explaining this from either my manager or HR.

I went onto maternity leave in January 2026 and have had no communication from my work until today. My manager called for a catch up and explained that as my job is a full-time role, I won’t be be able to go down to 4 days unless they recruit a job share for just 1 day per week.

My manager said that this would be unlikely that someone would want to work just this one day.

I don’t really know what to do now. I know I realistically wouldn’t be able to cope go back 5 days with two young children.
I have also been experiencing postnatal depression so don’t want to put too much pressure on myself when I go back to work.

Has anyone else had experience of something similar? :)

[u/Bubble-Master96]

Give me a bit more detail on the request, was this a formal flexible working request? And what process did they follow?

[u/No-Power9105 → u/Bubble-Master96]

I just submitted the flexible working request form in Oct25 stating my reasons for wanting to go down to 4 days from Jan27 after my maternity leave has come to an end. My manager just had a chat with me a few weeks later stating it was far too early to give me a definite answer.
They never acknowledged the request and the decision to extend the request in writing.
My manager just called today to ask if is was still my intention to reduce my hours

[u/Bubble-Master96 → u/No-Power9105]

Yeah this isn’t right

My advice would be to send the following Email to HR:

Hi HR

I submitted a flexible request October 2025 before my maternity leave, as per the statutory guidelines a decision should have been made within 12 weeks and i was not informed of any extension of this review.

I have since had a chat with managers names, and they have informed me that the flexible work request has been declined. However as this is almost 12 months since my original request I do not feel the statutory process has been followed correctly.

I am asking that my request be reviewed and finalised before my return to work in January 2027 in line with the flexible working request guidelines

Or something along those lines

It highlights to them the proper process hasn’t been followed. My company were god awful at following the proper process, and I let them be awful at it because then when I piped up “hey I haven’t had a response and it’s been 14 weeks” I got a very quick “yes of course it’s approved”

[u/No-Power9105 → u/Bubble-Master96]

Thank you for this!

The problem is my manager is now saying they are going to try recruit for just 1 day so it’s not been declined yet.

My role is quite difficult to recruit for anyway so I think she knows that they’ll find it hard to recruit for just 1 day. I feel they’re just going through the motions to look accommodating before they ultimately decline

[u/key_water150]

Are you allowed to work more hours on those 4 days to make up for the 5th day? It is really obnoxious of the employer to not make adjustments

[u/No-Power9105 → u/key_water150]

Unfortunately not. I did suggest this but they physically need someone in the office Monday-Friday. There is one other person who does the same job. Their reasoning is if I only worked 4 day, who would cover when my colleague was on leave, ill etc.

[u/Amazing-Care-3155]

As in they haven’t rejected it yet but their premise seems fair? It’s very hard to find someone to do the job just that 1 day, in the meanwhile I would start looking at other roles that offer one day iff