What to do if your employer refuses your request for flexible working hours

Take things further. If your negotiations do not succeed, you may need to take advantage of your organisation’s grievance procedure. It’s possible you may have grounds for a sex discrimination claim, in which case you could take the matter to an employment tribunal. There is a time limit of three months from the day your request was refused for taking claims to a tribunal.

Understand your employer’s position. Your employer may believe that it is genuinely necessary for your job to be full-time, or during specified hours, or on a shift basis to meet legitimate business needs. Make sure you have thought through their position as well as your own. Then your position will be both clear and strong.

Further information

• Parents at Work, 45 Beech Street, London EC2Y 8AD (020 7628 3565; fax: 628 3591) advice line Wed & Fri 11am-2pm, Thurs 6pm-9pm
• The Equal Opportunities Commission, Head Office, Overseas House, Quay Street, Manchester M3 3HN (0161 833 9244; fax: 835 1657); email. Wales EOC: Windsor House, Windsor Lane, Cardiff CF1 3DE (01222 343552; fax: 641079); email. Scotland EOC: Scotland Stock Exchange House, 7 Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow G2 1QW; email.The EOC can advise you on how to resolve your complaint on your own; tell you about your rights under the Sexual Discrimination Act (SDA), particularly if you think you have a complaint about your hours of work; advise you about taking a case under the SDA and, in some cases, give legal or financial help. For information and advice on all equality issues in Northern Ireland visit the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
• The Maternity Alliance, 45 Beech Street, London EC2P 2LX (020 7588 8582; fax: 7588 8584); email. This independent organisation campaigns for improvements in rights and services for pregnant women, new parents and their babies, and runs an advice service for individuals
• New Ways to Work, 309 Upper Street, London N1 2TY (020 7930 3355), for information and advice on all aspects of flexible working patterns
• Your Trade Union – if you are a member
• Your local law centre – look in Yellow Pages or call the Law Centres Federation (020 7387 8570; Scotland: 0141 561 7266). It is crucial to talk to a solicitor who specialises in this field – Maternity Alliance (see above) has a list
• Citizens Advice Bureau – look in Yellow Pages, ask at your local library or call the National Association of Citizen’s Advice Bureaux in England and Wales (020 7833 2181), in Scotland (0131 667 0156) and in Northern Ireland (028 90 231120)