Proposing change of work hours - please help!

Mel&Jason

I currently work Mon & Tues 11-8pm,  Wed & Thurs 9-6pm and Fridays 8-5pm and about one Saturday a month from 9-1pm.  I really really hate working 11-8pm ... mainly because I like being home in the evenings with my family and putting DD to bed.  Granted, right now she is not going to bed til 1030 ... but I think that will change as she gets older. 

I want to propose to my boss not working both late nights (as I could not, not work them).  With my job there are 12 of us that have the same title, do the same job etc.  It is in our job duties that we are required to work 2 nights 11-8.  So, I want to somehow propose to my boss that I only work 1 late night instead of 2.  In asking her though, I dont want my other co-workers to think that I am getting special privledges etc ... but this may be a reality anyway.  I know my boss has adjusted some of the schedules of the people I work with ... for instance ... one girl works 10-7pm instead of 11-8 on one of her late nights ... and one woman works 8-5pm on the night she is supposed to work 9-6pm.  My boss and I have a good relationship, as I have always been a top producer and very reliable.  I recently got promoted right before I left before maternity leave too.  My boss has a little girl that is 3 years old.  But, she is more career oriented than family oriented.  So I know she will understand to an extent about my wanting to change my hours a bit ... but I fear she will not grant me what I am asking or look at me differently now that I am asking for a special circumstance.

I just dont know how to approach the subject or even how to propose it.

Any advice/ guidance would be greatly appreciated!  TIA

RoxyLynn

Parents or not, I doubt any of your co-workers like those hours better than you do.  If you're not willing to pull your share of the load, look for something else.

sprky79

I think a great way to pissoff your co-workers is to come back from maternity leave and expect them to be ok with your hours being changed "because I have a baaaaayyyyyybbbbeeeeeeeee"

You know your job expects you to work two nights a week.  Deal with it or quit. 

vanillacourage

Are you proposing that you'll work 8 fewer hours and be paid for 8 fewer hours per week, or that you work 8 fewer hours and are paid the same?  And in either case, who are you proposing do the work that you are not doing during those 8 hours?

I'm not trying to be condescending - just asking questions that I need answered in order to give you advice.

Edited to add - after seeing this post that you've only been back to work 2 weeks from maternity leave, my advice is that you should not propose changes to your schedule now if you need the job.  Wait at least 6 months, otherwise you're sending a clear signal (fair or not) that your sense of responsibility to your job has changed since having a baby.

duchess0727

My only advice would be to wait a while before you propose this change.  Since your LO is so young, your daughter's schedule is going to change a bunch of times and it will be best for you to work that out first before you change your work schedule and then realize you are still missing her bedtime.  During this time, make sure you remind your boss and coworkers what a great asset you are so that when you do ask for the change, your boss will feel more comfortable going out of her way for you.  In a few months when your DD's schedule is a little more regular, figure out what will maximize your time with her and then propose the change - maybe offering to come in and do 9-6 or 10-7 rather than 11-8.  But maybe your DD will be an early riser and you will get more time with her if you go to work at 11.  If she ends up with a 7 pm bedtime like a lot of kids, getting home at 6:30 or 7 isn't going to help you.

14years

Since you just got back from leave, I would wait to ask for changing your schedule. 

First, it sounds from your prior posts that you are still adjusting to going back.  You may find that there are positives to your current schedule.  I know sometimes I would love 2 mornings at home with DS, even if it meant a couple of later nights. 

Second, give your boss and co-workers a chance to discover that you are still going to be the same reliable team player that you were before.  If you decide to propose a change later, they'll know it's not reactionary and they don't have to worry that you are going to flake out on them.  (I am not saying that's what you would be doing by proposing it now, just that it may be the impression it creates.)