Interviews and career
How to ask your boss for flexible working hours
Say which hours you need and from when, then show how you will make sure the work does not suffer. You do not need to explain private reasons in detail, one sentence is enough. Offer a solution for meetings and urgent matters outside your hours.
How to handle this conversation
Give the exact hours
“I would like to work from seven to three instead of nine to five, starting next month.” Precision makes the decision easier.
One reason is enough
“From September I pick my child up from school” or “I am starting a part-time degree.” The longer the explanation, the more the request sounds like a favor.
Solve the meetings problem
Check the team calendar. “Our regular meetings are in the morning, so I keep them, and after three I check urgent messages for an hour.”
Put it in writing
After the conversation, send a short summary by email. A change of hours affects other people too, so everyone should know the same thing.
I am asking for flexible working hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Duration
- 8-12 minutes
The situation
Next month your situation outside work changes and fixed hours from nine to five stop working for you. You want to start and finish earlier. Everyone in the team works the same hours, and your manager likes having people around in the afternoon. You set up a meeting with him.
Who you talk to
Your manager
Matter-of-fact and has nothing against you, but values predictability. He asks about afternoon client requests, who will cover for you and whether this is permanent. He offers a compromise that changes very little.
The counterpart also has private goals and information that are never shown upfront. You discover them only through the conversation, the same way you would in real life.
What makes it hard
- Your manager offers a half-measure that does not solve your problem.
- He asks about the private reasons behind the change.
- He worries that urgent matters in the afternoon will go unanswered.
Your goals
- Present the hours you need clearly
- Offer a solution for meetings and urgent matters
- Agree on the change or a trial period with a review date
What the report looks at
- Whether the request is specific and has a start date
- How you set a boundary around questions about private reasons
- Whether you answer concerns about availability with a concrete plan
- How you respond to a compromise that does not solve the problem