Flexible for them but not for me...

[noon_child]

I work part time hours with no fixed days. It depends what needs doing, when meetings are scheduled etc. On this basis many of my working weeks are not arranged till a week before hand depending on if things crop up. I'm happy to be flexible with days as I have no other commitments, I just have to be out of work in time to collect my daughter from school.

There have been a few times over the last year when my manager has asked "Are you in tomorrow?" and when I've said No she has seemed annoyed. I've had to explain that I've done my hours for the week so I can't come in. There have been weeks in which she has asked me to do urgent things which have taken me over my hours. Then she has criticised me for building up my TOIL.

The problem really arises when it comes to the school holidays. I can't wait to see what crops up, or what's most useful to my colleagues, because I have to book in the childcare while it is still available. I book it around anything already in my work diary but if there's nothing there I choose at random. I let my colleagues know in advance and put in in my electronic calendar which they can all access.

It came to a head recently when she said it was unacceptable for me to change my working days at the last minute. In fact my days off had been in my calendar for weeks. The problem is, with me working part time and her working part time and annual leave getting in the way, I've not been physically around to remind her when I'm next due in so she sees it as flakey-do-what-I-want behaviour.

From my point of view I think my willingness to be flexible has shot me in the foot. Not having a standard pattern of working makes it LOOK like I just chop and change when actually I'm trying to be as helpful as possible.

What do other people do to stay flexible but appear consistent?

 

[Padan1111]

Hiya, I wonder if you could consistently work one day or some set hours each week, maybe at the start of the week while keeping the rest flexible. Perhaps you could coordinate with your manager to cross over at least at that point so you can catch up and arrange the rest of your week, or the following one, then? That way she'll be aware of what you are doing and have had first input.
It's not really fair on you to ask you to arrange yourself to meet others schedules constantly and if you have a set working time per week you could ask people to consider that for meetings as first preference?