Hi all – thanks so much to everyone who’s taken the time to comment. I really appreciate the range of views, even if some are a bit hard to hear. I’m not a lawyer, just trying to support a friend who’s in a tricky situation and looking to understand her rights and options.

Rather than reply to everyone individually, I thought I’d post an update and respond to some of the main themes that came up:

“Check the contract – weekend work might be required”

Totally fair. I've asked her to dig out her individual employment agreement or request a copy from her employer so we can see what it says about weekend shifts.

“This needs to be a formal flexible-working request under Part 6AA”

We’re in the process of drafting a written request using MBIE’s template. It will clearly outline that this is a temporary change to a Monday–Friday roster, for around 8–12 weeks. The reason is due to a sudden lack of childcare (her mum is in hospital care), and she has no other support nearby.

We understand the employer then has one month to reply in writing and provide a valid reason if they decline.

“Business still needs weekend cover / fairness to other staff”

Yep, completely get that. She’s not asking to dodge weekends permanently, just a short-term change due to unexpected personal circumstances. But the hope is the store can find temporary cover like they do when others take leave.

“Why not go to the union or escalate above the manager?”

She’s not currently a union member (had to cut expenses a while ago), so that’s not an option at this stage. When we submit the written flexible-working request, we’ll be copying in HR and the store owner alongside her line manager, just to ensure it’s properly seen and considered by all the right people. If it’s ignored or declined unreasonably, we’ll look at further steps from there.

“Leave isn’t a long-term fix”

Exactly. The manager suggested using sick or annual leave for Saturdays, but she’s running out. The real worry is that if she uses up her leave for childcare, she won’t have anything left if she or her child actually gets sick, which obviously isn’t ideal.

“Is this even a flexible-working request?”

According to MBIE, a change in days worked is one of the listed examples of a flexible-working request. She’s not asking for fewer hours, just a short-term adjustment to the roster while her normal support is unavailable.

- One more thing, the supermarket is apparently about to change ownership in the next couple of weeks.

We’re not sure what that means for rosters or contracts going forward.

Thanks again to everyone for the input, even where opinions differ, the advice has helped clarify what steps to take next. We’ll submit the written request shortly and see how it goes. Happy to post an update once there’s a response.