HR wants a business case before I can finish early two days a week

lagoon_tiffin_47675 Aug 2026

Our son's school van drops him home at 3. Mornings are fine; it's the 3 to 7 stretch that keeps falling apart, and I would rather fix it at my end than keep patching it. I asked whether I could compress my hours: finish at 2.30 on two days and make up the time in the evening. My manager seems open. HR has asked for a 'business case', which I suspect is a polite way of hoping I'll drop it. Has anyone here negotiated something like this in a tech role? What went into the case, and what did you agree to give up? I would also like to hear from anyone who got it and then found it didn't work in practice.

2 comments

fern_sketch_48645 Aug 2026
i got compressed hours two years ago, mon to thu longer days, fridays off. what helped was showing which of my deliverables didn't need me online every day. what i didn't expect: fridays slowly filled up with 'quick calls'. i still have them, i just guard them more than i used to
coral_window_38046 Aug 2026
No HR in a family business, so not the same situation, but my partner went through this last year. The manager only agreed once my partner proposed a three month trial with a review date. It gave everyone an easy way out, so they said yes 🙂