Asking for a Flexible Schedule

The task

Your child is starting at a new school in September, and the school day ends earlier than your current working hours. There is no after-school program, so you need to change your schedule at work. Write an email to your manager in about 150-200 words. In your email, do the following:

• Explain why you need to change your working hours.
• Describe the new schedule you would like to work.
• Explain how you will make sure your work is not affected.

Length

150–200 words

Time

27 minutes

Question

2 of 15

Dear Ms. Thompson, I am writing to ask whether I could change my working hours starting in September. My daughter is moving to a new elementary school, and classes there finish at 2:45 p.m. Since my husband works evenings, I am the only person who can pick her up, and the school does not offer an after-school program. I would like to propose working from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. instead of my current 9:00 to 5:00 schedule. That way I would still work my full eight hours, and I could reach the school in about fifteen minutes. I would be happy to try this arrangement for three months and then review it with you. I understand that the late afternoon is busy for our team, so I have thought about how to avoid any problems. I would handle my client calls in the morning, and I would remain available by phone until 4:30 if anything urgent came up. Jordan has also offered to cover the end-of-day reports on the days I leave early. Thank you for considering my request. I would be glad to discuss it. Best regards, Priya Nair

Why this answer works

• Each bullet has its own paragraph: the reason (school ends at 2:45, no after-school program), the exact new hours, and the plan to protect the team's work.
• The writer anticipates the manager's concern about busy afternoons and answers it with concrete measures, which shows mature task fulfilment.
• The tone is respectful and professional throughout, using polite forms such as "I would like to propose" and "I would be glad to discuss it".