In contract that I work from home....now being "asked" to work from London office...

[TheGoddessBlossom]

Hi,

As the title states I was able to take this IT Sales job almost exactly a year ago because it was a work from home position. Manage own diary, obviously client visits required, I work 4 days a week, occasionally expected to go to meetings in the London HQ, which I can do easily as long as it's agreed I can get there no earlier than 10.15 and have to leave at 4pm.

UK sales are down, major focus on how to improve, which has led to a mandate that we work from the London office unless at clients, 9.30am to 5.30pm.

I cannot do this. 2 DC, 1 at nursery, 1 just started school, DH also full time as a builder and while he can and does do pick ups and drops offs when I can't, he works in a different locale each week, and although we can share the childcare and drop offs and do, he will lose money if he leaves consistently early and gets in consistently late. He dropped everything when I recently had to go to India for a week on business (which meant he lost a week's wages), and is generally very supportive.

Which is why I never went for interviews for London based jobs and only considered work from home positions in the first place.

I have arranged to meet my boss tomorrow to listen to how he thinks this will affect me and take careful notes without saying much. I will agree to think about whatever he proposes. I have also arranged to meet HR to discuss my position. But the bottom line is although I appreciate it's all pull together at this time, and appearances are all in terms of appearing to be working hard, even if I wanted to I cannot accommodate this request, the fact that I am 50 times more effective at home than spending 4 hours a day travelling to the office and back notwithstanding.

What would you do?

Thanks,

Bloss

[Earlybird]

Very difficult situation for you. Need more info in order to offer advice:

*Do others also work from home?
*Have you spoken to any of them, and what do they think?
*Is there physical space for all of you at London HQ?
*I appreciate that business is down, but how are your sales numbers? If strong (or strong relative to others), could you make the case you willingly travel in for 'training' but really need to leave arrangements as they currently stand?
*How, exactly, do they think working from HQ will improve things?
*Could you agree to work from London HQ one day a week (ie, put in a regular physical appearance), and arrange childcare for your dc on that day?

Finally, if you were to leave the job because of this request, how difficult would it be to find another/similar job?

What if you simply declined their request (nicely)?

[TheGoddessBlossom]

Hi early Bird:

*Do others also work from home? - yes, out of my team of 4 (all men apart from me), 3 incl me are contracted to work from home and this arrangement would similarly inconveninece them. One could manage it short term, as parents are living in, but after xmas untenable, and the other one intends to ignore it altogether!
*Have you spoken to any of them, and what do they think? see above. I can't ignore it though. Need it all to be agreed upon and above board.
*Is there physical space for all of you at London HQ? - yes I spose....
*I appreciate that business is down, but how are your sales numbers? If strong (or strong relative to others), could you make the case you willingly travel in for 'training' but really need to leave arrangements as they currently stand? - strong relative to others, and yes could make that case, particularly as I have pulled out all the stops recently to be as available as possible.
*How, exactly, do they think working from HQ will improve things? - main main from India (chairman) flying over in Oct and will want to see sales people in the office, available and "working hard". Presenteeism, is what I call it.
*Could you agree to work from London HQ one day a week (ie, put in a regular physical appearance), and arrange childcare for your dc on that day? Yes I could deffo do this. And will offer exactly that. But I know it won't be enough.

Bloss

[Earlybird]

Hopefully Flowerybeanbag will be along to answer legalities/HR aspects of this situation. Their proposal clearly changes the nature of the job completely, and perhaps makes it impossible for you.

Can't think the company would want to lose you (and the other members of the sales force) in this difficult economy, but sounds as if most of you can't do what they're asking.

Sorry I can't be of more practical help.