No more WFH or flexible working

[Lizzie523]

Been WFH for a year now - about 6 months ago the company MD said we had done brilliantly, was thrilled by how we had risen to the challenge etc. We were then told the future would likely be hybrid working & we all had to complete detailed consultations about our preferences RE this. Personally ive been more productive overall & I feel a mix would work well.

Imagine our shock to now be told we are all to go back to full time at the office 5 days a week. They said they would no longer consider the results of the consultations and wished they hadn't done it - many of us tried to appeal this but were just told 'no'.

I moved during the pandemic which means I am just far enough away that 5 days a week in the office is going to be a hassle (not to mention awful for the environment).

We work with a few people with young kids and it obviously isn't inclusive for disabled people either. Our main competitors have already confirmed their commitment to remote working.

Is everyone else headed back to the office or am I right in thinking most places are being more flexible now?

[LimaFoxtrotCharlie]

It’s awful for the environment to have everyone WFH and heating their individual houses too.
Maybe look for a new job WFH if that’s what you want, as your employers clearly want you back in the office.

[DicklessWonder]

I moved during the pandemic which means I am just far enough away that 5 days a week in the office is going to be a hassle (not to mention awful for the environment).

That wasn’t very smart.

I’m sure the environmental impact of you and your colleagues all heating your houses more than knocks out your commute.

[emilyfrost]

It doesn’t really matter what you want or how productive you think you’ve been.

Your employers want you back in the office; everything else is irrelevant.

Did you not consider the fact that your job is office based when moving?

[Lizzie523]

@DicklessWonder I would do it again! It was too expensive to buy in the more central area, so I bought my first home slightly further out. It means that I am closer to other areas of the city now - the workplace is kind of in the middle of nowhere.

Thankfully for me @LimaFoxtrotCharlie my home doesn't take much heating overall but I take your point. I used to WFH for 2 years while self employed, a mix of at home and in cafes etc

[Lizzie523]

Why not @emilyfrost ? The reason is little more than presenteeism for the most part.

I think a day or 2 would be good for collaboration and meetings with colleagues but beyond that the job can be done from home. I don't believe there is any good reason for this complete 180 and most of my colleagues feel the same.

[Blossomhousepotentialparent]

DH and I are both permanently back to work in office

[RB68]

The heating indi homes is a bit of a fallacy most people keep houses at steady temps, also it doesn't allow for efficient homes and so on so its a bit of a sweeping statement. I think your options are to apply to csome of the competition who will allow flexible working and show your organisation the same loyalty they have shown you after your hard work in difficult times. Fuck em

[emilyfrost]

Why not? Because it’s not your business. You don’t run it, you work there.

It doesn’t matter what you or your colleagues think. If matters what your employers think and what they decide based on that.

You may think it’s presenteeism, but most likely having had another good look they’ve realised you aren’t more productive at home (the majority of people like to think they are and will defend they are to the death, but the fact of the matter is that it’s very rarely the case).

[Lizzie523]

I also think it has to be at least partially dependent on what you do.

Just saying flat out no, no flexible working option is mad imo. It isn't inclusive for various reasons more important than mine.

[DicklessWonder]

@RB68

The heating indi homes is a bit of a fallacy most people keep houses at steady temps, also it doesn't allow for efficient homes and so on so its a bit of a sweeping statement. I think your options are to apply to csome of the competition who will allow flexible working and show your organisation the same loyalty they have shown you after your hard work in difficult times. Fuck em

Not really. Cost me £1k to repair my car when the DPF went due to a lack of decent commutes regularly enough.

So now when I WFH I heat the house and then take the car for a drive in the evening, so the environmental impact is significant.

My employer is recalculating everything based on that example before they declare WFH an environmental success.

[Kljnmw3459]

Yanbu, I think most offices seem to be going for a more flexible approach of blended working.

[BelleBlueBell]

@Lizzie523

Why not *@emilyfrost* ? The reason is little more than presenteeism for the most part.

I think a day or 2 would be good for collaboration and meetings with colleagues but beyond that the job can be done from home. I don't believe there is any good reason for this complete 180 and most of my colleagues feel the same.

Why would an employer do it if there wasn't a good reason?

There might not be a good reason for you but I'm very dubious that an employer would make that choice if they didn't think they were going to be better off in some way.

[Lizzie523]

@emilyfrost I have self awareness about my own levels of productivity. My manager has also noticed it. I assure you I get far more done in my quiet spare room than I ever did with the music and radio blaring or people chatting all around the open plan office.

You're entitled to your opinion, we're just not going to agree.

[Floralnomad]

What have people with young children got to do with anything , they should have childcare in place anyway .

[Fastforwardtospring]

Because if you leave to find a job that is WFH, they don’t need to pay severance. Been through this a couple of years ago, my work pulled everyone back into the office, including those that had WFH contracts, people left in droves, some had over 2/3 hour commutes. Because of this I would be very wary of any company offering WFH, they can change their mind.

[emilyfrost]

That’s fine. It doesn’t matter if we agree. It doesn’t matter that you disagree with your employer either - they want you back in the office, you go back.

[LondonStone]

DH’s employer actively downsized their offices last year and are offering flexible working so there will be options for everyone. I know there’s some kind of ‘check in’ system to go to the office to make sure the numbers work but I don’t know if that’s long term or Covid related.

[Redwinestillfine]

Vote with your feet. Employers that keep on insisting on the workforce being in the office full time will be in the minority and will loose their best staff if they refuse to adapt.

[OodieWoodie]

I suppose your only option really is to look for a new job OP.

My employer have made a commitment to flexible/agile working, but with a recent change in management, I'm expecting a sudden u-turn soon. Although, our office has now been commandeered by another dependent so not sure where all 30 odd of us will actually go if it does happen.

[Howshouldibehave]

5 days a week in the office is going to be a hassle

Perhaps you need to move to an office that gives you a shorter commute then. Things are getting back to how they were pre-pandemic and people who object to their long commute will have to do what their employers ask or find a new job.

[LadyFlossieParkingson]

My department were all brought back into the office in January/Feb this year...
My boss felt that due to increased demand on our service and the need to train new staff members we should all return back.

A few people refused....HR backed the buisness decision and those colleagues handed in their notices....

WFH seems like a distant memory to me now and thats the way i expect it to stay so many organisations are clearly wanting people back in....

[JackieTheFart]

Bet their consultation showed that people in general were not as efficient.

You might be more efficient but defo for most they aren’t.

[Lizzie523]

@JackieTheFart the 180 has come after that. Post consultation the results were everyone wanted hybrid working with a day or 2 option WFH. They were very supportive then.

No good reason given for this change as I said. All very strange.

I think you're right @Howshouldibehave. It isn't just the commute - it's the fact the workplace is in the middle of nowhere. I'm closer to transport links to the city centre now.

[79andnotout]

My company has introduced flexible working and my productivity and the productivity of my team has definitely increased working from home. We use easily monitored metrics to evaluate our performance and the results are quite clear.

Move to your competitor.

[flowery]

It really doesn’t matter whether you or your colleague think there are good enough reasons. The people making the decision will have weighed it up and in relation to whatever factors they have taken into account, a decision has been made that this is the best option. It’s actually pretty rare for employers to decide things based on no good reason. Usually there is a good reason, just not one the employees think is good. It’s usually commercial.