New manager want me in the office. I wfh-help!

Thanks for the update, that's good news

Oh sorry. Didn't see latest update. Pleased.

I feel very very differently to most on these thread, those that casually say : Once a month is a very reasonable request when your contract stated you should be in the office. I disagree.

With hindsight I bed you wish you'd asked to have WFH put in your contract at interview, rather than HQ. "Your normal place of work ..."

Implied terms. If you've already been actually doing something eg working from a particular place for x years, it changes expectations, it's a given? Even if you don't have a legal standing, eg a contract as evidence.

@Stressedgiraffe how did all this pan out in the end?

That sounds like a step in the right direction OP. And burnishing your CV to move on sounds like the best thing for you. In your new job do, please, ensure that your permanent WFH status is in writing in your contract and unequivocal with no room for "misunderstandings" from the new company's viewpoint. Good luck with your job search. 🌹

Good luck in your new job search OP.

You should find a new job, it sounds a lot like the old guard are going out and the new guard want things their way - which normally means bringing their own people in and finding excuses for making life difficult for existing employees if they don't want them there for whatever reason. Or at the very least boundary testing people.
Generally speaking this may go away for a while, but it'll never go away completely and you'll be better off just moving. It'll come back eventually and it sounds like a manage out situation. HR are there to protect the company and they will do exactly that - they'll oblige by the legal requirements enough for you to have no ability to go to a tribunal... but they won't protect you.

@Fupoffyagrasshole She can negotiate and do the job. She said that’s what she’s going to do. So presumably everything else is ok. She might prefer what she knows. However my comments weee based on her wanting to stay. At the moment. Of course anyone can leave but it’s not true to say wfh is now the norm. It’s not for many businesses. There’s a big loss to companies who need brainstorming, mentoring, training and other collaborative working such as detailed checking of work. It is difficult away from the office full time.

But @TizerorFizz why should the OP bother with all this when she can either argue her case and continue being at home OR get a new job thats working from home!!
There are heaps of jobs out there and loads are remote and sounds like the OP is pretty skilled if she was headhunted so shouldn't have an issue finding something else!!

People don't need to just accept things / do what they are told by their manager

You really can't tell anyone else to make assumptions after the series of them you've just pulled out of nowhere.

Whatever your beliefs, you have no idea whether care is likely to be available in the locality, but one of the few things we do know here is that OP does a niche role and that the company felt they had to come to her.

If you pay you can get someone. She now thinks she doesn’t need carers but many people pay fees for children so they can work. It’s fairly normal if you care for someone. Anyway, the op is negotiating and that’s good. Don’t assume there’s only one person who can do a job. That might not be true if the conditions are good. Egg for 4 days a week would be attractive.

Given that they had to headhunt OP in the first place, your ping is quite the gamble. It's a niche role.

Also, why on earth would you say you think it's possible to get carers? You don't know where OP lives so you can't have the foggiest about the situation locally.

flexible working request comes to mind - esp if you are a carer! shes prob just a misery guts manager...

Well said 👏

That’s all very well but I would ping back that a possible recruit from the 73% that want to change jobs might well be more than happy to come into the office one day a week! Loads of people would love this! It’s not all doom and gloom with recruiting if the job is attractive. Wfh 4 days a week is to many. However, of course there needs to be a good business case to change but there might well be.

Head of HR here and if I was asked to get involved by this manager I would tell them that they really need to show a clear reason why the OP can’t work from home when they’ve been doing so for years successfully, need to think about the risks as this is now likely custom and practice and more importantly, should they insist on digging their heels in to this particular hill, be fully prepared to lose the OP and struggle to recruit a replacement. Then I’d ask them (in nicer words) not to waste my time with basic management stuff and ping them some studies on the 73 percent of employees who are considering changing jobs In 2024 and what matters to then in a role.

In the interests of balance I would also suggest the OP make a flexible working request so we could have any decision documented and change contracts accordingly to reflect any changes. And I’d show them the recent case of a woman in a senior role losing a tribunal to wfh fully and ask them if they really couldn’t see any value in meeting up with the team physically once a month (even if that value was just keeping dinosaur managers happy). I’d maybe suggest an agreement on expense.

I would probably ask both parties to consider a compromise at once a month onsite if there was value in them doing that. But wouldn’t push it if there wasn’t.

Then I’d go and get on with my actual job which is not, as people continually seem to think, this sort of caper.

“I think it’s possible to get carers”.

I have a disabled family member, it really isn’t easy at all. Private carers are extortionate and isn’t the whole issue with social care that we don’t have enough care staff?

I understand you may not agree with WFH but home care is gold dust hence why so many people are now having to balance caring responsibilities with work. It’s also why we have so many elderly blocking (I hate that word but can’t think of another) the NHS beds after care as they have nowhere to go.

”Most people do (find carers)”.

Actually it usually falls on women who end up either leaving the workplace or only working the minimum that they can leave their dependent alone for.

https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1849107/six-10-unpaid-carers-quit-work-cut-hours-survey-reveals

https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/women-7-times-more-likely-men-be-out-work-due-caring-commitments

So whilst I understand that employer and employee need to reach an agreement and WFH indefinitely may not suit employer, it isn’t as simple as outsourcing care in the shambles of the UK social health system right now. It’s a bit blase and kind of out of touch to presume so. Being a carer is intense with barely any support.

@Stressedgiraffe That sounds like a good starting point. Do you have an alarm for your DH to press in an emergency? Wrist band or pendant?

Not necessarily pro office based at all. Just not a fan of employees refusing to negotiate or employers too for that matter. I think it’s possible to get carers. Many people do. Again once every 2 months might be reasonable and as the OP hasn’t mentioned it, we have no idea of the business, her job, her role regarding mentoring or training or anything else. I tend to believe in the “no man is an island” approach and everyone pulling together. There are huge dangers in the job being redundant with a reorganization.

I think you need to read the OPs case again. She lives 5 hours away and had a disabled husband. Once a month is a big deal for her.
She also states that it is just because her manager wants people in the office more, rather than a change in the work that necessitates her increased presence.
I assume you are pro office-based working and don't like WFH arrangements. That's fine, you're entitled to your opinion, but you are being unfair to OP here when there are some pretty big downsides to her going to the office with no evidence it will actually benefit her employer

TorringtonDean The transport card that everyone carries in London for monthly use does not cover any where near heating costs.

@Reigateforever extra heating but presumably no travel costs?