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

My team and I all have WFH contracts - a new Manager wants us in the office once a week. As a concession the Manchester based colleagues can come every other week (to London). Once a month sounds reasonable to me.

You really think I want to be in the office to teach the younger inexperienced colleagues stuff? They don't need me. There are way more colleagues who can teach them what they need to know. On my salary too, which is usually reduced if you're hybrid, why should I come in more than say 2-3 days a week max?

And then, the worst of it, is when they start getting woke with you when they talk and other stuff, using words like 'triggering'. Please.

Same here - they gave me the standard contract to sign, but I was hired on a wfh basis. This is what the job advert said and what was communicated in the interview. I'm based in Birmingham and my company is in London.

They haven't asked me to come to the office/work hybrid, thank God.

If they do, I will have to resign - there's no way I could do that commute, especially having small children.

To be honest I'm really sick of the entitlement around issues like this.

You chose to work for a company 5 hours away.
You chose to sign a contract that stated HQ on your contract.

How therefore is this "stupid" that they want to enforce this by asking you in once a month?

Why do people think they have entitlement to work from home when their contract says differently? The pandemic? The pandemic is over.

Your personal circumstances are not your employers problem to be quite honest with you, however what I would do is sit down with HR and your manager and explain your situation and ask them if they can help you - that's right, ask if they can help rather than expect that they should back down because "it' always been this way".

The business you work for pays for an office and all the amenities that come with it and if nobody is there then are you happy to be on the redundancy list so they can pay for it if nobody can be arsed to come in? They're being pretty reasonable with you by asking for once a month to be honest but just FYI they are paying you to do a job and they don't actually have to explain themselves to you. You could just get a new job if you are that bothered by it.

To be honest I'm really sick of the entitlement around issues like this.

You chose to work for a company 5 hours away.
You chose to sign a contract that stated HQ on your contract.

How therefore is this "stupid" that they want to enforce this by asking you in once a month?

Why do people think they have entitlement to work from home when their contract says differently? The pandemic? The pandemic is over.

Your personal circumstances are not your employers problem to be quite honest with you, however what I would do is sit down with HR and your manager and explain your situation and ask them if they can help you - that's right, ask if they can help rather than expect that they should back down because "it' always been this way".

The business you work for pays for an office and all the amenities that come with it and if nobody is there then are you happy to be on the redundancy list so they can pay for it if nobody can be arsed to come in? They're being pretty reasonable with you by asking for once a month to be honest but just FYI they are paying you to do a job and they don't actually have to explain themselves to you. You could just get a new job if you are that bothered by it.

Try to negotiate based on custom and practice and the fact you've had this arrangement for years with no issues and get your contract changed

Put in a flexible working request to WFH (which if agreed will result in a contract change)

If neither of those work I honestly think once a month is actually not too bad or you could leave and make sure you cite why so hopefully they will be a little more forward thiking on remote work going forward.

You can formally apply for a flexible working request (including wfh). There is information online about it. All workers are entitled to apply whatever their contract says. That's what I would do. In the meantime you'll have to go into the office once a month to keep them happy.

Just been reading through the responses.
I'll try and find any emails stating it was wfh with a few 2/3 times a year in the office. Everyone who wfh in the uk has the company hq as their office location. Its a global ftse100 company so many many remote workers.
I applied as it was a remote position. My fault for not checking contract. I'll dig it out and see if it says anything.
I've always had my expenses paid for travelling to and from work.
I don't drive so reliant on trains, not allowed to drive medically.

After WFH for 2.5yrs I was asked to go back into the office on a hybrid pattern but having seen that the grass was greener, I early retired instead.

Heh.

But this is a cautionary tale for organisations, really. You can stop an employee from working remotely/hybrid. That doesn't mean you'll have an employee who's willing to do the office hours you want.

I think it's vital that OP gets advice from an employment solicitor, but also part of the equation here is essentially how much power she has. If she'd be hard to replace at the salary she's at, she potentially has more leeway than she would in a sector where there's lots of competition for jobs.

@WhatNoUsername but it’s not the employers problem that the OP lives 5 hours away ? Everyone must surely expect to have to go into the office sometimes even if it’s a long way away… That’s the choice you make when you take the job isnt it?

Just been reading through the responses.
I'll try and find any emails stating it was wfh with a few 2/3 times a year in the office. Everyone who wfh in the uk has the company hq as their office location. Its a global ftse100 company so many many remote workers.
I applied as it was a remote position. My fault for not checking contract. I'll dig it out and see if it says anything.
I've always had my expenses paid for travelling to and from work.
I don't drive so reliant on trains, not allowed to drive medically.

I can understand a new manager wanting to get to grips with her team, build relationships and see how people are doing etc and I can also see that being a harder task if everyone is wfh. But that being said, I don't think it's impossible. I'd ask for a meeting with her, explain your circumstances and ask if there's anything she's concerned about regarding your performance or if this is about building relationships etc in which case I'd suggest scheduling regular meetings online where you can update her on your work and she can address any concerns or queries she might have? Failing that, I'd request either a bonus or expenses paid to cover your travel, food and accommodation for the days you're going to have to be in the office. Work out the costs in advance so you know if a bonus will cover this or not.

In the meantime I'd join a union and send them a copy of your contract so they can advise and represent you if it comes to that.

Ultimately I think if you join a workplace knowing you're contractually obliged to be in the office physically and you live too far away to commute, then you've left yourself in a tricky position. I think you need to renegotiate your contract but I'd want union representation for that.

UABU. If your contract says you don't wfh then they could ask you in every day and you couldn't say no. They have agreed to you coming in 1x a month- sounds ideal. I would snap up their offer.

Follow Molly Johnson-Jones, Flexa on Linked In, she's an advocate for hybrid/wfh work, has her own company promoting this.

WFH is a perk in some degrees as you don't have to commute, but I am far more productive at home than I am at work.