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

I would personally take the once per month. Your contract is for office, not WFH.

I have a colleague who lives a similar distance away, and he has to come up every Thursday.

Probably because they can’t wfh themselves so they begrudge anyone who does.

So she’s basically being underhand then and has decided for whatever reason that she doesn’t want you in her team and is doing everything she can to make you want to leave. I’ve been through the same thing and when I did leave it was a huge relief. She was blatantly being a dick by wanting you to do a 10 hour round trip in the space of a day just because “she likes people being in the office”. Definitely call ACAS tomorrow.

It's not that we 'hate WFH' at all- but about the OP saying her contract is not WFH, so employer can insist some or all work needs to be done in office.

I don't know how much custom and practice can be interpreted as an implied contract term. Hope OP can get the advice needed.

As for those who hate wfh, the option of an office should always be there in my opinion.

Look for a new job but speak to a lawyer regarding constructive dismissal and push for a settlement. This behaviour isn’t acceptable or legal

Why do some people on here hate WFH so much? If it doesn’t work for you and you are less productive at home, then don’t do it. It works for some of us very well

Well exactly - if you want to go into the office, go into the office.

What's stopping you?

My husbands contract states WFH. If he suddenly had to go into the office everyday he’s be exhausted for sure!! He’s also in a sort of niche industry, but he’s one of the best so he gets called all over the world. It happens

this was in the news today - behind paywall but can read first part https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/will-case-spark-end-remote-work/indepth/article/1859297?bulletin=mtbulletinam&utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_campaign=eNews%20Bulletin&utm_source=20240131&utm_content=Daily%20News%20Bulletin%20(97)::www_managementtoday_co_uk_1&email_hash=

Yes, and this is the problem really. If it were only going to be once a month and that were set in stone, it might not be so bad.

But what we have here is a manager who's said this is about her liking people in the office, who initially said once a week, who wants OP to start doing a different type of work and who wants this despite believing it's a change of OPs contract (it may not actually be, but the salient point is the boss thinks it is). That's why it's so important OP pushes back against this, because she's looking at it becoming a totally different job.

Can you apply to be a permanent homeworker under a flexible working request? I did this recently for various reasons including my health and it was successful

@WombatChocolate the OP’s boss has said she’d prefer once a week!

Why should she? She applied for a job that was advertised as remote, confirmed with HR and the manager at the time that it was definitely remote, confirmed by new manager that she knows the role is also remote.

Can you relocate closer to work?

Once a month is still a big ask if it’s a five hour commute each way. Stick to your guns OP.

I understand why many people in many jobs now WFH or hybrid work.

OP isn’t being asked to go in all the time. A monthly request seems pretty small. Even once every 2 weeks seems small regardless if where you live if your contract isn’t specifically WFH.

There are benefits if working in-person with other people that can sometimes be gained from just once or twice a month together. It’s not unreasonable for employer to expect that from someone who isn’t on a full WFH contract. Any tbh, why anyone would take a job that is more than a couple of hours away (or whatever journey they are prepared to do occasionally) unless they have a full WFH contract bemuses me. If your contract isn’t exclusively WFH you have to be able and prepared to go in sometimes. Where you live or move to is your own choice and not that if the business and the business shouldn’t be impacted by this….especially when once or twice a month is a small ask.

Lots of people on this thread seem to be answering as if OP were being asked to go in every day or denied any opportunity to WFH. She will continue to be at home the vast majority of the time.

When people want to push back against this and claim they’ve established themselves as a home worker, rather than do the journey once a month, I really wonder about them as workers. It’s not questioning their efficiency or productivity at home…they are probably excellent in this regard. That’s not the point. The point is that work isn’t about being an island and being together in person delivers benefits which might only be fully realised by having people, together. Someone who isn’t willing to engage with that on a once-a-month basis, doesn’t seem to want to be part of the team in the full sense of the word. Their being in occasionally isn’t just about the impact on them, but the benefits for other team members too - it’s about a range of things.

Sometimes, workplaces have suddenly demanded much more than what has become the norm. That’s problematic. But in the case if OP it doesn’t sound like an u reasonable request to me.

@easylikeasundaymorn what the big important husband managers say is fact!

I wonder how many big important husband managers and their contemporaries who are managers are fucked off not because worker drones are less productive WFH but less available to pick up the slack that the big boss men throw down the line when everyone is in an office. They probably even have to make their own tea now 😢

All the big boss husband managers I have worked with have been the laziest and most incompetent part of every team. Less chance for them to fail upwards these days, that’s the issue, because they have to show what they’re actually doing.

All the Margots on here parroting the WFH guff need the Jerrys not to be found out as overpaid and underworked before the house is paid off and the pension kicks in.

@Sallyh87 Why do some people on here hate WFH so much? If it doesn’t work for you and you are less productive at home, then don’t do it. It works for some of us very well.

Reasons I came across:

1. Jealousy (I can’t do it so neither should you be given this option!),
2. brainwashed by the rat wheel, believes being physically present means working “productivity”, likely older generation,
3. very cynical and does not trust people believing if people are left alone they wont work and need to be whipped into shape, maybe cos they are like this themselves,
4. work is their life and wants to “socialise” at the office so everybody should hear them blabber about their personal life all day long,
5. alternative motive (e.g. transport company, retailer, service industry owner)....

😂 a MAN who is a MANAGER hath spoken.

This is exactly why I wfh. I cover EMEA and APJ and am managed out of NA.

I'm glad your contract is clear, so she can go fuck herself on that one, but it sounds like a situation you might want to get out of anyway given her latest scheme.

Why do some people on here hate WFH so much? If it doesn’t work for you and you are less productive at home, then don’t do it. It works for some of us very well.

I have two kids, work from home full time and manage to successfully run a team but also do nursery drop off and pick up. Before WFH, I would have needed to take a step back in my career, now I don’t.

To echo fellow posters OP, if you have done this for two years, custom and practice is relevant. Your manager has said she is going to HR, so await for their response, contact them yourself if necessary. I’m sure it will be resolved.

@horseyhorsey17 A lot of Daily Mail readers with limited reading skills and even more limited workplace skills getting their daily dose of self importance on WFH threads lately.

Ironically exactly the kind of people who make everyone else want to work from home! I’d rather drown myself in the water cooler than make small talk round it with those types.

Hahahaha! I was wondering the same. MN appears to be overrun with angry middle managers who yearn for a return to the 'lunch is for wimps' 80s.

I hope the ‘back in the office / I’d be giving you a P45 / lick the company boot’ types are not managers, though it would explain why there are so many toxic worksplaces run by wanna be dictators in M&S finest viscose, with zero managerial or people skills, ruining companies left and right.

You have your emails stating remote working with occasional visits plus they head hunted you on specific terms. Unless HR is as thick as some of the David Brent fantasists on here, they will need to reign your new manager in from taking her petty grievances out on you. Speak to ACAS and do not back down.

You’re not being unreasonable. Far too many people think you just have to do what your contract says but the points above on custom and practice are highly relevant. It’s clearly established you’re a remote worker. Hopefully ACAS helped you.

You could say you’re happy to consider new employment terms but the more they want you to travel in, the more they have to pay you (OF COURSE!!!).

Otherwise go and get employment law advice and if this tallies then call their bluff on it. Keep working as you always have and it puts it onto them whether they want to dismiss you and open themselves up to a legitimate claim or if they want to change terms and you refuse then they need to enter into a settlement agreement with you for you to leave - which is a better financial result for you than just quitting.