Page 2 | To be unhappy with this hybrid work policy?

GameOfJones · 02/12/2024 13:14

I think you'll be fine in reality, especially as your child is nearing secondary age.

My work has the same, stipulating that I must be in the office on two specific days of the week. That is fine the vast majority of the time as DDs are in after school club on those days. If on occasion I can't make it in due to sickness etc I just lay low and get back to the normal routine the following week. You are not the person that the policy has been brought in for, it's to stop the piss takers.

allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 02/12/2024 13:03

@HybridWorker what days are you planning to go into the office and how many days do you do?? there are 5 days in the working week

EmmerdaleFan78 · 02/12/2024 12:58

My boss tried this, which is ridiculous as we’re supposed to go in to ‘network’. If I have to go in on a different day then there’s no-one to network with. I basically just don’t go in now unless I can’t get away with it anymore. I’ve been in the job approx 7 months and I’ve been to the office about 10 times (we’re supposed to go one day a week)

Screw that 😂

Dietingfool · 02/12/2024 12:54

HybridWorker · 02/12/2024 12:51

It's not just about collaborating with your team. Even if you don't work with anyone in the office, you still need to go in 2 days a week.

I don't work with anyone in my office. I go in, sit at a computer doing my work, join some remote meetings with people in other countries, then go home. If someone sitting in the desks near me says hi, I say hi back, that's it.

I gather I'm not the only person in this situation, as they have made it very clear, that even if that's how it is, you still need to go into the office.

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You never proactively greet a colleague, you wait till they greet you. And you just sit there silently al day working?

Original poster

HybridWorker · 02/12/2024 12:53

SwingingFromTheCobwebs · 01/12/2024 16:08

Are you often sick that this would be an issue?

No. I think I've taken 2 sick days in the last 20 years, though occasionally DS is sick and I have to take leave for that.

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Original poster

HybridWorker · 02/12/2024 12:51

ElleintheWoods · 01/12/2024 16:01

What’s the reason given for coming into the office?

If it’s to collaborate with others, you could argue that on the make-up days there is nobody to collaborate with, so you’d effectively be sitting there on your own with no benefit to yourself or the business

It's not just about collaborating with your team. Even if you don't work with anyone in the office, you still need to go in 2 days a week.

I don't work with anyone in my office. I go in, sit at a computer doing my work, join some remote meetings with people in other countries, then go home. If someone sitting in the desks near me says hi, I say hi back, that's it.

I gather I'm not the only person in this situation, as they have made it very clear, that even if that's how it is, you still need to go into the office.

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Twintrouble1234 · 02/12/2024 12:29

I think you need to worry about it only if it becomes an issue in reality. The only public holidays that fall at the end of the week will be at Christmas and Easter so likely you'll have bigger childcare issues in those weeks anyway. And realistically how many annual leave or illness days might you have on those days that again aren't in school holidays. DS is old enough to understand that you need to fulfil your work responsibilities so if on the very odd occasion he has to do an extra day then so be it

Original poster

HybridWorker · 02/12/2024 12:29

Tuhlula · 01/12/2024 15:27

Have you spoken to them about it and explained your situation? I would expect there to be some wiggle room for situations like yours. You're clearly not taking the pisss...as I imagine some people might, which the rule is there for.

Edited

No. The general consensus among our team and immediate managers is to lay low and comply as best we can while waiting to see if the whole thing blows over a bit. Because, yes, we all agree that the rules were brought in to stop people who were taking the piss.

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Original poster

HybridWorker · 02/12/2024 12:21

OttersAreMySpiritAnimal · 01/12/2024 15:31

Depends on what your contract says.

If this was me and assuming the company holiday or sick days are few and far between, I'd probably make an effort for about half of them and skip half without mentioning it and see if the manager raises it.

My firm wouldn't do this, but I also know they are looking at who doesn't come into the office to see if their jobs can be outsourced to India.

The contract says hybrid, 2 days a week, so I know I can't formally complain, since that is what it says and that's what they are doing. I'm just sad that when it comes to the little details like this, they chose to do it this way, and so was wondering how common it is, since I think it's generally not clarified in job adverts and such, so you may only know by asking around.

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Original poster

HybridWorker · 02/12/2024 12:15

vivainsomnia · 01/12/2024 16:13

How old are you children?

Just one child, DS, who is 11 and in his last year of primary school, so I know arrangements will need to change in September anyway... whether they will change for the better or worse, I'm not sure yet 😀

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Original poster

HybridWorker · 02/12/2024 12:13

Overthebow · 01/12/2024 16:04

what are your childcare arrangements for the days you aren’t in the office? Can you see if they can stay a bit later on the odd occasion that you have to work a different day in the office?

I am the childcare arrangement for those days. The school is very near home, and DS is now old enough to be allowed to walk home himself. So, I drop him at school and start work by 9. Then, in the afternoon, he comes home at 3:30. I let him in and keep working until 5 while he hangs out in the lounge.

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Original poster

HybridWorker · 02/12/2024 12:06

@EmotionalSupportPotato I have a similar set up. I have wraparound child care for 3 days so I can go in that extra day if I miss a day. Means I go in more than 2 days a week some week and I track it on a spreadsheet so I can prove I've "banked" some days if I am off sick.

That's really smart. I'm probably not going to do it myself, because DS currently doesn't like the wraparound care. (They changed management a bit ago and have some new people, and he doesn't like change.)

But I like the idea a lot.

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Whitekittensarego · 01/12/2024 16:46

sharpclawedkitten · 01/12/2024 15:40

Oh the old "outsource to India" chestnut. Companies have been there, done that, and brought the jobs back to Blighty or nearshored them like opening offices in Belfast.

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Is Belfast not in UK?
I think due to childcare questions you should request a home working agreement.

LivingOnTheVeg · 01/12/2024 16:34

We had something similar at my last (very toxic) workplace for a bit. It was absolutely a punishment for daring to have a day off sick because no one worked in the office Monday or Friday, so you’d have to come in and sit totally on your own, in silence, for 8 hours. If the CEO knew someone was due in, he’d pop in at a random time to make sure you’d gone in. Enough people left/kicked off that they did stop it but it was mind-boggling that they did it in the first place.

I don’t think it’s that unfair if your team are in other days, but ultimately this is the chaos that hybrid working causes. Could you/would you want to find a fully remote job?

Cromwell1905 · 01/12/2024 16:19

MagneticSquirrel · 01/12/2024 16:16

This is probably to stop the small minority of people that spoil hybrid for everyone else by being being too sick to come to the office but well enough to WFH on their mandatory office days, so do less office days than everyone else

Most people only have one or two sick days a year this is probably not an issue though surely? And I’d really sick like a whole week then it wouldn’t make sense to make the days in the office up!

Edited

maybe it’s local government where sick days are seen as a right and average 8.8 days a year 50% more than the private sector

MagneticSquirrel · 01/12/2024 16:16

This is probably to stop the small minority of people that spoil hybrid for everyone else by being being too sick to come to the office but well enough to WFH on their mandatory office days, so do less office days than everyone else

Most people only have one or two sick days a year this is probably not an issue though surely? And I’d really sick like a whole week then it wouldn’t make sense to make the days in the office up!

vivainsomnia · 01/12/2024 16:13

How old are you children?

SwingingFromTheCobwebs · 01/12/2024 16:08

Are you often sick that this would be an issue?

BeTealUser · 01/12/2024 16:05

The sick days are overkill but when taking annual leaves seems fair enough to me 🤷🏻‍♀️

If you give it a few months I doubt it will actually be enforced.

Overthebow · 01/12/2024 16:04

what are your childcare arrangements for the days you aren’t in the office? Can you see if they can stay a bit later on the odd occasion that you have to work a different day in the office?

ElleintheWoods · 01/12/2024 16:01

What’s the reason given for coming into the office?

If it’s to collaborate with others, you could argue that on the make-up days there is nobody to collaborate with, so you’d effectively be sitting there on your own with no benefit to yourself or the business

Laura36TTC · 01/12/2024 15:59

We are 60% of our available working days for the month in the office.

Basically I work 3 days a week and that means 2 in the office most weeks 🤷‍♀️

Laura36TTC · 01/12/2024 15:58

skippy67 · 01/12/2024 15:28

Our place has a policy 60% of working days in office. It doesn't matter which days of the week, and is averaged out over the month. We have an online attendance tool to monitor this. Sounds a bit much, but actually works really well.

@skippy67 do we work at the same place? (Civil Service)?

blackcatsarethebestcats · 01/12/2024 15:56

I think you need to make a formal flexible working request.

EmotionalSupportPotato · 01/12/2024 15:48

HybridWorker · 01/12/2024 15:25

Office has started enforcing 2 days a week in office. Fine.

The part I'm unhappy about is what happens if a company holiday or sick day, etc falls on on of your usual in-office days. You're supposed to make it up by coming in a different day of the week. They say that's "fair and flexible". The trouble is, my wraparound childcare that enables my commute is definitely not "fair and flexible" in the same way. With my childcare, I'm signed up for Thursdays and Fridays as a permanent arrangement, and that's just the way it is.

I will find a way to work around it. I'm just unhappy that it seems like unneeded stress. I think some other workplaces don't make you make up days off that are out of the office, but I'm not sure.

YABU = That's fair, you should just go into the office a different day and/or my work makes us do this.

YANBU = That's not nice, and/or my work doesn't make us do this.

I have a similar set up. I have wraparound child care for 3 days so I can go in that extra day if I miss a day. Means I go in more than 2 days a week some week and I track it on a spreadsheet so I can prove I've "banked" some days if I am off sick