Work announced a move from 2 days to 4 days

The ACAS information is correct as far as it goes, just as you would expect it to be, but it was posted on here in an incomplete manner, because it takes no account of contract variation clauses and the poster seems to have no knowledge of them. I explained this to OP two days ago, and then again yesterday:

AngelicKaty · Yesterday 17:35
OP, I think it's worth checking something before making a flexible working request (that the business could reasonably refuse based on business need).
Whilst an employment contract can vary the terms outlined in a previous offer letter, this can only be done if both the employer and employee agree to the changes or if the contract contains a variation clause, which allows your employer to unilaterally make certain changes. Does your contract contain a variation clause, OP? (It's usually very obvious as it's generally sub-titled something like "Variations"). If it doesn't, you could argue that your employer doesn't have the right to unilaterally change your working location/pattern as laid out in your offer letter.

So, it's key that you check to see if your contract contains a variation clause which allows your employer to make unilateral changes, because even if your offer letter does form part of your contract, a variation clause that allows them to make unilateral changes means they can change the terms laid out in the offer letter too.

What @Clychaugog was trying to say is that whilst employees in the UK don't have full employment rights with less than two years service, all employees have the right not to be discriminated against from day one of their employment (and that potential discrimination is as laid out in the Equality Act 2010, which defines the nine protected characteristics e.g. age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation). So, whilst employees with fewer than two years service don't generally have the right to bring an Unfair Dismissal claim to ET, they do if their claim is based on alleged discrimination (which, of course, includes disability discrimination).

The dog is irrelevant.
My dd was in a similar situation, she'd been going in one day a week for well over a year as had many others. This has now been changed to at least three days, however when she spoke to her managers they agreed she could continue with one day. She works hard, is always available to her colleagues, many of whom work abroad, and works more hours than contracted. There are redundancies being made at the moment, but she's been categorically assured that she will not be affected - which is obviously always a worry in this sort of situation.
As@FlyMeSomewheresuggests, many offices wouldn't have space for everyone in any case.

My partner and i are both in roles where we are office based two days a week and for the organisations we work for, it works well and it wouldn't work if everybody had to start being ok at the same time, there's not enough office space at my partner's hospital, there's not enough parking and he gets stung £43 a day if he can't park in an actual space! My workplace is open-plan and the noise would be ridiculous if many teams were in at the same time so we would struggle with the calls we have to take, we'd be scrambling for parking over the road that costs nearly £5 a day. So there can be good, justifiable reasons for keeping WFH in place.

A lot of people of they had to go back to being in offices more days a week, may struggle with concentration because they are used to the quiet at home.

What I would say though is that nobody should take the Mick with working from home, I've seen MN threads were people are going shopping, taking the kids places, sat watching Netflix all when they are supposed to be working! There was a woman complaining that her £95k year job wouldn't let her reduce her hours for the same money to pick kids up from school. For those of us that don't have kids, it's weird at times seeing how much some that do, want to pick and choose when they'll work.

Also I'd advise against anyone taking jobs that are a massive commute away on the hope that the WFH arrangement never changes.

As for OP, definitely discuss it with your manager as to whether there's any justifiable reason or merit for those two extra days in the office.

Amazed at the reaction to this post. Why can't women and other Mums support one another (not to mention employers).
People have lives outside of work and a supportive employer would do what they can to support an employee, not make life more difficult for them and go back on an agreement to work from home.
The world of work has changed post COVID and employers need to realise this if they want a happy and motivated workforce.
OP what you are asking for is not unreasonable and my view is stick to the original agreement. If your employers won't play fair take out a grievance, you have nothing to lose.

“This will not work for me”

Oh to be an employer these days 😅

The main advantage to society of working from home is its impact on the commute and therefore its impact on climate change, about which we all should be concerned, no? I struggle to understand the logic of reversing the universal benefit of working from home to address the concerns of a handful of billionaires that they will lose rents from inner city properties.

Not every wfh job requires you to be sat at your desk 9-5 and plenty of people wfh work well beyond their hours precisely because they are set up to home.

Yep, I'll be working 7pm to 11pm one evening in a couple of weeks and taking the time in lieu. There's no way I'd do this for a company that was insisting I pointlessly sit in an office.

And I've been WFH since 2014, I'm amazed how so many think it didn't exist pre COVID

If people thought like you we'd have no weekends, annual leave, sick leave etc..Hoping you are a bot troll and not someone who can't assess fairness

People who comment without knowing what they're talking about make me laugh. Your comment is steeped in assumption, bias and resentment.
ALL employees in the UK have the legal right to make a flexible working arrangement request and the employer must give it reasonable consideration, but do not have to agree to it if it doesn't meet the business need. This right was enshrined in law by the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which removed the 26-week service requirement for making a request, making it a day-one right.

You accepted the job and pay based on two days a week in the office. It is going to greatly increase your costs for things like travel and parking. Are they going to meet those costs? I'd be pointing out to HR the terms under which you accepted the job as presumably this was a factor when you agreed to the salary.

''@Wendarl · Yesterday 20:55
i don’t know when people become so hellbent on sticking up for corporate in these scenarios.
“If they think it’s best for the business”… who is “they”.. usually a CEO and board made up of a very limited demographic and life experience. Sure I agree they will do “what’s best for the business” but why do we always assume business leaders do what is best.. they do what is best for them. Uk productivity has been diabolical for years, because we pay poorly, treat employees like shit and have no social infrastructure to support working families (childcare, travel costs most expensive in Europe). All those on the back to the office bandwagon, who are you fighting for and why?
OP if you have any power to leave and find a job that suits your lifestyle then please do it. Wield what limited power you have to live the life that helps you and your family to find a bit of peace and ease in this world that prioritises “what’s best for business” above pretty much everything else''

Exactly!

Your employer is running a company not a charity, you ask about flexible working arrangements! On what grounds?

You can request flexible working on any grounds - whether the company accepts it or not is down to them and whether or not they think the particular type of flexibility will work for the business. They have obviously decided that overall, 4 days in from everyone will suit them better, but that doesn't mean different flexible arrangements won't work, be it different start or finish times of whatever else. Depending on the business and role, it could work in their favour, e.g. being able to offer longer customer hours at no extra cost.

But a worker's request for flexibility- makes no difference if they need it for childcare, or dog care, or to get in another round of golf. It's the effect on the business that is the deciding factor.

These type of posts make me laugh. Your employer is running a company not a charity, you ask about flexible working arrangements! On what grounds? I don’t want to leave my dog at home? You’re being paid to do a job, whatever works for your employer is what you’re being paid for. Maybe they want people in the office because their sick of people dropping there kids off at nursery or walking the dog in work time. People seem to think that working from home means getting their chores done in work time!
most people have expenses relating to work, parking travel etc. 10 miles is not far to travel to work and the parking costs are hardly extortionate compared to the income you have coming in.

100% - so many corporate jobs still involve WFH.

my DH works from home 2 days per week and is more productive than when he is in the office - less distractions.

Those of you who keep mentioning the dog…I think the OP only told us that to set the scene. She accepted this job offer on the basis of it fitting in with her life. In her case, this includes children, husband, dog.

OP I would submit the flexible working request on the basis that you have organised your life around the job offer of 2 days per week being in the office. You’ve had good advice on how to word this.

We work to live, not live to work, therefore it’s totally understandable that this will have an impact on you and totally reasonable for you to be unhappy about it, whether or not your employer is legally able to do it or not.

ACAS will most likely have advice on their website if you aren't in a union. Apologies if this has been mentioned before, I've just skimmed OPs responses. Ultimately, it will depend on your contract and whether your offer email can be held to change those terms.
Ive just swapped from 1, perhaps 2 wfh days to 4 in a new company. I didn't think I'd like it but actually the work/life balance has completely flipped and I would now fight back on this. My commute is only 15 minutes (including a 10 minute walk) with no parking costs but in the office would take away my school drop offs, my parents will do it but that's not the point! Before I'm jumped on, if DD isn't in formal wraparound/childcare I go into the office. Some of my colleagues travel for 2+ hours each way.

Can you not reduce your hours? I.e. go part time? Either do 6 hour days or 3 or 4 days a week. If you’re married to a surgeon, you probably are in a fairly comfortable position. Most families are managing on much lower incomes.

I can tell you that your year 1 consultant surgeon husband on £105,504 won't be able to do flexible working, however he should have be able to review his PAs so he could for example that he could always collect from nursery on Mondays and drop off on Thursdays.

This is not correct, as the contract may have had a clause that stated it superceded any previous correspondence. Check your contract.

i don’t know when people become so hellbent on sticking up for corporate in these scenarios.

It’s a long-standing theme on here. There’s always a strong appetite for trying to stick the boot into posters dealing with petty or onerous business demands by crowing that if they don’t like it, they can get another job. Often with a comment that there are bazillions lining up to take their job, so good luck with finding anything better.

only HRT if a decent bonus is paid

What does this mean?

Everyone has protected characteristics, you don’t ‘disclose’ them. If you’re referring to disabilities that doesn’t give you employment rights ‘from day one’ either.

Yes, some companies seem to be having their cake and eating it with hybrid. Use it as a perk in recruitment and then pull it when it doesn’t suit and refer to contract terms. Of course, the smart thing is to get it nailed down in your contract but most will take it on trust, not wanting to spoil the relationship before it has started. I did. I had negotiated so many other elements of the job offer that I was wary about asking for other changes. Thankfully, no sign of them changing the hybrid pattern that was much touted at interview but is not contractual. Having heard many stories like the op’s in the last few years, though, I think I’d be a lot more cautious with a new role.

It really isn’t relevant that the op’s reasons for wanting hybrid aren’t deemed worthy by other posters. The job is changing for the worse from what was accepted. I’d be resentful too.