Page 3 | Angry my manager has taken away WFH perk?

ZaHaK · 2025-09-15T00:09:21+00:00

Am I unreasonable to be angry that my manager has taken away my wfh perk whilst I’m on maternity? I have put in a proposed flexible work plan. I used to do Tuesday - Thursday on site and Friday morning at home. I requested to do less hours so I can drop the kids off to school and pick them up and keep my wfh Friday morning hours. He’s rejected it and basically cornered me into just doing Tuesday- Thursday on site but I don’t want to reduce my hours too much so I’ve had to add an hour in the morning which means rushing my kids to breakfast club and nursery. I am annoyed because on my last maternity 6 years ago, I applied for another job in another department which guaranteed wfh and my manager promised me more flexibility and wfh when I able to to keep me in his team. But I feel like he’s used this maternity as an excuse to take it away from me. It’s not in my contract, it was an agreement between me and him. What would you do? I feel like emailing him to say I am disappointed in him. Not many of our team like him but I used to rate him quite highly on the surveys etc because he always let me be. But I am really disappointed. I should have gone to the other team.

SirHumphreyRocks · 15/09/2025 11:19

spoonbillstretford · 15/09/2025 11:15

Tough titty. That is the manager's and other members of staff's problem and not the OP's to worry about.

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Tough titty on the OP - she asked for the contractual change. It is the employees responsibility to understand the implications of their actions before taking them.

AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti · 15/09/2025 11:19

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 01:25

But the perk would have still been there if it wasn’t for my maternity. I feel like I’m being punished for having a baby.

one kid will be in breakfast club, the other in nursery

You’ve asked to change your contractual hours. It’s not because of the maternity. It would have stayed the same had you been returning on the same terms.

Original poster

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 11:18

BuckChuckets · 15/09/2025 11:14

He's not self-employed if he "has to go into the office" at specific times. If he thinks he is, he needs to remind himself how HMRC class self-employment, because he could be in trouble.

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He works for the HMRC. He’s a contractor for them…

OP posts:

SirHumphreyRocks · 15/09/2025 11:17

spoonbillstretford · 15/09/2025 11:11

Verbally agreed changes in working pattern, and custom and practice can become part of your employment contract.

I'd email to say the current system you agreed back in 2020 has been working very well for you for five years now and you don't agree with the proposed changes to your employment contract.

This has been said multiple times on the thread... whether or not the previously agreed term has become contractual is entirely irrelevant. The OP has asked the employer to change their contract. The employer is not obliged to make any changes, so they can propose their own too. OP may accept them or not - employer can refuse to make any changes. And then employer could impose a contractual change anyway IF they think the wfh agreement might be contractual.

rwalker · 15/09/2025 11:17

So you do 2 1/2 days 2 on site and 1/2 day wfh
you’ve asked to reduce your hours and they’ve offered to drop the 1/2 day Fri

it’s what works for the company not particularly what you want

spoonbillstretford · 15/09/2025 11:15

UninterestedBeing12 · 15/09/2025 01:51

Yes really. Perhaps someone else has complained. You're not the only employee to have a baby and you won't be the last employee to have a baby.

If they do it for you, they have to do it for everyone, perhaps somebody has complained. They can either give everyone arrangements like you or they can take your arrangement away.

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Tough titty. That is the manager's and other members of staff's problem and not the OP's to worry about.

wineandagoodbook · 15/09/2025 11:15

Parker231 · 15/09/2025 07:56

Appeal - on what grounds?

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On the grounds that she has already been doing it and it works - i'm not saying she would get it, but if the first response is no I would appeal the decision and they would need to have a good reason why she couldn't

Thelnebriati · 15/09/2025 11:14

spoonbillstretford is right, talk to ACAS. Its not like the arrangement was going on for a couple of months. Be clear about the time line, write it out before you phone them.

BuckChuckets · 15/09/2025 11:14

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 08:57

Unfortunately my husband is self employed and now has to go in the office which means working away a couple of days a week. My husband has been doing the pick ups and drops off for 3 years and even on maternity whilst I got lie in etc. So he would if he could.

Edited

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He's not self-employed if he "has to go into the office" at specific times. If he thinks he is, he needs to remind himself how HMRC class self-employment, because he could be in trouble.

spoonbillstretford · 15/09/2025 11:11

Verbally agreed changes in working pattern, and custom and practice can become part of your employment contract.

I'd email to say the current system you agreed back in 2020 has been working very well for you for five years now and you don't agree with the proposed changes to your employment contract.

Original poster

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 11:10

pinkdelight · 15/09/2025 11:07

I get that, but you wanted to reduce your hours so the nice-to-haves will get cut. Even as you put it in this post, there's issues because the team doesn't see you from Thurs till the next Tues, so the short week isn't ideal, but if you're only doing 22 hours then the planning time gets sacrificed for the hands on time.

Edited

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The team themselves work part time.

OP posts:

Worktillate · 15/09/2025 11:10

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 11:05

Yes but they have lost a full time head count. So from a business perspective I have less work anyway!

Edited

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And they have agreed less hours for you.

But if you're doing the planning etc, having you on site even less wouldn't be great from a business perspective

Original poster

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 11:09

usedtobeaylis · 15/09/2025 11:07

Appeal the decision as it doesn't sound like he's given you an actual solid reason for rejecting it especially in light of the reason for the existence of the previous flexible working agreement.

I’ve come around to the idea of having an extra half a day spending with my daughter at home as apposed to sending her away to nursery or grandparents. I don’t think there’s any point in appealing as HR tends to favour the manager as they won’t actually know the business needs of the team itself.

OP posts:

pinkdelight · 15/09/2025 11:07

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 10:52

I used to like to do my mundane tasks on Friday, like date inputs, plan for the week ahead etc. it was really helpful as on Thursday, as the team knew they wouldn’t see me until Tuesday, they used to bombard with work so the mundane tasks would get put back and pile up. The Friday morning really helped my start the week properly the following week without having the rest of the team talking to me.

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I get that, but you wanted to reduce your hours so the nice-to-haves will get cut. Even as you put it in this post, there's issues because the team doesn't see you from Thurs till the next Tues, so the short week isn't ideal, but if you're only doing 22 hours then the planning time gets sacrificed for the hands on time.

Original poster

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 11:07

nomas · 15/09/2025 11:05

Maybe this is the problem, they're not seeing your productivity on Fridays because you were doing the mundane stuff (which I know is important).

I think the bigger issue here is you haven't had a pay rise in 4 or 5 years!

Is this the same for everyone else or just you?

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Same for everyone. I have the standard inflation one.

As it’s an aging workforce and people then to stay there years, my manager seems to think no one will leave regardless of they ask to wfh or for pay rises and he rejects them.

OP posts:

usedtobeaylis · 15/09/2025 11:07

Appeal the decision as it doesn't sound like he's given you an actual solid reason for rejecting it especially in light of the reason for the existence of the previous flexible working agreement.

Original poster

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 11:05

Worktillate · 15/09/2025 10:47

So your in office hours have never really changed, and this is what the business is wanting to maintain? The same number of hours in the office, dropping the 'extra' ones?

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Yes but they have lost a full time head count. So from a business perspective I have less work anyway!

OP posts:

nomas · 15/09/2025 11:05

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 10:52

I used to like to do my mundane tasks on Friday, like date inputs, plan for the week ahead etc. it was really helpful as on Thursday, as the team knew they wouldn’t see me until Tuesday, they used to bombard with work so the mundane tasks would get put back and pile up. The Friday morning really helped my start the week properly the following week without having the rest of the team talking to me.

Show quote history

Maybe this is the problem, they're not seeing your productivity on Fridays because you were doing the mundane stuff (which I know is important).

I think the bigger issue here is you haven't had a pay rise in 4 or 5 years!

Is this the same for everyone else or just you?

Original poster

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 10:52

pinkdelight · 15/09/2025 10:47

Given that you'd proposed reducing your Friday wfh to just 9-11.30am, that seems fair enough. What would 2.5 hours wfh on a Friday benefit the business, really? You'd barely get through a coffee and a call before you're logging off. Better to have those (still shorter than most) days in the office and use wraparound care, then have your Fridays (and Mondays) off. Feels pretty flexible to me and you've got the reduction to 22 hours you wanted.

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I used to like to do my mundane tasks on Friday, like date inputs, plan for the week ahead etc. it was really helpful as on Thursday, as the team knew they wouldn’t see me until Tuesday, they used to bombard with work so the mundane tasks would get put back and pile up. The Friday morning really helped my start the week properly the following week without having the rest of the team talking to me.

OP posts:

pinkdelight · 15/09/2025 10:47

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 10:44

My manager has agreed for me to go 22 hours over Tuesday- Thursday this morning. So basically wants to give up my Friday wfh.

Ive been the only one who has young children for years (no one has got pregnant in between the 6 years I had my two and no one got pregnant in the 9 years since I started - it’s an aging workforce) but they’ve employed a lot of young people the past 2-3 years and someone is currently pregnant so I wonder if he’s thinking about it from that aspect.

I am surprised he’s not worried I might look elsewhere now. He’s has said to me in the past I am irreplaceable and an asset to his team.

But the silver lining in all this I suppose is, I get more time with my daughter and don’t have to worry about childcare on a Friday morning.

Edited

Given that you'd proposed reducing your Friday wfh to just 9-11.30am, that seems fair enough. What would 2.5 hours wfh on a Friday benefit the business, really? You'd barely get through a coffee and a call before you're logging off. Better to have those (still shorter than most) days in the office and use wraparound care, then have your Fridays (and Mondays) off. Feels pretty flexible to me and you've got the reduction to 22 hours you wanted.

Worktillate · 15/09/2025 10:47

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 10:44

My manager has agreed for me to go 22 hours over Tuesday- Thursday this morning. So basically wants to give up my Friday wfh.

Ive been the only one who has young children for years (no one has got pregnant in between the 6 years I had my two and no one got pregnant in the 9 years since I started - it’s an aging workforce) but they’ve employed a lot of young people the past 2-3 years and someone is currently pregnant so I wonder if he’s thinking about it from that aspect.

I am surprised he’s not worried I might look elsewhere now. He’s has said to me in the past I am irreplaceable and an asset to his team.

But the silver lining in all this I suppose is, I get more time with my daughter and don’t have to worry about childcare on a Friday morning.

Edited

So your in office hours have never really changed, and this is what the business is wanting to maintain? The same number of hours in the office, dropping the 'extra' ones?

Original poster

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 10:44

My manager has agreed for me to go 22 hours over Tuesday- Thursday this morning. So basically wants to give up my Friday wfh.

Ive been the only one who has young children for years (no one has got pregnant in between the 6 years I had my two and no one got pregnant in the 9 years since I started - it’s an aging workforce) but they’ve employed a lot of young people the past 2-3 years and someone is currently pregnant so I wonder if he’s thinking about it from that aspect.

I am surprised he’s not worried I might look elsewhere now. He’s has said to me in the past I am irreplaceable and an asset to his team.

But the silver lining in all this I suppose is, I get more time with my daughter and don’t have to worry about childcare on a Friday morning.

OP posts:

Original poster

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 10:42

2 hours was a typo everyone!

I’ve worked in the job for 6 years.
Originally I used to do Tuesday to Thursday with WFH allowed as and when I had enough to do as I was allowed to have the same arrangements as my predecessor ( I applied for another position at another team who worked from home so they used this go get me to stay).

4-5 years ago, I asked for a pay rise but got rejected but was allowed to ask for more hours. I agreed on the basis that my extra hours would be on a Friday morning and WFH. Manager agreed verbally (he hates people wfh in his other teams even though he does it himself).

So I have been doing Tuesday - Thursday on site with occasional WFH and Friday morning WFH.

OP posts:

Worktillate · 15/09/2025 10:35

@ZaHaK

Can you just clarify for me to see if I'm understanding this right.

Up until 2 years ago, you worked Tue-Thur covering 22 hours.
You asked for a payrise and were offered more hours instead, which you requested WFH.
You have now asked for fewer hours so boss has said fine, drop the additional hours from the Friday which are WFH
This isn't the schedule you wanted, which you have posted, which reduces hours across all of your 4 working days

From a business point of view, it would make the most sense to drop the 'additional' hours you received, reverting to the previous state.

If my understanding is correct, then the 6 years is a bit of a red herring, as it isn't 6 years for you. If I have misunderstood, I apologise

Puzzledandpissedoff · 15/09/2025 10:35

ZaHaK · 15/09/2025 09:23

Why is childcare not seen as a good reason to change the hours? Who do people expect to pick up and drop off children?? I don’t understand? I was being honest.
My hours have to change because I now have to factor in picking up and dropping off my baby which is in a different location to my eldest schools.
Otherwise I would have kept what I had.

Should I have not used that as a reason? As I had to give a reason based on the government website.

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It would be a good reason to wish to change the hours, OP - at least from your POV - but not necessarily from the POV of an employer who's already allowing you arrangements which others don't get

I realise you said this wouldn't apply to you, but you also asked why people "were allowed" to mention suspicions that WFH can end up with DCs being cared for at the same time, rather than childcare being organised as agreed

As many employers will attest, it's called experience ...