How often does you employer use the ‘stick’ of having to back into the office full time?

[Phonemonkey2023]

Now we’re in a hybrid/WFH world.

Just trying to get a feel for what’s ‘normal’

We’ve been told if we keep ‘underperforming’ we will be made to work in the office both Friday and yesterday (we are all working flat out and moral is very low).

Hopeful bump

Never. They sound grim.

Bumping for you. Most of us have gone back voluntarily. We aren't expected in at all really but in our team most of us do two days.

Never...they know a lot of staff would start looking for other work

Why are you assuming it’s a ‘stick’?

maybe they have genuine concerns about productivity?

Never, I'd rather be in the office anyway so no need.

It's not a threat, it depends what your contract says. If you don't have a new WFH one then you need to go in or resign if told too. Mine says place of work and my home address, if I go to the office they pay the train fare or petrol at 45p a mile and I get the WFH allowance as well.

Well are you underperforming? We are mandated two days a week in office, it's more to facilitate the grads actually learning something, it's not checked up on.

Ours have never threatened. They use lots of carrots though. They gave extra salary to help with commuting costs (on top of cost of living rises), they provide lots of spontaneous free treats in the office, they put on optional but interesting events. It works much better than threatening. Office is pretty busy Tues-Thurs.

Underperformance is much more likely to be linked to low morale. The recent 4 day week study showed happier staff = more productivity and bugger profits.

What’s the target? Are you underperforming?

Mine. Civil service. Worked our bloody socks off during lockdown from home, now being told back to the office AND have to work an extra hour a week. I'm leaving at some point this year, I've had enough.

There is no "hybrid/ WFH world".

If you underperform then your employer doesn't need a stick to get you into the workplace. They need a stick to get the performance. And that stick will be applied in the workplace.

You might be working "flat out". But some aren't or they wouldn't care. And that's the problem. Not everyone who is working "flat out" from home is working at all.

Quit. Absolutely dysfunctional organisation.

Even better, see if a bunch of you can quit en masse

"Underperformance is much more likely to be linked to low morale."

THIS

I meant BIGGER profits! 😆

Never. We are 50:50 and I think everyone likes it. Some people go in more because they want to

We’re not under target but we aren’t over target enough for their liking, I know other members of my team are working through their lunches and looking to get signed off sick so they are working flat out. I’m wondering who’s going to make us work ‘harder’ from the office when managers are there 1 day a week!

Start looking for a new job.

I have no patience for rubbish managers who treat employees like naughty children...

They sound like a bunch of bullies who don't have a clue about how to treat employees.

Never they are very chill, I asked my boss if she wanted me to come in and she said "I don't care what you do as long as I can get you on a Teams call"
So I sometimes go in for company but most often I'm at home or occasionally at one of the sites.

Never. We are recommended to be in the office one day a week. But no one enforces it and I think around 1/2 of the department is in that day.

Never, My manager manages performance. We have targets.

If a company itself is at the brink of saying things need to change for underperforming then that is what it is, there is a mass clear out in my industry at the minute that has made international news, now covid is over and Hybrid is becoming the norm a lot of companies have different metrics and needs to keep afloat, we have instilled a minimum of 2/3 days a week to help cross polination and face to face with new grads and we have found that a lot of staff we did have employed didn't need to be, we gave a general kick up the arse type email a while ago whilst the new metrics was being monitored because as with any major shift in working life some jobs are just not profitable and maybe the company itself is not profitable.

We are in a period of shake down for those who loudly proclaimed that the city centre office work was dead and we never enter the city centres again., a lot of companies relied on city centre traffic, I am in an industry that has been an historic banks of teams all with headphones in messaging each other on slack that birthed the digital nomad meme, we are getting rid of a lot of staff because productivity is down.

As a PP has also said

There is no "hybrid/ WFH world".

If the company are saying it is underperforming then it is a simple case of those that pay your wages think it is

All employees who are WFH think they are doing great
IME most employers disagree

@Phonemonkey2023 have office parties ect