Forced return to office - anyone else?

[Flexipecs]

My work has announced we’re all being forced back into the office two days a week. I’m a sole parent of primary school aged children (no help from ex). If I’m forced to go into the office I’ll have to reduce my working hours and I’ll be financially worse off.

I’m going to contact my union but has anyone else had this problem and did you successfully challenge it?

There’s zero benefit to me being in the office. My stats and performance are high. I actually think I’m more productive at home because I’m not being distracted so often. I’ve worked for the company for a very long time and I’m really disappointed at this decision (to put it mildly).

I don't think you'll have much luck pushing back unless your contract allows WFH or if they increased your hours based on you being able to WFH - you need to speak to your union.

Would they allow you to do a shorter day in the office with the additional hours made up in the evening?

2 days a week in the office and 3 at home seems abundantly flexible

The reason they are asking people to be back in is probably because of people with exactly your kind of set up.

There's a massive issue with post 3pm productivity in my workplace currently. It's not going unnoticed that many people are very difficult to get hold of for the last 2 hours+ of the day.

It might not seem like a massive issue on an individual basis but when about a quarter of the working day becomes dead time company wide it is an issue.

I don't think their request is unreasonable either from a work/life balance perspective.

This is a good suggestion and the way I have always worked . Short day in the office each day, extra hours made up WFH in the evening once the kids are in bed. Tiring yes but as a single mum it meant I could earn a full time salary without childcare costs

I could have guessed exactly the employees who would make a fuss about coming back to work
Some of them left which was positive

It may be that you/your team are performing well but others aren't and they have decided the best way to fix that is to bring everyone back.

It may be that they are paying massively for an office building that is being underused so are trying to justify it?

I have childcare in place & work my contracted hours but if forced back into the office, I'd have to cut those hours down quite significantly to accommodate a commute that worked around pick up/drop off times. Pre covid I had no kids, now I do. Things change. The world has changed & people's perception of work/life balance has shifted - employers need to recognise that or risk being left behind in the long run.

Put in a formal flexible working request.

If they turn it down start looking for another job. You won't be the only one.

Lots of employers are happy to continue to support wfh. You will find another job. There's a recruitment crisis in many sectors and it's a job seekers market. Sensible employers support flexible working.

All depends on your contract, if you're contracted to work from a specific office location then they are quite within their right to ask you to go back to the office full time, so I'd take the two days and their offer of hybrid working. A union will do fuck all if your contract states you work from an office. Tbh I'm still amazed that people are complaining about going back into the office and have made life decision around wfh. If you want to wfh full time you need to get it written into your contract.

Also you don't know if it benefits the company or not, 'you' might be more productive wfh but others might not be, it could be a case of boosting moral for others, there's more going on behind the scenes than your role alone.

The trouble with people meeting individual workloads at home is that they're not seeing the bigger picture, I generally work in the office and the amount of urgent/ fire fighting type work that comes to me as I'm physically in rather than the WFH brigade.

Things are changing in your favour, OP. Check out the new bill that's likely to come into force:

startups.co.uk/people/management/flexible-working-bill/

'Forced'? What did you do before covid?

2 days a week commute for me personally would amount to 4 hours. 4 hours I could be working. Forcing this commute on me would only force me to cut down my hours to accommodate it. Doesn't seem like the best way to drive productivity.

There has been quite a shift towards a more hybrid working environment.
I understand from city folk, that it's to do with better communication between staff and to ensure that support is given where needed.

Unofficially it's because a handful of staff have been taking the piss and service users have been complaining about accessibility.

The world has changed.

Why not ask if you can do 2 short days in the office. Or use afterschool care?

I think most companies are looking at hybrid working, its impossible for young people to learn a job or how to behave in an office environment if they are sitting on top of their bed.
Its also not good for MH never to see people, which is really important for those who live alone.

We pay above average salaries and good benefits and haven’t had any recruitment issues so far

As a pp said the period between 3 and 5 was becoming increasingly difficult to manage

I can understand that individuals thought it didn’t make any difference but as a Company it did

The world has changed & people's perception of work/life balance has shifted - employers need to recognise that or risk being left behind in the long run.

And 3 days wfh and 2 days in the office recognises that.

Talk about cake and eat it!

Thank you. I totally agree with this. If there were any problems with my work then I’d understand the push back to the office, but that’s not the case. I’m sure it’s hard for employers to manage people WFH who do take the piss, but I’m not one of those people and I really dislike being financially worse off because of this. It’s tough enough being a sole parent.

Presumably you managed it pre COVID?

And the trade of will be all the hard to quantify but important benefits of working face to face .

I can’t tell you how much I would love two guaranteed days in the office with the team.

If it's not written into your contract then I'm not sure that you can do anything about it other than to request wfh.

Interestingly our juniors and trainees were all keen to return to the office as they wanted in person support and supervision

But child care is part of being a working parent.

Mine absolutely love the 2 hours in after school club 3 x a week when I'm in the office. Its far better for them than being shushed constantly and being sat in front of the telly with snacks to keep them quiet.

It's only 2 days and only for at most a few years.

I think the change to WFH has added the burden to women. When everyone was in the office from 9-5 families used wraparound care. Now I know families are wfh whilst caring for children between 3-5 and during the holidays. For the people I know it's the women doing this and not the men.

I personally can't do it, my children and 6 and 8 and can WFH. I cannot WFH and care for children at the same time as it means I'm not as good at either tasks. It has to be a snow day or something for me to wfh with children at home (and of course let work know).

My husband can't WFH in his job so it would be down to me.