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).

For those of us who changed jobs in the pandemic it's very frustrating to have colleges who won't come into the office at all. My employer only expects us in 2 days a week but some of the longer serving employees are refusing to do this. This is starting to create a them and us environment, where newer starters are now much better connected across the organisation (a third of my 2000+ workforce joined in the last 4 years). The people refusing to come in are starting to become irrelevant and management is noticing this.

So you are looking after your kids and working from home at same time?

Oh, please. I'm so tired of "the world has changed". Many have just decided that the world must revolve around what is convenient for them. The world doesn't work that way (although clearly it does more that pre covid). Feel lucky they are only asking for two days.

You don't have a leg to stand on. Work are asking you to fulfil your contractual obligation, nothing more. It's time to commute again !

And I don’t have anyone else who can help with the children

Thats why you pay for after school care and claim it in government help.

You have options.

You may not benefit but we have two seniors never in the office, neither help or support new staff and have never met a lot of them.

One actively takes the piss with work and does very little.

@Flexipecs I'm also a single parent and got this role post covid. They allow us to work anywhere so I'm home full time. I like the office but I'd have to leave about 3ish to get back in time to collect my children. I was told by agencies that it's near impossible to get an agreement like mine hence I'm taking a pay cut and staying longer than I'd wanted. I probably work 9hrs a day.

I guess I'm saying can you compromise and do one day a week or every 2 weeks? At least you show your face?

I think the people who don't come in at all/rarely are going to start to notice it affects career progression too.

Our directors are all back in pretty much every day now.

If you are contracted to work in the office then not much you can do unless you reduce your hours back? Have you asked whether there is scope for hybrid working (part home part office)

@illiterato this. Go fully remote and companies will recruit globally, why would they pay more for staff if they don't need to?

I agree. I heard something on the news here that more people are going back to the office (not UK), and we never had the huge amount wfh that there seems to be there. Things changed during covid as they never had changed before, but what made people think it would last? Also, why do employees think their wants are more important than their employers?

My work has been 40% time in office since Sept 22, and my partner's work is introducing same policy from this Sept. So definitely becoming standard across many work places I think. But in my work at least you can apply for a flexible working arrangement - so with line managers approval some people work entirely from home/non standard hours etc. This is then formally part of your work contract. Definitely worth investigating if your work place offer similar.

I don't think it's an unreasonable request.

Do you go out at 3pm to collect & then bring children home? Surely if you are working you need to be available for meetings until finish time.

I think companies being flexible is a good thing - but 2 days in office and 3 days wfh sounds pretty reasonable.

It's going to be hard for younger staff & new staff to learn a job if all the experienced staff with children & a school run refuse to go back into the office.

I do feel for you re your change in situation, but I don't think there's anything you can do. And if WFH is not in your contract, you're honestly somewhat lucky they're not asking for more (I don't say that to make you feel bad, just we should all be mindful that ultimately our contracts are always king in this situation!). Are there other full time WFH jobs in your industry you might consider? Or could part time be feasible?

You say it’s not of benefit to business, but maybe that’s in your judgement and there are aspects they feel would be done better. For example, training new young staff is so hard if you’re not in office, the water-cooler/corridor conversations about things. Training the next generation in any line of work is a professional responsibility.

One of the issues is that everyone who complains about going into the office will say they are more productive at home and don't take the piss but we all know the staff members who do take the piss who are caring for children or just not working.

In our team it's always the same people who never come in the office for anything and it's noticed and commented on.

I get what you're saying, but depending on the industry there's also another dimension - in my industry companies use flexible working arrangements as a way to appeal to people who are in demand. So if you're in an in-demand role/industry, you can use these sorts of work/life balance arrangements as form of barter, as much as salary (And as someone who works 4 days a week from home I would do the same if that changed!)

What are your wages and can you claim tax credits?

My husband works from home full time. He works more hours than he ever did when he was on site full time! He manages a team of six specialist staff (all working remotely) and has never had an issue with any of them slacking, they're all incredibly obliging. My husband is very easy going by nature, and patient, so maybe that helps in terms of communication with his team.
I think the media are playing a massive part in WFH shaming. And people who don't have the opportunity to WFH are content to buy all the negative stories.

I think you need to work out a compromise here. Eg
1 day a week in the office in term time and 2 in school holidays (eg if they're in holiday clubs all day anyway)
Change your hours to start or finish earlier or later on office days so that you only need breakfast club or after school care not both
Do shorter days in the office, and make up the hours at home
Investigate childcare depending on their ages if they just need someone to be in the same house as them after school could a local teen or childcare student at college do this (just pick them up and walk them home and stick the tv on) or can you work out a reciprocal arrangement with another parent or parents who work different days to you

We went back 2 days a week and it's not about productivity when you're in the office for us (any more), it's about creativity, networking, team building, but mainly swapping ideas, finding out what's going on and training and coaching. So no one actually seems bothered when people turn up at 10 and leave at 4 - because its appreciated they put the hours in at home. They would rather they did that, than stay at home and work 10 hours.

Good luck and remember it's not just about you - its about those other things (eg junior colleagues who can learn from you). So I'd concentrate on those positives when you talk to your manager. As in you're excited to come back in because it will be great for x y and z, it doesnt quite work logistically for you to be in the office 9 til 5 but here's some options of how you think you can make it work. Will likely go down a lot better than 'but i cant because children'.

I think this hits the nail on the head for employers……where is your childcare after school ? How can you work and look after your children from 3 to 5.30-6 pm ?
Then there’s the holidays …

I always found the same people who take the piss at home are the same ones who took the piss in the office. The same ones who would spend all day gossiping / moaning, always have drama going on, pass work around, get involved in various disputes, always time off sick for a minor cold, travel issues, have to take the cat to the vet etc etc. I'm pretty sure most managers know which colleagues take the piss and which dont. It's a shame that some companies have taken the attitude of 'well some people take the piss so everyone has to come in now' instead of actually managing poor performance

Why do people always trot out this response as though nobody's life is expected to have changed in the last 3.5years?

So you work with the children at home after school and in the holidays?

People are getting angry about returning to the office (even if it was their pre covid set up) because now our lifestyles fit around working from home and we’ve made certain changes to adapt to working from home. It’s worked very well for most people and is great in situations like this (ie, single parent). Also the COL has gone up considerably - cost of childcare, commuting etc is all more expensive.

forcing people back to an office only making it harder for those like OP. These companies will lose good employees.

Exactly!