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Original poster

To be peed off at getting ‘told off’ for working at home

179 replies

Hatemyjob2 · 02/03/2018 13:31

Started new job in January. Okayish, better than last one, but micro- managed to the hilt.

Anyway you may have noticed a spot of bother with the weather, so I asked to work from home. Told OK, as long as I can’t get in. Anyway oh’s office is closed for safety reasons, so I’d have to trek 1/2 mile to the bus for 6.30. Pavements are like ice and I have osteoporosis.

So I log on at 8am and get stuck in. Then I get a sarky message: where are you? Is public transport not working. I explain that I couldn’t get in and have been roundly told off like a child and apparently they will have words with me on Monday.

OH has said to start looking for a new job and I’m inclined to agree now.

OP posts:
Scribblegirl · 02/03/2018 14:14

Oh god, this is the sort of thing which really destroys morale and goodwill in an organisation, for markedly little gain.

I was weighing up WFH on Thursday and before I had the chance to say anything I got this from my manager: "Morning scribble, please don't risk anything getting in to work - if you can WFH please do".

To add to this she's been brilliant today when my boiler has gone poof and I'm having to wait in for an engineer, so I've WFH two days now.

As a result I've gone out of my way to get as much crap cleared and picked up things for her because I can crack on without any distractions (and frankly typing is keeping me warm!!)

Treat people like adults and, in 99% of cases, they'll respond like it. And the 1% who take the piss would do so whether you micromanage them or not.

I'm on lunch before anyone calls me a slacker for being on MN Grin

Troels · 02/03/2018 14:15

No you couldn't get in. How dangerous is it for a person with osteoporosis to try and walk on snow and ice a half mile in freezing temps to the nearest bus stop.
For you it is very dangerous.
One fall could mean broken bones, weeks in hospital, possible surgery, never getting back to normal.
Osteoporosis isn't just for little old ladies.

ShiftyMcGifty · 02/03/2018 14:16

I would reply back explaining about how your medical condition prevented you from doing the same journey an able-bodied coworker could have done. Apologise profusely for any miscommunication on your part and for contributing to any misunderstanding.

CC HR department.

End enquiring what time this “disciplinary” meeting is scheduled for on Monday.

TheDailyMailIsADisgustingRag · 02/03/2018 14:19

I’d do as @shifty suggests. Make sure you mention that you cleared it with someone beforehand and apologise that your medical condition made it more difficult to get to the bus. Ask what time the disciplinary meeting will be on Monday. Remember to CC HR.

That really isn’t on and I’ve had a manager / company like this before. It was a vile shit hole and everyone was miserable. I was so relieved when I moved on.

CoraPirbright · 02/03/2018 14:19

I dont understand - was the person who ok’d you working from home a different person from the one who gave you a ticking off? Anyway, you are working from home, not off on a shopping spree or something. As long as you are getting your work done, its nobody’s fucking business.

Scribblegirl · 02/03/2018 14:21

Agree with @shifty.

MichaelBendfaster · 02/03/2018 14:28

That's a very good idea, Shifty.

AskBasil · 02/03/2018 14:37

What advice have the highways agency and local authority given in your area regarding travel?

Attach that advice to your e-mail.

Also cc in the person who said it would be OK to work from home and ensure you mention that they said that it would be OK.

And then start looking for another job, either the company or the person who told you off is shit.

Appuskidu · 02/03/2018 14:44

What has your husband’s office closing got to do with anything?

Is it the case that’s someone told you that you could work from home on Tuesday if you couldn’t get in, but you are still working from home today-three days later-when you could have travelled in on public transport?

If not, and it’s just that Bob told you that you could work from home but now Dave is cross-tell Dave that Bob said it was ok! Unless Dave is actually the person you should have asked in the first place 😂

BlackeyedSusan · 02/03/2018 14:52

presumably oh gives her a lift when he is working.

LaurieMarlow · 02/03/2018 14:55

Quite aside from what you were told, it's ridiculous to insist on employees coming in in conditions like this when they can wfh perfectly easily.

I agree, get another job asap.

flowery · 02/03/2018 14:55

From your OP it sounds like you asked whether in theory you’d be able to work from home during this problematic weather, and your boss fairly reluctant said yes that’s ok, if on a given day you are unable to get into work. You then decided that applies today and just didn’t turn up for work and started working from home instead, then were all surprised when your boss didn’t know.

It sounds like your boss agrees that if you can’t get in you can work from home, but would expect you to ring in/contact him/her and actually tell them that’s what you’re doing rather than just not showing up.

Might that be it?

yumyumpoppycat · 02/03/2018 14:56

Agree with email copying in HR and mention the increased risk of fractures if you slip in icy conditions.

Dungeondragon15 · 02/03/2018 15:02

It seems odd that you were told you didn't have to come in if you couldn't but then got that message when you didn't. My guess is that you are perhaps the only person in the company that didn't make it in. Have you told them in the past about your osteoporosis? It sounds as if you need to spell out what this means.

unfortunateevents · 02/03/2018 15:04

Ridiculous if they really did tell you off like a child for not going into work but it would have been common sense and courteous to either phone or email first thing to say that you could not get in and were WFH, particularly as you have only been there a couple of months.

Coloursthatweremyjoy · 02/03/2018 15:06

I don't understand the obsession there is about "getting to work" when you can work from home. My husband made it in yesterday only to be sent home again by his management. It's a hugely successful multi million pound company. Everyone who can't walk in is working from home. Pointless taking risks...It's just a job at the end of the day.

It also gets on my nerves that someone will mention how workers in some countries make it into work even though there is heavy snow for 3 months of the year. Well yes, but the key here is "every year" they are ready for it and tend to know what snow chains are for and how to fit them etc etc.

Eltonjohnssyrup · 02/03/2018 15:12

the oh's office being closed is relevant, I think, because the OP would normally go in with him in the car; but he hasn't gone to work today and therefore her lift isn't available

I suspect this may well be the reason they are pissed off. If the roads are safe then the OPs DH should really have given her a lift in regardless of whether or not he was working. If the OP had the means to get in but her partner just couldn’t be arsed to drive then she’s not in a situation where she couldn’t get in, she just couldn’t be bothered.

AbsentmindedWoman · 02/03/2018 15:21

Osteoporosis isn't just for little old ladies.

This, with bells on.

It is inflexible attitudes to the workplace like this employer that make it so difficult for employees managing chronic health issues.

AaronPurrSir · 02/03/2018 15:26

If the OP had the means to get in but her partner just couldn’t be arsed to drive then she’s not in a situation where she couldn’t get in, she just couldn’t be bothered.

Hmm I don’t know where in the country you are, or the OP, but where I am the police and ambulance services have unoquivically told people to NOT drive on the roads as it’s too dangerous. Yesterday a 7 year old girl in Cornwall was hit by a car that lost control on the ice. There have been numerous road accidents around the country due to vehicles losing control on the roads.

But yes, clearly the OP and her husband are just lazy...Hmm

PoorYorick · 02/03/2018 15:31

Oh fuck that, start job-hunting.

QueenDramaLlama · 02/03/2018 15:33

YANBU
Like others have said people have died on the roads.
Why take the risk when you can work from home?

Coloursthatweremyjoy · 02/03/2018 15:35

Well said Aaron.

This morning we have reports of multiple vehicle accidents, a fatal accident and a 4x4 crashing through a wall in town...but at least people are making the effort to get around hey.

I made the decision to close our site today last night. That might be questioned. We are on an amber warning, emergency services have said not to travel unless essential and every school, in the county is closed...but let's disect the decision to close....

StormTreader · 02/03/2018 15:36

"OH office closed" doesn't necessarily mean that hes sitting on the sofa, he could be working from home as well and not free to drive her about. That, and the roads arent suddenly safe just because the OPs office manager thinks they are.

RomaineCalm · 02/03/2018 15:39

Here goes...

I'm a manager in a busy company and this week has been badly disrupted by the weather. HateMyJob came to me yesterday and asked whether it would be ok to work from home if she couldn't get in tomorrow. I agreed that this would be ok.

I believe that HateMyJob gets a lift to work and the roads seemed to be clear this morning so I had expected her to come in.

By 9am I hadn't seen/heard anything from HateMyJob. I noticed that she had logged on so sent her a quick message asking where she was. She replied that she was working at home. Given that she hadn't contacted me today to say that she was working from home (which is our company policy) I sent another message to say that we would catch up on Monday. My intention was to remind her of the policy/procedure - nothing formal but she hasn't been here long and maybe she didn't know.

I don't have a problem with people working at home when the weather is bad but I do need to know where people are each day, if nothing else then to ensure that they haven't had an accident on their way in.

AIBU to expect my team to contact me first thing if they are unable to make it into work?

BackforGood · 02/03/2018 15:39

There are so many factors we don't know about - different parts of the country have been hit differently for eg. Here, not many buses were running this am, and those that were, were terminating early. In other places, nobody is going anywhere. In others, buses are fine. The OP's dh's office being closed isn't relevant - if road is drivable he could still have taken her, or she could have got taxi or whatever.
As it seems you can get your work done from home, then the employer should be encouraging people to do that and keep the roads as clear as possible for necessary travel, let alone thinking of the welfare of their employees.
However, the crux is that one person has already given you permission, so what seniority ranking do your critics have, compared with the one that gave you permission ?