just been told I have to go back to the office

[Sarah510]

and I don't want to!!!!! Have been wfh since lockdown and I love it. The freedom of it, and just not having to spend 2+hours commuting. I really thought I would be allowed to keep wfh as my job is not customer facing - I can do everything on teams, and a lot of it is with people in the far east so most is virtual anyway. But my team leader is the leader of another team as well, and she said to me today that she has put me on the rota for coming back to the office. I tried to say that I was happy to help out at busy times but that my priority had to be my own job, and that that wasn't people facing, and that it was going to be difficult to have these team meetings in a large office setting. She was unmovable though. I feel it's unfair. I mean, I'm not on that team, I'm a separate team, just me, the TL and a part-time person who is shielding so will not be coming back. I know people will slate me on here, but I really thought that things would change after lockdown. Team Leader is very anti wfh - she had denied requests even before Covid. She seems to be oldfashioned - like she always made a point of checking if I was in at 9am and telling me off if I was 5 mins late kind of thing. Never mind that I've been working weekends, late nights, early mornings since wfh, she just seems to want everyone back in the office under her watchful eye even though everyone is saying productivity is way up since we have been wfh.

Feeling miserable :( I guess I can 'see how it goes' and maybe put in a formal request to wfh. I tried to say to her that it was matter of being flexible but she's just not - she said no.

This is why I'm very glad that most of my work is contract based - I'm asked to produce a piece of work for a given fee, by a given deadline. If I faff about, or turn in something poor quality that needs revisions then my effective hourly rate is lower. Much simpler. And entirely from home, which is helpful as I work best from 8pm onwards!

I think a lot of attitudes in this thread speak to experience only in non "professional" jobs - where hours worked are prized over work produced. I know attitudes to punctuality and presenteeism were very different when I worked in retail and food service than when I was in research/academia.

The "be grateful you have a job, lots of others would happily do it for you if you don't want to" type comments also seem to imply that all jobs have a wealth of qualified candidates lined up to apply - that may be true in a lot of cases but in particularly specialised/skilled jobs this may not be true. I have no idea about the OP's situation but in a lot of cases a good employee with a specific skill set and an excellent track record would have a lot of leeway before their employer decides that they would rather replace them than make accomodations.

My husband works in an HR adjacent job which is usually London based and has been WFH since March. He's told his employers that he needs to stay WFH for at least 3 days each week once the offices are back open (they aren't yet, he's popping in next week for the first time) as the money it's saved us on commuting and the family time gained - allowing me to do my second job without the need for childcare - have been really helpful. Plus he likes having more time to himself, which I think is reason enough.

They'll either OK this (likely, as WFH has worked really well for lots of their teams) or he'll take a role elsewhere.

Yes I agree Alittleodd. I think people are not comparing like with like. Obviously if you're working in a shop, or on a counter, or in a public office with opening hours, you have to 'be there' that's part of your role. I'm just a bit disappointed as before lockdown, a few people's requests to wfh for family reasons, or health reasons, were turned down by this particular team leader as being 'unworkable'. However, at a day's notice we all were sent home and have all wfh since without any problems that I can see. Everything has been done that's been needed blah blah. My 'overmanager' who has just left, and was a decent person, she said in her view productivity had increased massively, as people were not jumping up to leave at 5pm to catch the train home, they were staying on to finish the tasks they were doing and taking responsibility, rather than clock watching which was very much the vibe, given the team leader's emphasis on time rather than output. Anyway, all the arguments are there that its very 'workable' but the organisation don't appear to want to embrace it. Maybe I'm just unlucky to have this kind of manager though. Will wait and see what happens anyway. I don't think we will b e able to work full time in the office as it's very crowded, quite squashed for them really (I was based in a separate office with my own team)

@Keepyourconversationsboring

Be thankful you have a job to commute to...many would love to have these problems

That's the sort of attitude that perpetrates a race to the bottom and makes things worse for everyone. Nothing wrong with disagreeing with OP, but not on this basis.

@jacks11

I will preface this by saying I can’t do my job from home, and it will never be an option. So i don’t really have an axe to grind.

I think there is an issue with 100% wfh- it’s fine if you have been working there a while and built up professional relationships already. But I think over time those will start to dwindle as people move on
And colleagues see less of each other. I think starting in a new job where you only meet colleagues over zoom or teams would be hard. Training would certainly be more of a challenge, I’d have thought.

In my job, I find a lot of goodwill comes from those professional relationships, the informal chats etc. Things get picked up/assistance given or solutions found that don’t happen over email or online meetings. You get to know colleagues and I generally find people will do a bit extra for those they have a good working relationship with. Will they do the same for a person they see once a week in a zoom call?

I do think most people need to do some time in the office. There will be some things that can be 100% from home, I suppose.

I would disagree. I have wfh since starting at this role a few years ago. I have great relationships with staff. I admit it can be difficult keeping up with staff role changes. But tbh having worked elsewhere this happened when you're not all in the same building anyway. It's about making meaningful relationships and putting in the effort. Fwiw. Our organisation has won awards for the team work etc required for our achievements. All say across the UK, in the four countries in our own home.

I don't see how anyone disagreeing is just down to jealousy, I could wfh permanently forever if I wanted, I still think people are being naieve to the seismic changes if it becomes largely standard. Some people will benefit, someone living in a cheap area up north for example will have a chance at, what were typically London based jobs, but the pay will no way be as competitive. There will be additional redundancies, especially if, as everyone claims, they are so much more productive at home. I agree for individuals it probably is something that would benefit them, but there are also downsides. Also curious what all of these irreplaceable jobs are.

It's also probably different for a middle class MNer working from their dining room table compared to a new member of staff working from their bedroom.

Hi, I'm in a similar situation. Wfh since lockdown (on a lunch break at the mo) have a very heavy workload. Have been working earlier, at the weekend etc. Whole office is closed.

When I am asked to go back (which I think will be in September) I wont like it, I dont want to go back to the office but will do so without saying a word. You cant expect to work from home forever.

We have been ok with staff WFH while doing childcare ,but from September that will not be ok

@Sarah510 how many days are you being asked to go back in?

I do agree that working in a traditional office has its benefits (comraderie, the nice-to-know (not need to know only), the networks etc), however, for many (if not most) office jobs, i think the forced WFH experiment has shown that it is not necessary to WFH 5 days a week. To force it back now, to any extent, while the virus is still amongst us, is stupidity. And I think to force people back 5 days a week even when the virus has gone would be missing a trick when you consider the benefits of partial WFH brings - environmental benefits, reduced need for expensive/premium office space, greater diversity of your workforce.

So if I run a business in central London, if my people can WFH 3 days a week, I can employ someone from anywhere in the country and not have to pay them a London wage. I can have a meeting with my lawyers and not have them charge me for the 45 mins they spend in a taxi to get to me. I can have a smaller office. I am not an economist, but surely if there are a bunch of well paid professionals saving £5k a year on commuting, and £2k a year on lunches at Pret, surely that money is going to get spent somewhere, eventually? So the money still exists and will get put back into the economy - it just may support the local coffee shop in Bromley, rather than Pret and Starbucks in the City. So the people employed in Starbucks no longer have to spend stupid amounts of money on over-priced shoebox flats, and hideous hour long commutes, and can instead work for the local coffee shop in Bromley. (yes, I know i simplify things hugely, but I am trying to illustrate a point).

@user1487194234 - but what about childcare after school? Have you noticed a drop in productivity from the working parents? Because if you haven't, why insist on a change?

Also, the "you count yourselves lucky to have a job" is so missing the point. Yes, I do count myself lucky, every day, both for having a job and having a job that I can WFH, and for having good and understanding managers, but this isn't a thread called "AIBU to complain about my job when people are unemployed?" is it?

Unfortunately we need all staff back full time to hit the ground running in September ,to try and save the business ,which is in the interest of all employees (and me )
Yes there has been a drop off in productivity,which is understandable,you can't look after kids and work at the same time

The main reason the gov want people back to offices ( in my view) is to support the economy... the local bars/cafes/restaurants people used to pop into on way to work at lunch time; After work... even when I do go back I will be making my own coffee and sandwich rather than spending £8 on one... lockdown made me realise how crazy it was getting one a day on way to work!

Rainbow12e That’s because your partners kid is 10 and you only moved in with him at the start of lockdown!

That child's not your responsibility @Rainbow12e and your employer should not be impacted by them.

I have thankfully just found out we are never being made to go back into the office a perk of working for a company living in the 21st century.

I would ask to have a split week if they are still insistent at some office working.

I love the balance it has given me, my work day has been condensed as I get so much more work done so get to enjoy the morning and evenings with the kids (currently doing 10-2)

I would go back and see how the land lies. Is it possible that the company actually wants to make redundancies and is using the 'we need you back NOW' line to see who's dedicated enough to go? Lots of businesses are struggling and it might be the case that your job is either at risk or about to change in some way, which might involve taking on more responsibility, managing people, or some kind of training that can only be done in the office. So I'd keep quiet, go back in, and negotiate later. In the mean time, you should also be looking for other jobs. An offer from somewhere else, even if you don't want to change, might be the leverage you need to work at home. In other words, don't get too emotional about it in front of your boss, keep your head down, and play the system to your own advantage...

@user1487194234

We have been ok with staff WFH while doing childcare ,but from September that will not be ok

I used to work for a very large company and you could be home based but only if you had a dedicated workspace that was annually risk assessed and you had no children under 11 in the house if you were the done adult. Both were linked to the company insurance/Health and safety. Prior to each school holiday they asked you to confirm that you would not be responsible for children under 11.

Yes that makes a lot of sense

Yanbu OP. I wfh one or two days per week since lockdown ended, the other days are in the office.

Once the dust settles, see if you can get 1 or 2 days wfh permanently.

Devious but could you claim to have been near someone who has been told to self-isolate? It would postpone the day you have to return by a couple of weeks.

boreda11 Oh that’s great advice. Lie to the employer.

It’s not devious, it’s stupid.