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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

just been told I have to go back to the office

358 replies

Sarah510 · 06/08/2020 11:53

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.

OP posts:
Timeforanotherusername · 07/08/2020 18:07

I work from home normally.

Where possible I sort childcare for kids.

Yes it costs money and yes i could have them at home.

But its not fair on them, me or my employer.

They have been in childcare this holiday and will go to after school club in September.

heartsonacake · 07/08/2020 18:31

However, at a day's notice we all were sent home and have all wfh since without any problems that I can see.

Yes, because three was no other choice. Now, there is a choice for the employers, and they’ve decided they want you back. That’s the be all and end all of it; you don’t get to question it.

You’ve been there for less than two years, you have no rights and your insubordination is giving them a huge reason to fire you.

doityourselfnow · 07/08/2020 18:39

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.

You sound like every employers fucking nightmare @boreda11

I'd sack you in a heartbeat!

It's people like you that make it difficult for good employees!

boreda11 · 07/08/2020 19:02

doityourselfnow it is not something I would do as I have a manager who is not as petty and has some trust in the team members. Respect by staff should not be a given, and managers who cannot accept that technology has helped change the working landscape as had Covid 19 (hopefully short-term) are dinosaurs.

heartsonacake · 07/08/2020 19:14

it is not something I would do as I have a manager who is not as petty and has some trust in the team members

boreda11 It’s nothing to do with being petty or a lack of trust. The business has decided working from home doesn’t work for them and they don’t want to implement it.

Livelovebehappy · 07/08/2020 19:20

We’ve been told wfh remains until next year, which I’m fine with. It will be great in winter to not have to face driving in dark mornings in bad weather. I miss colleagues, but we have virtual meetings. I save money on petrol and paying for lunches. Works for me fine and I really hope this is going to continue after the virus is gone. So I see where you’re coming from op. Go along with it, but maybe get a few of you together to push for wfh. If enough of you push for it, you might be lucky.

MacduffsMuff · 07/08/2020 19:42

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.

FFS. A shitty thing to do and shitty advice.

doityourselfnow · 07/08/2020 19:57

@boreda11 nothing to do with technology, nothing to do with dinosaurs, personally I hate liars!

You're clearly one!

Not a good trait, once a liar, always a liar!

Shame on you!

amicissimma · 07/08/2020 20:22

Be careful.

If it becomes obvious that you do not need to be physically in the office to do your job, it will be obvious that the person who does your job does not need to be in the UK, on UK wages.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 07/08/2020 21:37

If it becomes obvious that you do not need to be physically in the office to do your job, it will be obvious that the person who does your job does not need to be in the UK, on UK wages

Thank god for someone who can see it - the phrase "be careful what yoi wish for" has rarely been more appropriate

As for the recommendation to lie and cheat, isn't it ironic that those who do this and get caught out are so often the first to cry "Ring ACAS!", "Get your union involved!" and "Shame them on social media!" and all the rest?

FluffyKittensinabasket · 07/08/2020 21:42

I'm confused why so many posts are saying that all home working office jobs will be offshored. Companies would have done that already if they wanted to. Many companies have brought call centres and IT jobs back to the U.K.! Then there are time zone differences, language barriers, UK employment law, paying tax in different countries, industry regulators, multiple currency payroll, training, difficulties doing criminal record checks and background checks on employees abroad etc. It's not that easy to offshore jobs!

A lot of people seem to be jealous of the fact some people can WFH....

If you want to talk offshoring, let’s talk automation instead. In 20 years most jobs can be automated, won’t even need offshoring.

It will be interesting as nobody will have jobs to pay tax and they’ll be no public services.

Sostenueto · 08/08/2020 06:25

jbizz hope your employer doesn't read your post about only working 10-2 in the day. You either need more work to do or a pay cut.

Sostenueto · 08/08/2020 06:29

fluffy maybe ( not sure) what stopped a lot of employers already outsourcing their workers from abroad before was the workers rights in this country which protects UK workers. But don't worry they have been removed by this Government when we Brexit in January.

elstree2020 · 08/08/2020 07:38

Have you been given guidance about the office being 'Covid secure', to use the Prime Minister's words? Ask for this. Though if only two of three people will be there, I expect social distancing can be achieved.

doityourselfnow · 08/08/2020 07:45

@Rainbow12e not beside the point at all, your employer pays you to work for them, it's immaterial that your very recent OH earns more. They're not your step children and even if they were, your paid to work not babysit.

ASimpleLampoon · 08/08/2020 08:27

YANBU. The technology for more flexible working conditions has existed for many years before Covid. It all suddenly became possible when it suited employers. It would have been of massive benefit to people with caring responsibilites, people with disabilities/ illnesses and conditions and people who cannot afford their own transport had it always been used to benefit everyone. It would have kept more people active in the workforce and kept a lot of people from inactivity and poverty. The culture of being ever present in the office suits people who micromanage as a cover to their own insecurities and incompetence, and people who want to check out of family life and others. I worked from home for five years before Covid, my employers are great and for me work is enjoyable and keeps me sane. It could be like that for more people if the will was there to adapt and make the change.

KeepingPlain · 08/08/2020 08:42

@Sostenueto

I don't think you read jbizz's post properly. She said her work had been condensed so that she had mornings and afternoons free. Her employer did that I think, not her. I guess to allow her to work quickly and then care for her kids. Makes sense really.

WhenSheWasBad · 08/08/2020 08:54

I’m with you Op. You are clearly capable of WFH and you should be allowed some flexibility.
I would start looking for another job.

I think a lot of people are jealous of those who can work from home. I don’t have a job that allows me to work from home but I still don’t see the sense in people doing a pointless commute everyday just because WFH isn’t an option for me.

Rainbow12e · 08/08/2020 09:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Vivana · 08/08/2020 10:56

I'm certainly not jealous if people who work from I'd rather be in a work environment then cooped up all day at home working

user1487194234 · 08/08/2020 10:59

Companies have tolerated people looking after children while WFH in the unprecedented circumstances we have been in
Going forward I cannot see that being the case ,and my Company certainly won't be allowing it

Clutterbugsmum · 08/08/2020 11:45

You need to stop trying to find excuses.

Your job is an office based job, so you like millions of other people will either go back to the office or resign and find a WFH job. And there will be lots of people who have lost there jobs happy to do yours.

Whether we like or not we do need to be back working as normal as possible as we can not continue hoping on a wish and prayer that a vaccine will be found. There is no guarantee that one will ever be found.

FluffyKittensinabasket · 08/08/2020 12:04

But many companies are never going back to the old normal and WFH, at least a few days a week is going to be the norm.

Saying that all homeworkers should get back to work on a forum, isn’t going to make it happen.

user1487194234 · 08/08/2020 12:08

Yes lots of people will stay WFH at least partly
But if your company doesn't want that you will have to go back or resign

beachcitygirl · 08/08/2020 12:09

Clearly there are some businesses that need all or some employees in the office/shop but most have now realised that in these days wfh is doable and productivity has increased. Also there are massive savings for companies. Smaller or no office space. Lower heating/phone/WiFi bills all costs now being met at home by employers.
Any boss or owner or team leader who wants staff in an office "because" is a shit people manager. Utterly insecure shit. Unfortunately your boss sounds like that op. Go back & get looking for another job or go over her head to her boss with a reasoned business focused productivity based plan. X good luck