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.

To me YABU
I have had to go into work since lockdown began.
I'm sure it's very nice being at home but things have to start getting back to normal at some point.

So because you've not been allowed the rest we need to suck it up and go back to the office so we can all be like you?

in many areas wfh has been helpful, in my previous project we hit milestones during wfh that we had never hit before, would this have happened if we were in an office? maybe, but it proofs that we can do our work without the need of being in an office.

Back to normal, maybe we should all get used to a new normal, getting some good things precovid and some good ones from covid era, and I really hope companies realise that there are benefits in wfh for those roles where it's possible to be done.

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
Bosses tend to be funny about that kind of thing. I think that's why it's called work. If we could do what just we wanted, it would be called play!

Fine - but do the "bosses" (bit antiquated in itself) also rush round checking that you've left the office at 5pm sharp?

It is odd how some people are so weird about getting to work on time

Our office is dragging everyone back in kicking and screaming, not sure why. Teams works amazingly and the jobs are not customer facing (mostly we deal with people abroad!). I appreciate presenteeism is still a thing, and sometimes being in one room is far better - but now we know WFH is a success, 5 full days just feels unnecessary.

Pre covid all you saw in the news was doom and gloom about the environment. Now, the chance of a major lifestyle overhaul has naturally arisen which will help pollution levels and waste culture - and we're being told we must continue the old way.

I agree with those PPs asking why. What's wrong with people achieving a better work-life balance? Housing costs a bomb, traffic is increasingly shit and often two parents need to work. The rat race is hard. Employers could make compromises that shore up goodwill and loyalty within the staff - assuming it genuinely has no impact on productivity, I can't understand why they wouldn't.

@Staplemaple I guess it depends what job you're in. My job is very fixed hours, I can't be late and I can't take 32 minutes for lunch!. However I never work past my finish time, so swings and roundabouts whereas some jobs might be more relaxed

That's what I mean @QueenCT, I've never worked anywhere where people just stroll in late or don't expect to be sat at their desk in time, but apparently this makes the manager unreasonable, so weird.

"presenteeism" is the biggest issue with British working culture. Hours worked does not equate productivity.

I work for a company which recognises this thankfully, I've had days where I've got more done in 6 hours than I have on other days full of meetings but I've been "clocked on" for 10 hours.

I hate this movement towards monitoring apps, 9/10 they can be cheated anyway and they generate a distrust and a lack of real motivation and drive

@Sarah510 'so much more time to myself to do the things I love' - is how you described wfh on a previous thread you started on MN.

I think some managers are just showing how shit they actually are. If you are struggling to manage your team just simply because you can't see them physically, you're a bad manager. That's the only thing that has changed, you can still communicate with them, can still check their work if needed etc. You just can't see them. Dunno how that's so difficult for people to handle to be honest.

I've liked working from home and if I can, I won't be going back in ever again. I catch a lot less illnesses not being in the office, getting more done, I'm less tired, feeling a lot better mentally and physically. It works well for everyone. And the argument about those who don't work needing watched, they need watched in the office too and they aren't. Again what's the difference? Shite management in the office, shite outside of it.

OP, I lost my job in March when my sector was blown apart by lockdown. I fall between all the gaps, too, so can't claim benefits or any other support.

Try that one for size.

I'd not be moaning about not being allowed to carry on WFH, if I were you.

@Staplemaple me neither but my jobs have all been fairly fixed so stuff like customer service, pubs, retail, motor industry
In my current place if you are late twice (excluding obviously something like a massive motorway accident where everyone is late!) you lose all your bonus. And that's if it's 5 mins late or an hour

You do what the team leader or person who pays your wages says surely? Otherwise it’s a free for all for everyone to do exactly what they want, and the boss gets no say but all the risk. Times are going to be hard, be pleased you have a job still. Have we really come to the place that the boss isn’t the boss anymore. This is exactly why we downsized our business a few years ago, we could still get bigger again if we wished, but I wouldn’t purely because of this. Far less stress.

I feel you OP. My boss tried to circumvent the company policy on WFH because we are in a different building she thought she could force us back but I notified HR and the shut her down. She's not happy as she hates working from home but too bad so sad!

If productivity is the same or increased, why on earth drive people back into offices

It's a very fair point, but so is the one that folk enjoying WFH will always insist they're "much more productive"

Sometimes that'll be so and sometimes it won't, and working out which it is and who's required to do what is about managing - something which we're always assured is needed, except when it doesn't suit and the manager's instantly deemed unreasonable, old fashioned and all the rest

Best, perhaps, to remember we can't always have exactly what we want exactly as we want it, and that in these difficult times there'll often be someone else who'll want the job

Everyone I know is wfh now, but did so prior to lockdown or had the option to and wasn't using it. Everyone is much more productive now. Dad runs 3 departments in 3 different countries and is 60 this year so enjoying the downtime of not travelling constantly week in and week out. As he manages the others remotely when not onsite, this isn't a problem for him. DB also fields international calls and works odd hours so would leave for the office at 3am and had to live in central London so this is a welcome change now as he can put his quality of life first and quite frankly it's ridiculous going in given he works remotely in the office as his team leader and team are all not in the UK and dotted in every time zone.

Honestly feel the resentment comes from crappy managers and those whose job doesnt allow them to work from home. Not all of my job can be done at home but in the UK all of it is. Site visits are usually abroad and those have been suspended for at least a year.

Try resch a compromise with your TL OP

I really think if you want to work from home, you need to look for a job where specifically working from home is an option. The job you have now, the normal is in the office, with the rest of the team, and offices do need to get back to normal when possible. A rota is a good compromise in the meantime.

With so many people looking for jobs right now, pissing off my manager would be the last thing on my mind. If I was your manager I would be pointing this out and suggesting you leave if you don't like it and to enjoy being unemployed. She will replace you in a heartbeat.

@KeepingPlain

I think some managers are just showing how shit they actually are. If you are struggling to manage your team just simply because you can't see them physically, you're a bad manager. That's the only thing that has changed, you can still communicate with them, can still check their work if needed etc. You just can't see them. Dunno how that's so difficult for people to handle to be honest.

I've liked working from home and if I can, I won't be going back in ever again. I catch a lot less illnesses not being in the office, getting more done, I'm less tired, feeling a lot better mentally and physically. It works well for everyone. And the argument about those who don't work needing watched, they need watched in the office too and they aren't. Again what's the difference? Shite management in the office, shite outside of it.

I completely agree with all of this.

@Sarah510

You have been asked to return to the workplace as other people are and you say 'you don't want to' and yet your team leader is the one being unreasonable....... Ah I see.

The thing about working from home, is that you may not always be visible to your colleagues. This really depends on what sort of work you are doing.
It works better if your work is measurable without being in the office. For example, if you get through x number of items a day. Then it can be seen that the work is done.
If you are working on a project, with clearly defined measurable points, that can be seen. In other words, it is results driven.
Hoewever, quite often, work is not like that, one cannot easily see what has been achieved.
Some work is achieved by 'networking', which is not so easy at home.
Also, if your work is just as good from home, then it can also be outsourced to cheaper countries (India, Romania, etc).
Personally, I think a mix is best, of greater working from home on some days, and in the office other days.

@Sarah510 'so much more time to myself to do the things I love' - is how you described wfh on a previous thread you started on MN.

Maybe the TL is on MN's net and decided that OP is not as productive as she thinks she is... after reading the WFH bit above...

WFH is great and can work and compromise can be sorted for many jobs but not for others. If everyone else for the same employer doesn't work from home and TL or boss wants OP in and the job was in an office etc then OP is being unreasonable saying she doesn't want to ... I guess they could employ someone else.

There are so many people loosing their jobs and you seem to be moaning because you are being asked to do yours. Quit, there will be a long line waiting to take your job on

Just because others are loosing their jobs doesn’t mean you should just accept everything that is happening in your place of work if you are unhappy with it

You weren't happy working from home a few months ago. In fact you haven't been in this job very long and don't seem to have enjoyed it since you started.

In these difficult times I don't think challenging your manager's decisions sounds like a good idea, especially if there's any evidence that you're underemployed and the company has to look at cutting back.

@OverTheRainbow88

Just because others are loosing their jobs doesn’t mean you should just accept everything that is happening in your place of work if you are unhappy with it

Actually, I think that is what it means at the moment. Some people are absolutely desperate to work, so that they don't have to sell their houses and uproot their children from their schools. They will gladly take on whatever bits of crap come with a salaried job. Maybe not forever, but definitely for now.