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.

I never got a chance to work from home and had to go in to the office all the way through but I still think YANBU for thinking it’s unnecessary, it certainly sounds unnecessary.

Change to a job where you can wfh. Then your job can be given to someone who wants to work in the office. Or set up your own business and be your own boss then you can make the rules that workers need to adhere to.

YANBU OP. I was hoping this sort of thing wouldn't happen; if you've demonstrated how it can work in lockdown, why not.

If I was you I'd put a case together about what/how you've achieved effective WFH during lockdown, and try and reach a compromise where you might be in the office and at home.

Reading previous posting history is enlightening.......

I think I now understand that the office might be the best place.....

Companies that offer wfh as an option in future are going to be much more attractive to a lot of employees.

Companies insisting on office working will have to pay more to cover commuting costs too.
It’s going to be interesting watching the job market over the next few years.

@Timeforanotherusername

Reading previous posting history is enlightening.......

I think I now understand that the office might be the best place.....

I've just done that, too. Yes, there is a bit of a pattern!

Stalkers 😂😂

Timeforanotherusername started it.

Celan I wasn't 1st, but i am nosey

🤣🤣🤣 I’ll blame you both equally unless you teach me how 😁

Sorry, I haven't read the full thread. I made the point on another thread that two women who had worked successfully from home in jobs that pre date Covid have now been 'let go' because their jobs are being subcontracted and outsourced. The trouble is, if you can work from home without any bother, so can other, cheaper people. Jobs can be outsourced to workers living anywhere, even overseas.
it seems so easy to say WFH but I think this has future issues for employees.

you will have to go back to work- everybody will eventually

But the OP has been at work, @AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter, just not in the office!

If there is no difference in service delivery when staff are WFH, what is the advantage to the employer in dragging them back to the office, especially when the staff don't want to be there? I can't see any, tbh, but I can see loads of advantages to them WFH, not least cost savings in terms of running premises. My employer has also found a massive reduction in sickness absence, compared to the same period in previous years, while most staff are WFH.

This attitude smacks of control freakery and micro-managing imo. Some managers seem to be so insecure about their own positions and abilities that they need the physical presence of their staff to justify their own positions and salaries.

My son has just gone back 2 days a week. Out of about 35 workers, he was the only one who went back, the others saying they were not ready. The MD has gone on holiday, so plans have been put on hold, he has been in every day and therefore didn’t think it would be a problem for people. Fortunately they have a big building, so they can social distance.

Just read that you have only been in that job 8/9 months. Are you aware that you can be dismissed with one week's notice during the first two years?

You don't sound as if you have a very good work ethic.

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.

This ^

You need to go back to the office as your manager has asked you to. They pay your wages after all

YANBU to want to continue , for me there were many benefits to it ( and cost savings too) but at the end of the day, this is your work and their rules are the rules.
For those saying the manager is crap, you are all talking through your hat- you don't know what she brings to the table or the work that needs to be done. To be fair the OP sounds like a nightmare employee to. She can ask and put it in writing but to continue to badger the manager would get my goat.
Finally be careful what you wish for, if your job can be done at home , than it can easily be transferred to someone else in a different country who will do it twice as well at half the cost.

I would very much knock off at 5pm on the dot, and make sure I took my breaks, and if the work wasn't finished then it wasn't my responsibility (I didn't start out like this, but gradually came to realise that for this team leader being "present" was more important to her than deadlines

I know you go on to say you've upped your game at home but your previous behaviour could be the root of your problem. If you've been inflexible and half hearted then maybe your manager just doesn't trust you to work responsibly at home and hasn't had real visibilty of the 'new' you during lockdown. I'd keep up standards when you return, and prepare a case for wfh at least part time when the dust settles as others have suggested, and maybe by then your manager will be more agreeable if you're seen as a decent worker.

The thing is - how many hours a day do office workers spend chatting at the kettle, playing solitaire, ordering things online, basically 'putting in the hours'
None in my office, or very minimal.

Of course it everyone takes the piss, but many do. I think in a perfect world, managers would pick who they allow to WFH and who they don't on the basis of trust they've been able to build or not,but they can't because those who take the piss would cry that it is unfair and proving someone working from home is taking liberties they wouldn't in the office is difficult.

Ultimately, I can understand those commuting for over 1h desperate to work from home, but the others less. Yet ultimately, they chose to go for a job sn hour away, so why is it suddenly so bad to go back to what they chose in the first place?

@Sarah510

Quote "The problem is noone WFH admits they are using the time to do their house work, spending a bit if time in the garden, getting up late and log in at 10am. Everyone says they work even harder and longer hours.

Sadly, managers know that it's far from being the case. Some will be very diligent whilst others aren't. The problem is trying to manage a staff who you believe not to put their weight is much harder when they are at home than in the office.

I wouldn't be surprised if companies started to introduce software that checks how long you remain logged in, and every activity done. I bet when that happens, there'll be much fewer people as keen to work from home."

The thing is - how many hours a day do office workers spend chatting at the kettle, playing solitaire, ordering things online, basically 'putting in the hours'. So what if people can do a bit of housework, or put the dinner on - surely the end result is what's important??? Sitting staring at a screen when you've done all your work ? That will be the change. Office work per se is going to be phased out. It will be task based, rather than putting in the hours - unless you're on reception, or on phones for people actually present in front of you. Even that is going online, especially with Covid. We've had to move to email for all queries as there has been nobody physically in the office.

Fwiw well established wfh employers understand the need to wfh employees to have breaks. Mine encourages this. If something particularly stressful has happened we will be advised to switch off, get a cuppa and go into the garden or go for a walk. Likewise we're encouraged to join online coffee breaks with one another. We run our own diaries. Have flexibility to change days and hours and to take flexi. Must be why we're rated as an impressive organisation to work for.

If you've only been with the company a short time, it's difficult to demonstrate proven reliability and productivity in order to make a case for flexible working. As for those who are saying the OP is being asked to go in "for no reason", we really don't know what the manager's reasons are.

Companies that offer wfh as an option in future are going to be much more attractive to a lot of employees. Companies insisting on office working will have to pay more to cover commuting costs too. It’s going to be interesting watching the job market over the next few years. smile

Unless you are in a niche job that is in demand (in which case they have to woo you with good pay and perks now), it's going to largely be an employer's market for a while, with so many projected to be unemployed, they probably don't have to worry too much. And WFH salaries will likely reduce rather than those in the office increase to cover commuting costs. It'll be interesting to see how jobs which are fully wfh and no longer have to have a geographical anchor do, I'm sure plenty living in rural places will love to have a chance to access London jobs without moving; and also if anything gets outsourced.

The thing is - how many hours a day do office workers spend chatting at the kettle, playing solitaire, ordering things online, basically 'putting in the hours'. So what if people can do a bit of housework, or put the dinner on - surely the end result is what's important???

We get a weekly email from from the exec team, and last week, it included a bit reminding us to take regular breaks, because it's easy to just sit at your desk all day when you haven't got the distraction of colleagues to chat to. They stressed how important it is to refresh your brain and recommended going for a stroll every now and then, even if it's just round the garden for those who are lucky enough to have one.

It's funny really, because management used to be a bit anti home working, but they appear to have had a complete change of heart. Wfh has worked so well, I think most of the staff will be able to WFH as long as they want.

As someone who's always WFH/flexible/managed their own schedule here's the benefits to any doubters:

4 sick days taken in 15 years. Never pulled a sickie.
Often start at 7 or 8am and get a jump on the day. But yes, I get up from desk to stick laundry on, answer to the postie whatever.
Work solidly, not dragged into pointless meetings or distracted by colleagues chatting etc.
Often go for a swim or run in my lunch hour = happy, fit staff member
no commute means per hour work get more of my time
I've never missed a school play, assembly, teacher meet etc. which makes my life much easier/more balanced.

basically, having work/life balance means I'm happier and productive. I'm not as stressed. I'm a high performer at work. I go in for meetings as genuinely needed.

The only people who've ever had an issue with this are the poorer managers who are paranoid and suspicious or resent flex working but being a high performer ( ie bringing in the money for the business) has meant I've always been left to get on with it.

And one day when my kids are grown - I won't want to change this much, why would I? Being able to get up and have time to exercise or go out in the middle if the day is a gift.

Honestly, the idea of having to go into an office for set hours 5 times a week is just not attractive anymore - and not productive. No-one can really be productive in those circumstances.
Companies are figuring this out, doesn't matter how many beer fridges, free breakfasts or lunchtime yoga you have in your office things have moved on and many employees would rather have a WFH Wednesday than be fed at their desks by the company. And there's a reason they feed people at their desks... they work them like dogs.

'The thing is - how many hours a day do office workers spend chatting at the kettle, playing solitaire, ordering things online, basically 'putting in the hours'. So what if people can do a bit of housework, or put the dinner on - surely the end result is what's important???'

THIS is spades!