Leaving because not allowed to wfh

[bctf123]

background- i worked really well from home during lockdown and replying to emails immediately, always sat at my desk etc
as soon as i had made a few errors in my work, i was called back in on the pretext of needing an office environment to work well(around September)
i am the only one called in along with a young apprentice who needs to be on site. i am a bit of a pushover and lowest in the office chain and feel ive been singled out despite my contribution and role.
the manager has been really resistant to me wfh, including in the current lockdown and even on a part time basis, which i dont understand and which i dont want to argue as its a bit of a dog eat dog type of environment.

i am now thinking of leaving as i dont feel treated like an adult at all. the way im being treated feels petty and humiliating.
my motivation has fizzled out since being back in the office and i spend a lot of time watching tv instead of being productive.

aibu to want to leave? they have said they want me to stay but it feels like im being pushed by being singled out as if i need supervision

@Redwinestillfine

You are not being unreasonable and many employers will find staff voting with their feet if they won't be flexible. Working from home is not an automatic right, you need to be able to do the job from home to s good standard. If you can then they absolutely should not make you go in. Particularly if others are allowed to. Definitely look elsewhere if this is the case HOWEVER don't go until you have something else lined up and then tell them why in your exit interview. If you don't they will take longer to realise they need to move with the times.

How is the company not being flexible? How are they 'failing to move with the times'? They're hardly demonstrating a hidebound and outmoded attitude to the notion of an effective work environment if pretty much every other employee is being allowed to work from home. The OP isn't because, by her own admission, she makes mistakes, watches tv and goes on MN several times an hour as it is.

thanks for your advice and reading my post properly.
i do think i was doing an exceptional job at home and working really diligently, even compared to others and demonstrably as well.
i can see office working can have its benefits but at the same time i was wfh for 4 months without their complaining so i think there should have been some negotiating and a split between home and office which would be reasonable.
As it is even when i have a reasonable excuse to wfh, it is being slammed down. and excuses presented.
if they would be honest with me i could maybe see their pov

my productivity and attitude are not perfect but it is due to this stubbornness. The company would never have hired me if i was lazy or unprofessional by nature or advanced me

@bctf123

thanks, tbh yes i think this has often been the case in the past where i would respond to an unprofessional environment by leaving. i cant cope with politics, being watched going to the toilet etc. and end up being pushed by dominant colleagues

How old are you and how many jobs have you left?

my productivity and attitude are not perfect but it is due to this stubbornness

You know those are things you have some control over and can change if you so wish, rather than an unfortunate affliction you just have to live with, right?

You are maybe not suited to this company but keep your head down just now a job is a job, much easier to find a job if you already have one, so start applying elsewhere.

If I had a member of staff who had the brass neck to sit in the office watching tv like heck would I be agreeing to them working from home. You don't seem to understand that they had no choice but to let you wfh for those 4 months. Now they do. And you're pissing about so they don't want you doing it again.

Actions are speaking louder than words on both sides here.

It’s nice how you have a high opinion of yourself OP but your employer obviously takes a different view hence why you are back in the office. They are not going to straight up tell you that you’re a shit employee, they have to dress it up to an extent.

@bctf123

i am junior yes my response is childish as i feel pushed by the pettiness i agree its not professional

its not working in the office that is irksome. its being singled out despite others regarding whom complaints have been made carrying on wfh. i feel there is some favoritism
i think a new job would be a cleaner slate

I think you may find the reality is no job - unless you have one to go to. It's not a good time to leave – with unemployment rising fast. If you gave yourself x amount of time to really try and do the job the best you can you might find the job more rewarding, and you'd do it better.

@Donkeeey

tbh i used to make the same mistakes in the office before lockdown.

Before, you insinuated that the reason you made a mistake was because it was your bosses work that you were doing, so it wasn't really your fault! Now, you say that you made mistakes at home but it should be okay because you used to do the same in the office! . I think you should think yourself lucky you have a job at all. They seem to be very tolerant of you and have given you a chance by getting you to work in the office in the hope you may improve.

I think you should do your employer a favour and get a new job that you actually care enough about not to be so blasé about mistakes!

Crikey, you really don’t get it do you? You were making mistakes when in the office (and I assume were told there were mistakes), you carried on making the same mistakes at home ( but blamed it on your boss) and you are still doing the same now you’re recalled to the office but you spend your time watching tv because you can’t be bothered to work. I would say your time working with that organisation is very limited indeed. I would have asked you to leave long ago with your attitude.

@BlueBirdGreenFence

If I had a member of staff who had the brass neck to sit in the office watching tv like heck would I be agreeing to them working from home. You don't seem to understand that they had no choice but to let you wfh for those 4 months. Now they do. And you're pissing about so they don't want you doing it again.

Actions are speaking louder than words on both sides here.

Absolutely agree!

I was just wondering what type of work places have a TV in the office. People would get distracted surely, and obviously not have enough work to do, so better to find another place to work where you are busy all day.

I assumed she was watchuing on her phone or on the internet. I watch BBc enws in my lunch break and the colleague i mentioned upthread who is lazy and unmotivated watches films via a streaming service on her iphone. (I think that is what it is - she certainyl seems to watch alot of west Wing on it).

I would try and find something else. I felt resentful when a new role was made for someone in my old workplace, after no one had had a raise for years (apart from top managements of course). The new role seemed to be to monitor everyone else (who did the real work) and force us all to fill in time sheets. It felt like we weren't trusted, and after years of no pay rises it totally changed my attitude from always putting work first and doing unpaid overtime willingly to doing the bare minimum.

Some of the things you say give away exactly why there is an issue - you say “get away with working from home”. It’s not a case of getting away with something.

You’ve said you’ve been HR’d before - not entirely sure what this means, but I assume a performance review type situation. The thing is that you is obviously can’t see the issues so don’t think you are in the right environment to be honest.

Ridiculous responses on here - someone’s going to come along and accuse you of stealing in a minute - for getting paid whilst watching TV!

Of course micro management will result in a drop in responsibility - and is not a proportionate response to a few minor errors. Everybody makes mistakes, and being singled out isn’t appropriate.

Have you told your boss how you feel OP? If you are going to leave anyway, then you might as well.

OP jobs are pretty thin on the ground. Whole industries are dead, hospitality, entertainments, events, theatre, music and all the people working within are fucked. They will all be job hunting too and after your job. Your bosses will be all too aware that they can replace anyone in their workforce that they are not 100% happy with, and probably for less money.

It's hard to know exactly what going on with your workplace but if I were you, I'd turn the telly off and crack on with my work. If your feeling demotivated talk to your boss about it being a bit lonely working in the office, could they come in one a day a week. Could someone else come in another day? Stop bitching about not being able to wfh and make yourself indispensable.

Op. you are ignoring the questions people are trying to ask you.

How old are you?

Why are you watching TV and using the internet for your own ends during work time?

Would you say someone watching TV when they are meant to be working unprofessional?

I think this might be a first role.

At my previous company you always needed to prove you could be trusted to wfh. Not use it as free childcare, chance to catch up on the soaps or log in and then never be found when there is an issue. We had someone who I worked with. Lets call him Richard... middle manager like me. We had clients who called and emailed during the working day. He was never around and certainly never at his desk. If you did manage to catch up on his mobile he was clearly out and about. Doing what no one really knew. He picked up emails after hours and by then the query/issue had been answered (but of course he knew that!) He thought no one noticed. We all did and a formal complaint was made about the way he worked so he did try and be more available. I left shortly after but honestly....

Your attitude sucks. Try and get another role but dont burn your bridges with regard to a reference. Its a war zone out there. Lots of supermarket type roles, with shifts and no where to hide.

What sort of example are you setting the apprentice? Casual attitude, failure to take responsibility for or learn from mistakes, watching tv in company time. Wfh is not a right. Maybe others have stronger reasons to be able to wfh, or are simply more conscientious.

noones business
imfed up
ive said it is

no ive had other jobs and i know a professional env.

i did prove myself if you bothered to read my post. one mistake is not unproving yourself

everyone has made clear they will not be coming in

its not working in the office that is irksome. its being singled out despite others regarding whom complaints have been made carrying on wfh. i feel there is some favoritism
i think a new job would be a cleaner slate

That's up to you, but as others have said, unless you have very in demand skills and are very confident of getting another job, you'd be nuts to leave a secure job in the present work environment.

As for the rest of what you're saying, I don't think you can ask strangers on MN for advice regarding your subjective opinions of your workplace. You'll have to make those decisions for yourself.

@MLMsuperfan

I'm pretty sure that browsing the web at work isn't gross misconduct. Gross misconduct is like stealing things or punching someone.

And you would be wrong in that assumption. You are paid to work. If you do something that is not work, at the very least, that is theft of time and money. Depending on what you do, there may be more grease to the wheel. So, for example, slagging off your employer, your manager and your colleagues would most certainly get you fired in many places. Not all employers might view it that seriously the first time they caught you, but I can assure you that if they caught you and were looking for an excuse, the OP handed them one on a platter.

youre right. i have little in the way of family so this is where i ask for opions

And you would be wrong in that assumption. You are paid to work. If you do something that is not work, at the very least, that is theft of time and money.

This isn’t true for all employers. My company has a “fair use” policy for internet use which lets employees browse the internet from time to time.

Also think you saying that any time you’re not working = theft of time and money. No one can be productive for every minute of every day. What about loo breaks? Are they theft too?

This isn’t true for all employers. My company has a “fair use” policy for internet use which lets employees browse the internet from time to time

We have this.