A WFH one

[Werk]

I can't tell if I am being harsh or not.
I am in the privileged position of being able to walk to work and I earn a reasonable (ish) salary.
I work in a team of 5 solicitors with 3 support staff. We all do similar jobs and are considered key workers. 3 of my team elected to WFH completely but the nature of the job means some of the work has to be done in the office and they can only WFH if others go in.
The 3 support staff WFH during the first lockdown and I was the only one going in (because I could get there without relying on public transport). This meant I ended up doing a lot of admin work which was fine at the time because I felt it was all about us pulling together etc. I also prefer working in the office too.

Once June rolled around and things got busier I told everyone that I couldn't cope with all of their admin work too. I am PT, they are all FT. So one of the support staff said she would come in one day a week (my day off) but that she wanted to drive. Fair enough. I lived close enough that I could get her a visitor permit to enable her to park close to the office. We agreed that I would get her a permit and she would pay me back - it is £5.50 a day. She would usually give me £5 but the payments have now become sporadic and she hasn't paid for the last 3 weeks.

One of my team also comes in every now and again - he cycles so he came in frequently in August/ September but less so now. Work is building up again.

One of the support staff is CEV and so she is going to remain at home for the foreseeable and the other has just gone on maternity leave (and we have no additional cover but that is another story).

Each time the support staff member came in she did everything for the other 4 and not me - because I could come into the office. This meant I had to do all my own bundles etc. A couple of times I asked her to come in on additional days to help me and I paid for her parking on those days (even though she would also do work for the others on those days too). The other team members have never contributed to parking costs.

However, I moved last week and I am now in a different CPZ - I can still walk to work but it takes about 25 minutes (which is fine for me). I only really knew about moving 2 weeks ago and so I told her that I wouldn't be able to get any more visitor permits, she could park near where I live now (and it would only be £2 a day) but she doesn't want to walk that far.

The car park next to work is £10 a day or we can get permits from work which are £500 a year (it gets deducted from your pay).

She has said she can no longer afford to come to work - she has sent an email to us all and copied in our main boss. She has laid it on that she is a single mother and cannot be expected to lose £500 from her wages (based on the fact it would work out about £10 a week to keep doing what she is doing).

AIBU? She used to get the bus to work 5 days a week which would have been £3 a day/ £15 a week anyway?

Her three kids are in their 20's and all in FT employment (supermarkets so not furloughed) - I do suspect they financially abuse her though (and they very much expect her to do everything for them).

I can see that she may be aggrieved that all the coming into the office out of the support staff has fallen on her (believe me, I get it!) but I don't see how she can refuse, especially on that basis?

She is not being asked to come in every day, just to maintain the one day a week and perhaps one additional day a month.

Our offices are Covid secure - we all work in different rooms and because the rest of the office is closed we have about 15 toilets and 3 kitchens between 3 of us if we all come in. She has not expressed concern about safety - just the parking costs. Her suggestion is that work pays for her parking permit (although I am not sure she realises she would be taxed on it). One of my colleagues (one that has chosen to WFH) has suggested we pay £100 each (I am PT and still do most of my own admin anyway!!)
She earns £32k a year.

AIBU - she should still come in one day a week and pay for parking if she wants to drive? Second AIBU - I do not want to contribute to her permit.

I would say she can take the bus one day a week.

I think you write to the others and say she hasn’t actually been doing any of your work and you have been paying her parking permit until now ( call it 3 pound a day) so effectively they owe you a fifth each for that and you’ll start contributing again once that’s run out so they each pay a quarter just now.

I am also lucky enough to WFH most of the time but again admin needs to be done one day a week which we rotate. To be frank if i was the boss and was copied in on that email i would be saying everyone back in on their scheduled days. The boss has been flexible with the team but when they want that returned roll on the waterworks. You may find her attitude has now ruined it for everyone else as myself as a manager wouldn't stand for that! Good luck

I don’t think that you should have to pay anything towards her parking. It would be up to your work as a discretion to pay for her parking but in all honesty I didn’t think working from home was exactly a “right” but a work from home if you can and obviously she can’t always work from home so she does need to go in. If she’s only coming in once a week then she’s saving on her bus fare anyway.

I would tell her to get to work as required or face the sack. She doesn't get to choose whether to goes to work or not. Has everyone lost their minds?

So what would she have done if covid hadn't arrived? She wouldn't have an excuse then. She is not a single mother if her kids are adults and work full time!!
I think you need to talk to the others, she is taking the piss and she owes you money!

Let your manager deal with it but pipe up if the solution affects you in terms of working more in the office, more admin or parking costs. Your colleague is very cheeky and entitled.
I wouldn't be getting involved in buying her daily parking permits either, this is for her to sort out.

I would not be paying anything towards her parking. I would've stopped arranging her visitor permits when she became unreliable at paying me in full. I would leave this to the boss to sort out, but I would make sure they have the facts (e.g. that more admin support is needed in the office). This is definitely not your problem to actually resolve.

Who is in charge? They need to tell her to come in if she needs to be in the office. Its not optional, if she feels like it. Its her job!

If I was still in my old job (same company), I would be going in 3 days one week and 2 days the next. It would be annoying paying a full train pass when I wouldn't need it but it would be my job. That I'm getting paid for.

I don't see how she can use the single parent line when her children are adults. Any widowed pensioners would be single patents then.

She's being a massive cheeky fucker. If you're asked to go to work, you go to work! Stop helping her and tell her she does her job or gets a formal warning

I’m quite blown away by this. It’s only Monday morning but she wins my CF of the week award. Of course she can afford to work; she can pay for the permit out of her salary. How and why should other pay for her permit?! As someone else asked -who is in charge. As her line manager l would insist in her returning to office, on days and times that suit the business.

No one makes her work there. There are lots of other people who would love to do this job lm sure.

COVID has really brought out the CF behaviour and mememe in people hasn’t it

You were never responsible for her transport and parking, but you went over and above to help her out.

I’d contact your line manager directly and copy in HR. Explain what you have here. State the case that’s it’s an operational requirement for the employee to come into work and request that HR get in touch with her to explain the terms and conditions of her employment.

She is being ridiculous. Someone senior (is that you?) needs to take control of this situation.

Who is responsible for resourcing?

If it’s you, or partly you, you’ve been much too accommodating thus far! And need to set up revised arrangements.

If not you, outline your concerns about resourcing and ideas to resolve them to whoever IS responsible!

What?! She 'can no longer afford to come to work'? I'd be asking her to confirm if that was a letter of resignation! She's a massive CF, especially if she's not been paying you for the parking permit you got for her. She can do what she wants to get to the office one day a week, whether she cycles, takes the bus or drives. She does realise she is being PAID for work, this is not some favour she's bestowing upon the office?

I am not in charge of staffing - out of the 5 solicitors I am the most junior.
Support staff are managed by our office manager (who was also on the email).
The main boss replied saying that she needs to come in as and when business requires and that is to be determined by the 5 people she works for.

She replied that having to pay for her travel when others do not is tantamount to a pay cut (as CEV colleague is paid the same but WFH) and she loses 1.5hrs a day of her time commuting.

Separate email thread between the 5 of us - someone is saying they want her back in 5 days a week as that would make life easier for them all and the WFH thing has "muddied the waters". No mention of them coming back themselves though - bunch of hypocrites.

I have kept out of it so far. I think I have created a monster!

I think you just need to stay out of it and let her line manager deal with it. Email her line manager yourself and outline the impact her not coming into the office has on your workload, then wait and see what happens.

The resourcing issue has been going on for a while. We have known for months that one support staff member was going off on maternity leave - she WFH too as she was pregnant- but no one seemed to be bothered/ work out that we would be down a team member.

I partly blame the 4 men I work with. They expect things just to "happen" - like they all decided to WFH and it was for someone else to sort out how the things that have to be done in the office are done. They knew we would be short staffed from this month but it was only me who put any pressure on our management team - I am the most junior and so I don't have so much clout. They have rallied round and found us someone from another team part time for 6 months starting in January but only once my more senior colleague got involved.

During Covid management have basically disappeared. I have spoken to my main boss once and that was when I was on my knees - homeschooling one and looking after a toddler whilst trying to work plus dealing with requests to do things in the office - none of my colleagues (all men with either no or grown up children) helped me at all, just took.

I can kind of see why she is annoyed. She is the only one out of 8 being required to go into the office (although we do different jobs) but I think coming at it from a money point of view is wrong? Also, I feel bad for starting the whole parking permit thing in the first place.

Her argument about the unfairness of having to pay commuting costs while others don't is ridiculous. Time and again people are reminded that you cannot judge your remuneration package against others, only against your own worth.

In normal times you can walk to work, she can't.... was she complaining about the unfairness then? We accept or decline job offers after reviewing all associated costs. She took on that job understanding that there was a cost attached to her commute, whether that's a train ticket or petrol and parking. That cost has not increased for her. The fact that it has decreased for someone else is irrelevant.

I think this is for the office manager to resolve.
I'd email OM to say you've not been receiving admin support which you've tolerated for 6 months, but feel the support resource now needs reviewing. You need x number of admin hours support each week. Can she/he confirm the admin support arrangements going forward.
Do not agree to contribute towards anyone's travel or parking costs.

Surely when she used to work full time she would have paid more in bus fare anyway, so she’s saved that this far, and for one day a week, the car park can’t be as much or would even out?

The issue here is clear - I bet you she’s been at the company for donkeys years and although not senior in position, has by longevity gained seniority in her head, and no one wants to rock the boat. The men have stayed out of it, and as you are the most junior, and a woman (I’m guessing younger as well), she is not going to take orders from you.

Go back to the line manager and say this isn’t working, you need equal support so either hire someone else who can do the job, or woman up and tell her that the admin needs to come in - parking or payment there of is not your problem. She sounds well paid for what she (doesn’t) do.

I agree with the others who have said get in touch with the office manager and tell her you need admin support and have not been receiving it on a regular basis and what’s the plan going forward as the current situation is not sustainable.

Unless the bus no longer runs the admin person can still get it. If needs be. Using a car/bike/lift from her husband or whatever is her choice. She managed before. She needs to get on with the job she’s paid £32k to do.

We should wfh as much as possible but if the work needs done by someone or more than one person attending in person so be it.

You may find the colleague gets so pissed off with the office manager for telling her to come in that she looks for another job she can fully wfh in, and eventually leaves. However lots of people are applying for one job these days so she won’t be away tomorrow. And it would be her choice.

You’ve tried to be nice and she’s ripped the arse out of the deal. Ungrateful cheeky git that she is.

I am confused why you paid her parking charges for her to come to work. Are you contracted this way? In which case these would be business cost you invoice the company, right?

Commuting cost are sadly part of working, and for people with children, childcare cost too. We all have to make trade offs and decide what work we can take/do given these cost.

I would let HR deal with it and not pay for her commuting charges unless this is a contractual clause (but then it would be an expense you should get back).

Depends what’s in her contract but I would say that she is expected to be able to commit to what she agreed her terms were when she accepted the job and commute or travel costs are her concern, not her employer’s.

I started getting the permits as I was desperate for help.