AIBU London weighting

[Ewe202]

My firm has said that anyone who wants to work from home will have to have a change of contract and will lose their London weighting. Everyone seems to think LW is just travel costs but I need LW to be able to afford my mortgage. Price of houses is mad enough and we only just managed to get on the ladder. If I lose my LW I’m worried we’ll struggle to renew next year and will never be able to move up the ladder. My health has massively improved with wfh and even my boss says my work has been great over the pandemic. But I simply can’t afford to lose the LW. AIBU to be annoyed at people who just see it as covering travel costs?? It’s more to do with property and living costs as a whole bunch surely???

And millions are there not for specific jobs but because of that - their links to family, communities, and support networks. They won't sell up and move just because of WFH.

Yep DH & I are Londoners, what keeps me here is family & community as we are 2nd gen immigrants. Otherwise I'd be off like a shot! What will do though is move further out. Maybe many parts of London will become less fashionable again like it was when my parents bought.

Of course OP should lose London Weighting if she isn’t working in London.

Employers pay LW to facilitate working in London offices. That’s it. WFH should mean no LW.

Let me reverse the situation for you.

I work in regional office of a firm, no LW. Colleagues doing the same job get 25% extra salary. I didn’t mind, I have shorter cheaper commute, cheaper house prices (still SE) and live near sea/countryside, seemed fair.

Now however, some colleagues with LW have chosen to move out of London during the pandemic. Some live further out of London than I do (and closer to my regional office) so cheaper house prices than my location. They have opted for WFH with 3-4 days per month in the office (approx 1hr 30 commute).

I have gone back to the office 5 days per week (10 min commute, I can’t afford a large enough house to have a separate workplace from my OH). I also am required to spend 3-4 days per month in London but travel paid for by work.

Do you still agree colleague should keep his LW? Gets paid 25% more than me for same job? People from the regional office are now applying for internal transfers to London office but with permanent wfh agreements to get the salary boost. I am unable to do this as I am on an 18 month promotion plan and would set myself back about a year. Definitely doesn’t feel fair to me!!!

Yabu London weighting is for working in London and if you choose to work from home you should loose it.

YABU.

If you are working from home your home could be anywhere, whey should your employer subsidise London living?

@user1471548941

Let me reverse the situation for you.

I work in regional office of a firm, no LW. Colleagues doing the same job get 25% extra salary. I didn’t mind, I have shorter cheaper commute, cheaper house prices (still SE) and live near sea/countryside, seemed fair.

Now however, some colleagues with LW have chosen to move out of London during the pandemic. Some live further out of London than I do (and closer to my regional office) so cheaper house prices than my location. They have opted for WFH with 3-4 days per month in the office (approx 1hr 30 commute).

I have gone back to the office 5 days per week (10 min commute, I can’t afford a large enough house to have a separate workplace from my OH). I also am required to spend 3-4 days per month in London but travel paid for by work.

Do you still agree colleague should keep his LW? Gets paid 25% more than me for same job? People from the regional office are now applying for internal transfers to London office but with permanent wfh agreements to get the salary boost. I am unable to do this as I am on an 18 month promotion plan and would set myself back about a year. Definitely doesn’t feel fair to me!!!

Excellent points, clearly put. I agree with this. Also added dimensions to think about.

Agree with above. You no longer MUST live in London for work so you lose LW. If you choose to stay there then fine but it is no longer related to a work requirement and is entirely your choice.

OP hasn't been back, probably because everyone disagrees. Waiting for thread to be taken down for being 'too outing'

So move house. Why should they pay you a premium to be near the office if you aren't working in the office? You could go somewhere cheaper and WFH there.

I think it's a fair rule. But I can see why you don't want it to be applied. I wonder if there will be a legal challenge. I expect so.

I agree OP, I took my job for a number of reasons but if it hadn't had London weighting it would have meant a big salary decrease from my previous role (to be clear I have lived in London for 15 years). It is simply the way businesses divide up salary (my previous workplace gave a car allowance for example). For those suggesting OP moves house, buying and selling is hugely expensive once you take into account SDLT, conveyancing, agents fees, move costs so I don't think this is very practical for a lot of people. Also I choose to live in London for a number of reasons and shouldn't have to leave simply because a pandemic means we are now more likely to work from home.

But the OP can still work from the office and get the London weighting. They haven’t said that everyone is losing it, just people who choose to wfh. It’s a choice.