To resign because my job suddenly requires me in 3 days a week?

[Earlyflash]

We got told on Friday that we would be required to do a minimum of three days a week in the office from monday.

I’m new at the company (4 months) and this was never mentioned in the recruitment phase. That said I didn’t push them for a written answer.

Given we’ve spent the last two years working 100% at home, this seems like a massive overreach, and I’m intending to tell them to do one.

It’s going to have such an impact on me, my partner, and my children (from previous relationship).

I already have interviews for fully remote roles.

So, AIBU for reacting to such a request?

[Winkle2020]

AIBU I hope mums here can help me out. I wanted to reach out for some support going through a massive stress at the moment. I have two children under 4 and working full time as a lab manager at oxford. I have been always working from office in my previous companies, however after my DD was born my postpartum recovery was bad and I was no longer interested to go for job. I still had to accept a job which involves 4 hours of travelling up and down to pay our bills, my husband cannot manage the finance alone. The job initially has accepted for flexible working but then later this year they have made just my role as full time office based rather everyone else has been given atleast a day of wfh
I have raised my difficulty in managing the young children and commuting to office every day in several feedback sessions. They have agreed for a 8 to 4 working hours but still I work even after coming home as the work pressure is more. To reach office by 8 I will have to leave home by 5.30 in the morning.
Another bothering issue is that, they have made me handle all the heavy deliveries despite me raising concerns on lifting heavy items. They receive 100s of parcels for lab on some days and still none would help me unless I go ask. I feel like I am being dumped with over work just because I am not saying no.
I have been attending interviews for a while now to find a hybrid model of working but none worked out yet. I am very stressed. I miss my lovely children and I want to spend more time with them. I have no one to express this.

[oblada]

It is wildly unreasonable to give so little notice and ask people back in the office.
Depending on the role it may be unreasonable to impose 3 days a week in the office.
By all means apply for fully remote roles and leave. Or wait a couple of months and a flexible working request to work from home or be in the office just one day or something.
They will be inundated by flexible working request. Seems badly handled all round.

[MrsWinters]

Personally I’d resign. I was offered a job during Covid which was WFH and then on my first day was told I would need to be in the office two days a week, so walked there and then.
I’m now in a fully remote role and couldn’t be happier.
Commuting takes time and money. I’m old enough now where I don’t need to do it.
It’s also a jobseekers market at the moment.
Bearing in mind they’ve had other job offers refused, I would tell them that you are not prepared to go into the office, it isn’t part of your contract and wasn’t discussed at interview; and then resign if they insist.
Companies will still get the message if we all vote with our feet

[Womencanlift]

I am in London and was out with an estate agent friend last night. She said she has never been so busy and it’s people looking to rent again as they moved out of London during lockdown thinking they could have a new life outside the city and now they need to come back as their offices are no reopening and the commute is too much

[LoopyGremlin]

I wonder if the soaring energy prices may change the preference of many to wfh? I’d much rather be sitting in a nice warm office where my employer pays the bills rather than my own house where heating it for an extra 40 hours a week would be costly.

[OLP2019]

@jonsnowisaloser "What's happened is people have finally wizened up and realised that spending their life and money on pointless commuting isn't the way to go. Good for them.

It's not "until covid" anymore. Things have changed, in many cases for the better and long may it continue."

I have several staff who have made life changing decisions about where they live / moving to the absolute sticks basing their decision after 1 year of working from home - now we're asking them to come into office - flexi time mind you as we realize we can't go back to the way it was full time in the office - they don't want too / can't do the commute it's now too far etc .. just blows my mind that so many made serious life decisions after only one year of wfh and then expect to have the same job when they say they can't or won't come to the office - EVER !! Not even a few days - as an employer it's really hard as you see the benefits of having the team together at least some times but also understand the world has changed and there is a need to be flexible- but employees also need to be flexible

[OLP2019]

@espressofthemundane "I don’t think covid is an issue here.

If you want to work exclusively from home and can find a job with those terms, you should. You are not a slave, your present employer doesn’t own you. If you can do better, walk away."

Pre covid very few jobs offered a wfh option ! Now companies want to return to the office it's being treated as an unreasonable request

[LyricalBlowToTheJaw]

A lot depends on the employees in question. There are some employers who are in an adapt or lack sufficient qualified staff situation, and some who aren't. Obviously the former have much more motivation to change than the latter.

So there are really significant differences on what employees are being offered, depending on how needed their skills are. And notwithstanding that there's always going to be some employers so stubborn or daft that they genuinely will choose extinction over change.

[DGRossetti]

@LyricalBlowToTheJaw

It's a useful point about the impact the pandemic has had on childcare. Too many people have been responding without taking into account that actually, it simply isn't possible for all working parents to recommence using the childcare they had in February 2020 because it doesn't all exist now. This obviously has a wider societal impact.

All of which may - or may not - be true.

Now go and find anyone at that level who can do anything that gives a shit. Bearing in mind the majority of management only grudgingly cares about it's workers and even then only when the damp sponge of legislation requires them to.

There was the same issue on the house prices thread. Everyone agreeing, but nothing will happen. Not until you elect people whose election relies on them caring. Which hasn't happened in my lifetime.

[ArchibaldsDaddy]

We all knew (or should have known) that the permanent WFH was going to end at some point.

Three days a week is probably a decent compromise for hybrid working.

But if it doesn’t work for you, then resign…but don’t blame them for re-establishing a new normalcy.

[LyricalBlowToTheJaw]

If it doesn’t all exist now surely that must primarily be because many parents decided they could save money by managing without whilst WFH?

Unlikely. There are multiple causes, most of which were not the decisions of individual parents, and also there's been a general downward trend in the number of childcare providers over the last 1 years or so, so the pandemic happened in that context too.

For a start, lots of parents were furloughed, not necessarily by choice, so obviously their decisions couldn't have been affected by WFH as they weren't doing it. And during the first lockdown, most simply weren't allowed to use their usual providers. If you weren't on the keyworker list, there was a period where your provider likely couldn't take you. This saw some off. There used to be 3 CMs do pick up and drop off at our school, now there are 2. One of them chose, understandably, to pack it in around summer 2020 and take a PAYE role because being self-employed during the pandemic was too shit and risky. Ours is an area with much lower WFH rates than average, incidentally.

Then some parents relied on wraparound provision at schools, which isn't necessarily still there now for reasons of staffing, covid or both. School wraparound care isn't necessarily something that's responsive to parental demand: obviously if parents don't want provision and don't use it then it isn't going to exist, but it doesn't work the other way round. Parents wanting it doesn't make it happen.

Although even if it were true that parental choice while wfh was the primary driver of the changes in the childcare sector, that wouldn't really affect the point now, would it? The childcare provision that did exist in Feb 2020 and that doesn't now hasn't all been mothballed. It can't simply be brought back. Thus, we have a societal issue.

[PinkTonic]

@LyricalBlowToTheJaw

It's a useful point about the impact the pandemic has had on childcare. Too many people have been responding without taking into account that actually, it simply isn't possible for all working parents to recommence using the childcare they had in February 2020 because it doesn't all exist now. This obviously has a wider societal impact.

If it doesn’t all exist now surely that must primarily be because many parents decided they could save money by managing without whilst WFH?

[LyricalBlowToTheJaw]

It's a useful point about the impact the pandemic has had on childcare. Too many people have been responding without taking into account that actually, it simply isn't possible for all working parents to recommence using the childcare they had in February 2020 because it doesn't all exist now. This obviously has a wider societal impact.

[Starseeking]

In January 2020, I had a DP, 2DC under 4 who attended nursery/pre-school 7.30am-6pm as both DP and I had jobs in the City (1 hour commute), which required us in the office 5 days a week. We juggled pick up and drop off between us, as it was tight getting back for 6pm.

In January 2022, relationship has been a covid casualty so I now have no DP, the 2DC under 4 are now under 6 and attending school, so attend breakfast club (opens at 8am), and I usually collect them at 5.15pm from after school club, although it opens until 6pm.

WfH has meant I've been able to do pick-ups and drop-offs myself, and have spent significant amounts of time with my DC during what has been a difficult time for everyone.

My employer wants us to go back to the office 3-5 days per week. While it's not unreasonable for them to require that, it means I'm now looking for a more local job which requests a maximum of 1-2 days a week in the office so I can work it around my DC. I expect there will be many employees in a similar position to me.

You're not unreasonable at all in resigning for something which allows you to WfH, particularly given the short notice. Good luck with the interviews for fully remote roles!

[Wexone]

defo agree the notice period is terrible you need to go back and talk to your boss about what was discussed at your interview. I agree that some jobs can not be done at home but for those that can be and have been done at home for the past two years shouldn't have to be forced back into the office. for me wfh has been an eye opener. office is based in the centre of Dublin. my commute is an hour drives away depending on traffic ( before people jump on me I chose this job as it pays 20k more than if worked for a company nearer to home something that is quiet common here in Ireland) I now realise what it's like to sleep tull 7am instead of rushing to hit the motorway before traffic at half 5 in morning. constantly watching the clock in afternoon so could get my work done and hit the road before traffic. taking a day Holidays so could go to the docs. I am now not half asleep on the sofa at 8pm. am eating better and also have time for exercise and a life at the weekend. I am still doing the same hours and work load in my job. my boss sat across for me I have actually spoken to him more times in the past two years then before as he was never at his desk. we have been told there is a hybrid policy but don't know yet am hoping only one day a week if at all. and yes if they don't provide one will be looking for a new job. we have 50 vacancies open at the mo and are struggling to fill them. have had 10 agencies ring me this week and i have asked them not about salary but about working from home. so I am sorry its here to stay

[Sventon]

Check your contract. If your place of work is the office address there is no question that your employment is based at the office. If you decide not to go into the office when they request you to then you will be in breach of contract.
Breach of contract will lead to Disciplinary and most likely dismissal.
You have no employment rights until 2 years of service and as you say you have only worked there for 4 months you will have no claims (no discrimination mentioned in the post).
Also, childcare is a matter for you and your partner, it has nothing to do with your employment.
If you choose not to go back into the office, that’s your choice but be prepared for the company not to be happy about it.
If your contract states your home as your work address, then they can’t make you go in.

[Happyher]

If you really want to work from home then it’s perfectly reasonable to apply for other jobs where you can. Also if your present employer only allowed working from home due to pandemic then it’s not unreasonable for them to ask employees to work from their office accommodation for a number of days

[DonaPatrizia]

You can resign for any reason you choose. You just need to think about whether you can do without the income, will you get another job easily that will allow you to WFH as you wish and do you think it will be a black mark on your CV or harm your career? You’re not going to impress any future employer with your commitment or ambition but if that’s not your priority in life then fine!

[gorseinon28]

I do think telling people on a Friday about something significant changing on a Monday is unreasonable. Smacks of cowardly management, designed to minimise the chance to object.

[Jambo93]

You are absolutely not being unreasonable. Since COVID I have also been working from home. At the drop of a hat, we made sure our work could carry on with minimal disruption to services and customers. So there needs to be some give and take imo if they want people to start going back to the office. Perhaps a phased return. You need more notice than being told on a Friday that you need to go in 3 days next week. Also, if you haven’t successfully managed to work for 2 years(!) during covid from home, what is the business reason for asking employees to go back 3 days a week?! Who is the business manager and what are they thinking. If productivity has remained the same, where is the logic of forcing employees back to the office. Costing office space, electricity, heating etc. and those costs are going up. Honestly, it is shocking business sense.

My work i pop in for 4 hours once a week. We sometimes have team meetings via zoom and sometimes we pop in for face to face. We have saved so much for our company by not going in. There are plans to rent out meeting/office space. Our company carbon footprint is ahead of target.
So in essence, you are not being unreasonable. My union is also doing a n accommodation review and looking to change our contracts permanently to 60:40 split towards wfh
I hope your company comes to its senses!! Otherwise they will lose the valuable staff that kept it running during covid! The people juggling home schooling and work and STILL hit their targets! Argh! Good, loyal employees are assets…your employer should invest in you.

[DGRossetti]

@hariborabbit

Sorry *@dgeossetti* I genuinely don't understand your reply

I think I'm getting the message that you don't much like the government though.

It's not really a question of liking or not liking. It's all we've got, and all we will ever have.

I wasn't really asking a question. Merely highlighting that if we are in the midst of a climate catastrophe. And if our (or any other) government is serious about tackling it, then number one on any list of action plans would be to know what costs what in terms of emissions. Something conspicuous by it's absence with our current government.

Working back through the logic, if we accept there is a climate catastrophe (which I do) then it's schoolboy QED to deduce that the government isn't serious about it.

[hariborabbit]

Ooops sorry @dgrossetti

[hariborabbit]

Sorry @dgeossetti I genuinely don't understand your reply

I think I'm getting the message that you don't much like the government though.

[DGRossetti]

Is WFH definitely better for the environment?

Let's put it this way: If it was, would the UK government know ? Why, it's almost like it's a complete load of bollocks.

Everyone heating their own individual houses every day

it would take that times a million to offset Liz Truss' jaunt to Australia in an empty jet airliner.

rather than meeting at a communal workspace?

You misspelled "commuting" ...

[hariborabbit]

Is WFH definitely better for the environment? Everyone heating their own individual houses every day rather than meeting at a communal workspace?

I don't know the answer, just a question really.