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?

I think a year from now working from home will be a dim and distant memory for most

Not sure about that tbh.
DH company is clear that no one will ever come back full time for example (manufacturing)
Banks have sold their offices so again, not going to happen.

And people have had a taste of wfh and knowing it can work, will be looking for job like this. The job market is more in favour of employees than employers atm so it will be in the companies benefit to offer some flexibility there.

Having said that I agree that we will be far from some Mn threads a few months ago where people were clamouring everyone will still work from home and companies can’t take it away now….
We will get a mix in the organisations, who wfh only, part time or only in the office.

Don't people need childcare whether you wfh or not?

This 🖕🏻🖕🏻

YANBU to leave a job which doesn't suit you. But I don't know if wfh all week is what will happen going forward.

The danger of jobs becoming completely remote is that they can be done by anyone anywhere, So someone who lives in the SE expects a decent salary to pay for an expensive mortgage. However someone in Hull or Blackpool may agree to do the job for much less.

Then of course the jobs can be outsourced to cheaper countries like Poland/India.

There's a danger that going forward these jobs may not be available and if they are then on a reduced salary.

I had an email from my bank recently about shorter working hours keeping me safe. wtf.

@DaisyMum40 sorry but no.

Very simply because if your commute is 1 hour each way, your childcare requirements are completely different than wo it.

@LeafPrintWrapDressMum

I can't believe so many people want to go back to the dark ages. Spending so long commuting, killing the planet with pollution, eating boxed sandwiches, kids in endless after school clubs, train overcrowding, rail replacement services. Working parents barely seeing their kids. Now I have never been able to work from home apart from in exceptional circumstances. I would never begrudge anyone the chance of a better quality of life just because I once heard a dog bark when I was on the phone to British Gas! I don't see any difference to work output from an employee playing with a child for half an hour when they get home from school and making up the time later and the same employee having a coffee break with a colleague for half an hour. Personally my colleagues who are WFH respond just as quickly and efficiently as others in the building. Vote with your feet OP

The dog barking didn't bother me, the variation in bill from them owing me thousands to me owing them thousands did annoy and worry me. No one could sort it out because you know they weren't in the office and dept A couldn't talk to dept B and they couldn't access the right information.

I am voting with my feet and I hope businesses realise they will lose customers if they don't have a decent level of customer service and of course if they lose customers people will lose jobs.

@ontana

Only the lonely, the desperate and the sheep will be flocking back , despite the Daily Mail dogma.

What a contemptuous way to talk about people who want human contact in their working lives.

It's all very well for middle aged middle class people who already have established friendships and relationships to wax lyrical about wfh. My 18 year old cousin started an apprenticeship in the civil service. Her experience of working life so far has been sitting in her underwear on her bed staring at a screen.

I agree, in real life I don't know anyone who doesn't want to get back to the office at least a few days a week, and of course many have been in throughout anyway. I do feel for those starting out in their careers especially, it's just not the same learning through a screen, or rather than picking up on what's going on having to phone or email someone everytime with a question and missing out on a lot of informal working. It's pointless though them going in if everyone else is at home.

I think you should however ask for the 1 day/week that was offered when you took the job.

Surely the ideal is 2-3 days in the office and 2-3 days wfh?

You say that during the recruitment process, you were told it would be one day per week in the office, so why not have a discussion with your employer before just quitting? It may be that they would prefer you to be in three days but are prepared to accept a different arrangement.

I'm not familiar with how these things work, so do get professional advice, but if you were led to believe you would only have to come in one day per week then you might have grounds to stay with your current employer and refuse to come in for the extra days, and possibly claim unfair dismissal if they let you go as a result? You might be able to arrange a compromise whereby you do end up resigning, but can continue to WFH at the current company for a few more weeks or months, buying you more time to find a more suitable job. That might be attractive to the current company too, since it gives them time to hire your replacement.

Then of course the jobs can be outsourced to cheaper countries like Poland/India.

That's not really worked in the past though.

So you made an assumption that it would be permanently wfh without checking and making sure it was in writing before taking the job?

You've left yourself wide open to with by not being duely diligent.

People assuming that they will be able to permanently wfh and then finding out this isn't the case, is something that has been flagged as a potential issue for over a year and has been well publicised.

YABU to have expected it and not checked.
But you are always within your rights to leave a job if its requirements dont suit you.

Next time, if wfh is essential to you, make sure its written into your contract, otherwise you have zero comeback.

@GiantSpider

YANBU for expecting more notice about the change - telling you on Friday that it was happening from Monday is pretty rubbish.

YABU for not seeking clarification at the recruitment stage.

YABU for considering this a massive outreach - while some jobs have moved permanently online, I think most will return to the office over the next few months.

YANBU for seeking another job that suits you better.

Exactly my thoughts.

You're perfectly within your rights to look for other work at any time. And totally appreciate that 3 days a week in the office might make juggling home responsibilities more challenging.

However, you were foolish to not get all this clarified in writing at the time you took up the job. You can't assume that working arrangements during a pandemic are going to exist forever more - do make sure you are absolutely clear on working arrangements in your new role.

Good luck with the job search.

Presumably they were full time in the office before the pandemic? I think 3 dpw in office is not bad actually

I started a new job in same timeframe as you. They were all previously mostly in the office full time.

Now everyone does 1-2 days max in the office. I was very specific in the recruitment process as to whether this policy would remain or not as I would struggle to do more. They promised me yes and I accepted on that basis

You were U to not clarify this as the outset but they were U not to give you more warning

@converseandjeans

Don't people need childcare whether you wfh or not?

This 🖕🏻🖕🏻

YANBU to leave a job which doesn't suit you. But I don't know if wfh all week is what will happen going forward.

The danger of jobs becoming completely remote is that they can be done by anyone anywhere, So someone who lives in the SE expects a decent salary to pay for an expensive mortgage. However someone in Hull or Blackpool may agree to do the job for much less.

Then of course the jobs can be outsourced to cheaper countries like Poland/India.

There's a danger that going forward these jobs may not be available and if they are then on a reduced salary.

I bet all those highly paid IT jobs could be done cheaper in India if it is so easy to do it remotely.

Sounds like turkeys voting for Christmas.

Ps ywnbu to look for another job given the circs though. 3 dpw in the office would tip it over to very difficult in my case

What does your contract say?

I bet all those highly paid IT jobs could be done cheaper in India if it is so easy to do it remotely.

you do realise some of these jobs have been remote for years? outsourcing abroad is far more complicated

yanbu
1 working day is too short notice.
my contract says that any change in working pattern requires 2 months notice from both sides.
that gives enough time to arrange for childcare, train tickets, buying trousers, re-arrange dr appointments...

@earphones why will going to the office have such a huge impact? Is it because you do the school run off while you should be working? Or is the office a huge commute away? The answer to that would change my opinion if I thought you were BU.
Obviously you can give your notice for any reason but you can't really refuse to do what they're asking because they are your employers.

[quote MananaTomorrow]@DaisyMum40 sorry but no.

Very simply because if your commute is 1 hour each way, your childcare requirements are completely different than wo it.[/quote]
I'll repeat - your childcare arrangements are your problem, not your employers. If the WFH/office arrangements directly affect your childcare then there's even MORE reason to ensure you have this clarified before accepting the job.

@monfuseds

what prevented her from getting dressed?

I certainly always got dressed in the short period that I wfh in lockdown 1. But i am 20 years older than her and know what I need to function and that this includes showering and getting ready every day. But I can see that she might struggle to be motivated to get dressed if she's staying in the house all day. There have been enough articles about "working from bed" to know it's fairly commonplace. Seems like a recipe for depression to me.

I work in the nhs and we are now 50/50 home and office as all office space is hot desking as they lost a lot of admin areas to make more room for patients

I love it but a lot of people aren't happy with it as to be fair everything can be done at home and we are generally more productive but it's on all our adverts now
I'm push the 50/50 and do more at home as I really do get more
Done

My friend works for a utility company and they've physically got rid of office space as they are home workers as it's much cheaper for them - makes sense really doesn't it?

Check your contract. I started a new job during the lockdowns and my contract states that I can work from home the majority of the time as long as I spend one day a week in the office.

I would look for a new role if they ever tried to renegotiate this.

I would assume that other colleagues are in the same situation.
Could you all make a case that you cannot change existing childcare arrangements and request flexible working to continue and find a compromise? maybe ask if you can spend 2 days in the office?

But yes, I think you are right to look for another job. It is a bit short sighted of your employer as well as apparently a lot of people are quitting their jobs anyway post-pandemic and there is a shortage of good candidates. If they are driving people away it will have a negative impact on their business.

I'll repeat - your childcare arrangements are your problem, not your employers.

I don't think anyone disagrees with that. The point was commuting to work will involve different childcare needs vs no commute c

Given that ‘business reasons’ were always the reason for refusing official wfh requests, I wonder if that’s knocked out if the park now for certain jobs that have been proven certain jobs can be (and have been) done remotely for so long ??