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?

Also civil service here, but one of the front-line grubby bits that absolutely cannot be done from home . I dont think I'm a sheep, or desperate or whatever the other brainless insult was. I'm actually a proper extrovert who is re-energised by contact with people. I perform much better when I get out and about in my workplace, and interact with people.

I would hate to WFH full time. Sitting staring at a screen all day would be stultifying for me now. I have done those jobs in the corporate world in the past, and they are not for me at all.

If a job can be done well from home, why on earth would anyone need to go to an office. Why should we be stuck on motorways for a significant part of our day to get to the office, at the detriment of the environment, our finances and emotional well being. Who has the right to dictate what we do with our time in that sense. I think people are finally realising the balls are not all in the employers court, that estate agents and landlords are bleating in the the government's ear worried about losing their income from offices being let out, that the likes of Pret are losing sales on overpriced coffee. That's not our problem.

@monfuseds

I find it really weird that you were repeatedly telling me I was wrong when I wasn't but refuse to acknowledge it *@MarshaBradyo*. Why do you have a problem accepting you made a mistake?

It's ironic that you are criticising other posters for ridiculous things when you can't even get facts right.

And yet you are still on the thread giving your opinions as if they have any value. Complete lack of self awareness! I find it fascinating, it's such an odd way to behave.

Okkkk

Move on it’s not a big deal except in your head.

If you feel so strongly just scroll past. It’s easy to do.

I'm starting a new job next week, the contract gives an office address but the advert says hybrid office/Home. I haven't signed it and have queried the location part. Always look to the contract

Demanding that all employees return to the office immediately regardless of situation does not smack of trust and is certainly not being "helpful"

Where this happens, I fully agree
However most of what I've seen is phased returns, and surely many could have worked out for themselves that it was likely to happen sooner or later and planned accordingly?

As said, while WFH can work brilliantly, so much of this comes down to what folk want to do, and wanting isn't always getting

It’s been quick changes all the way through - but private sector with mostly SME

Most of my clients are private sector. There have been no quick changes and even now the talk is about phased returns, not dash into an office except where the work was site specific and people have been in all the way through.

We do have a good outcome in our sector in that three days in : two wfh is becoming the norm.

But it’s usually fast return rather than weeks.

OP, as an employer I have found this thread very helpful. We are going to hybrid on a basic 2 days a week in, but I now think I have made the change from fully wfh too sharply - I will phase over a couple of weeks. So thank you for sparking the conversation.

@Earlyflash

I don’t want to add fuel to the fire here, but as an interesting aside;

Of the four people we’ve made offers to in the last month (taken three months to find these four); all of them have now declined to join because of the new policy.

I guess it’s a trade off between ‘best candidate’ and ‘closest candidate’ moving forward.

Hold on a minute - your employer made offers to people in the last month telling candidates the jobs were permanent working from home, then I’m Friday contacted these candidates to say they have changed their mind and the jobs are now three days a week in the office. All four candidates considered the change he responded on the same day to say no thank you?

This is really odd. Are you sure you have your facts straight?

If this is true, I suspect your employer has bigger issues than flip flopping on its wfh policy.

If a job can be done well from home, why on earth would anyone need to go to an office

Because not everyone has the space to work from home perhaps? Or should those of who can't just do the old MN favourite and move?

Move on it’s not a big deal except in your head.

So why is it such a big deal for you to accept your error? That's what I find bizarre!

@Earlyflash

Obviously the ‘do one’ comment had been taken literally, and it was not Intended as such. I’d never be so rude.

However I am going to be clear that the policy change is a huge issue for me, and the way it has been handled also.

To answer some questions;
The contract doesn’t specify location.
In the recruitment process I was told 1 day per week.

Drip feed: you were told you would have to be in 1 day per week. So you did know some travel to work would be involved.

I think before you just quit, unless you hate your job for different reasons, your first step is to politely remind them that when you took the job you were promised 1 day per week in the office when returns to the office were possible. And go from there.

@NorthernLighting

And the number of times I’ve heard on the phone ’Well, I’m wfh so there’s noone here to ask..but I’ll get back to you!’ Ok, but I’d prefer an answer now rather than a day later.

Yeah, I've noticed this. I work in a factory and I have to liaise with customer service for retailers. They never seem to have the information they need when they're home working. You'd have thought things would be a bit more organised after 2 years of it!

If you feel so strongly just scroll past. It’s easy to do.

Likewise you can ignore my posts. Of course I'm going to comment on odd behaviour 😆

Who has the right to dictate what we do with our time in that sense.

Well it's partly on yourself. You signed the contract with the place of work clearly stated on it, presumably. So not so much 'dictating' as applying the terms both parties agreed to.

If you don't like it, you either renegotiate the contract or renegotiate a new contract with someone else.

Personally I found customer service shoddy pre pandemic so i'm not sure it's just the wfh element.

@PonyPatter44

Also civil service here, but one of the front-line grubby bits that absolutely cannot be done from home . I dont think I'm a sheep, or desperate or whatever the other brainless insult was. I'm actually a proper extrovert who is re-energised by contact with people. I perform much better when I get out and about in my workplace, and interact with people.

I would hate to WFH full time. Sitting staring at a screen all day would be stultifying for me now. I have done those jobs in the corporate world in the past, and they are not for me at all.

I'd hate it too. But then I don't hate people, socialising and leaving my house like many on MN!

Thats nothing to do with WFH and is a pisstake. As you say weve had this for two years now. They are just disorganised

@Goldenbear

YANBU, I don't live in a 'roomy' or 'big' house but I don't want to go back to working in my office every day at the moment I do have hybrid system. I do have a biggish local social network and I get to collect my youngest most days, why are my needs less important than a young new recruit or my DH gets to walk our youngest to school he would have been on the train before. That is good for childhood development to not have a semi-absent parent who leaves too early and arrives home too late to see. It correspondingly helps youth by cutting down on work travel pollution and the impact on Climate which surely is just as pressing as socialising at work?? Surely, hybrid maybe beneficial for everyone but people's needs vary and it is not as simple as suggesting everything should be about the poor young 18 year olds stuck inside. At 18 surely you can find ways to socialise other than through colleagues in an office and you can do this with hybrid situations anyway!

Important and reasonable comment.

@PonyPatter44 I think it impacted on my mental health very minimally because I was in the office when all pubs, restaurants, cafes, hairdressers etc were shut, I was still on an empty bus going to work every day! I know I was ''lucky'' my children were teenagers but still.
I got home to a right pig sty every day though.

I do not have an office at home. I read some article pro wfh and the woman said she loved to throw open the double doors in the morning and listen to the birds sing as she logged on. ha ha! made me laugh

If I throw open the one and only back door I hear next door's dogs, cars, and also cranes and diggers.

Most of my clients are private sector. There have been no quick changes and even now the talk is about phased returns, not dash into an office except where the work was site specific and people have been in all the way through.

That chimes with my experience

Likewise you can ignore my posts

That was the intention if not obvious. But yes great if you do too.

I'd hate it too. But then I don't hate people, socialising and leaving my house like many on MN!

@Cattoes

If a job can be done well from home, why on earth would anyone need to go to an office. Why should we be stuck on motorways for a significant part of our day to get to the office, at the detriment of the environment, our finances and emotional well being. Who has the right to dictate what we do with our time in that sense. I think people are finally realising the balls are not all in the employers court, that estate agents and landlords are bleating in the the government's ear worried about losing their income from offices being let out, that the likes of Pret are losing sales on overpriced coffee. That's not our problem.

Well, to some extent, you're employer does have a right to dictate how you spend your time at work. Of course, you have the right to vote with your feet and choose alternative employment if you so wish.

Lots of jobs can be done from home, but there will be some aspects of many jobs which may not work as well if everyone is remote all of the time. And although some people work very efficiently from home, others don't. Employers have the potential to save huge amounts of money by allowing people to wfh long term, but some of them choose not to do this because there are other benefits from being in the office which are lost. It's a business decision that each organisation will have to make, taking into account the needs and preferences of its employees, its customers and the business as a whole.

I doubt that many employers are factoring in the needs of their landlord or keeping Pret in business.

@MarshaBradyo & yet you are still responding although of course ignoring the ones highlighting your embarrassing errors.

I guess it explains why your experiences are so at odds with everyone else on this thread though. You probably experience that a lot 😆