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?

Change jobs if it doesn’t work for you.

I had a friend who was wfh and had someone new join her team. She said to me "he has asked me 357 questions in the first 3 days". And she was exasperated with him. But because every question was via emails it seemed very intrusive, whereas if they had been near each other in an office perhaps he might have asked just as many questions but it might have seemed more natural as part of ordinary working interaction and conversation.

It just seems another example of how the pandemic has shafted younger people.

I would point out to them that no one wants to work there now because of their working policy, and that they have gone back on their word from the recruitment process. I'd also let them know that if they are really serious about this, I'll be leaving. I'll be doing that for my job if they try to force me back. I don't need to be in an office and I don't want to be. Many other companies won't force me. I'm not picky about who I work for, the best offer wins.

I'm in a fairly new to me job, and have only worked remotely thus far. I was told at interview that they don't plan to ever go back full time but hope to move to a mix.

I think if and when that happens then I will have to consider dropping hours etc because the additional costs in both time and money of commuting, parking, childcare etc will eat in to the time I currently spend working.

If I was asked to go back at very short notice then I would probably not be able to. Our school is not running any clubs at the moment because of covid causing staffing issues for eg.

The government and companies can change the rules and decree that we're all going back to normal, but in my world everything is still very much not normal and I don't have any of the childcare or support set ups that I relied on pre pandemic. Yes it is reasonable to ask people to start coming back in but not at short notice.

Not at all, lots of people I know have moved roles now they've realised how much they enjoy working from home! I'd say it's the future tbh.

You don't need to validate your decision OP, find another job if it's no longer work for you.

Good luck

@KeepingAnOpenMind

YABU. WFH was never going to be forever.

This kind of post combined with this kind of username is why Reddit has a sub called Selfawarewolves. If MN had a similar board I think it could do pretty well.

Amazing.

SquirrelG, 1hr + commute door to door one way is hardly a rarity where I live. If you want a decent job that pays well in certain sectors that are not always around the corner 🙄. My DH started a new Director level job in architecture last year, he has been able to sometimes wfh and it means he sees his family more. It also means that we've levelled up on quality of job as I have gone for better paid work that uses my qualifications rather than accommodating just school hours jobs. These jobs just weren't there pre-covid.

Lyricalblowtothejaw all Departments should offer customer service...

All those who have been WFH for the past 2 years you should realise how lucky you are to have had that option. A large number of the workforce (myself included) in this country have continued to go in to work since March 2020 with little more than hand sanitizer and a mask. I personally think unless you are ECV all should be back in the workplace

I would look for another job if I was you. I think working at home will continue in the future in many works places as it has worked for many businesses. Good employers won't force people into the office for the sake of it. The best people will vote with their feet.

Ignore the people saying that it is "entitled" to want to work at home. They are just jealous either because they don't have jobs that can be done at home or they do do but their employers don't value them enough to let them work at home.

Why should we because you have had to? What about the very pressing problem of the climate crisis and the pollution that accompanies all this work travel? We have to find new ways of working, we don't have to stick to some outdated work models based upon working patterns from the industrial revolution!!

Yanbu. If you prefer to work solely from home then go out and find another job - although perhaps make sure it will always be wfh before joining the company.

@Iamsodonewith2020

All those who have been WFH for the past 2 years you should realise how lucky you are to have had that option. A large number of the workforce (myself included) in this country have continued to go in to work since March 2020 with little more than hand sanitizer and a mask. I personally think unless you are ECV all should be back in the workplace

Why should people work in an office if the job can be done at home? If you think they're lucky why don't you get a job that can be done from home rather than complain that it isn't fair?

I love WFH and my firm have just moved from a large building to one that is not even half the size. We are moving ro a hybrid way of working from April when we will do 1 or 2 days a week in the office and will need to hot desk on a first come first served basis. I'm happy with that as I think ots the beT of both worlds for both the employers and employees
My DHs firm on the other hand have now gone back from saying 3 days in the office to everyone going back to 5 days in the office starting 1 Feb. They announced this on Friday last week and 15 people handed their notice in on Monday. That is half of my DHs department. They already struggle with recruitment so replacing them will be difficult. My DH has already been called by several recruitment agencies with new hybrid roles and he now has several interviews lined up so will also be leaving soon

Of course YANBU. You have to do what is right for you. Ignore all the comments about whatever the Gov said, as well as those who go on about living with covid or any other shaming tactic.

Be professional about it though, obviously.

It isn’t a massive overreach, you’re overreacting. If it doesn’t suit you find another job.

Belladonna12 I may get slayed for this, but Good Employmers will enforce people to go back in the office where they are under performing and they need to be managed. It is like X Factor some people believe they can sing, this is because they are told they can. As the economic climate changes, some people will sing from WFH and some people will try but fail badly. Some people need structure. What will fail however is when people are WFH and should be there 9-5 but fail on contact during this time, as they are out running the kids to school or doing a home job. Unless they have you can do your work when you want policy as no other department is dependent on you.

I haven't RTFT, but I'm becoming increasingly irritated by the use of "entitled" as an insult. What are these people you're denigrating saying they're entitled to? Their legal rights? Some show of humanity by an employer?

It's quite telling that a recent thread about student medics which made an OP feel uncomfortable was met with a pretty unanimous "they shouldn't do that, you're entitled to your privacy" (and I agree that proper consent should be sought), but this OP is met with "why are employees so entitled; if the employer wants them in the office they have to suck it up".

Employee rights are important, and many were very hard fought. Why are so many on this forum so keen to give employers carte blanche to do whatever they feel entitled to do, but employees are denigrated as "entitled" for wanting, for instance, a reasonable consultation process over a major change in working practices?

Are there lots of really crappy employers on here, or are we all just becoming a bit too subservient?

@OLP2019
I mean really ffs until covid everyone was expected to work in an office so what is the problem

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.

@ontana

I had a friend who was wfh and had someone new join her team. She said to me "he has asked me 357 questions in the first 3 days". And she was exasperated with him. But because every question was via emails it seemed very intrusive, whereas if they had been near each other in an office perhaps he might have asked just as many questions but it might have seemed more natural as part of ordinary working interaction and conversation.

It just seems another example of how the pandemic has shafted younger people.

Agree. I’ve started a new job remotely (as of this week we are back in 1-2 dpw) and it’s very difficult to learn “on the job” remotely. And I’m an experienced hire who broadly knows what I’m doing just not the way my new company does it. I feel like I’m bothering people constantly and would have much preferred to learn in a real environment where I could just pick up what goes on around me.

I would have absolutely hated to be at home all the time when I was younger. Now with kids and school runs to deal with it suits me well generally but you really can’t learn from your colleagues when you’re all remote

No you are right @Vergingontheridiculous - a lot of cap doffing, 'be grateful to the guv'nor' type of posts here that bear zero relation to any roles in my Industry ( digital services).

Really weird

@missfliss

No you are right *@Vergingontheridiculous* - a lot of cap doffing, 'be grateful to the guv'nor' type of posts here that bear zero relation to any roles in my Industry ( digital services).

Really weird

Not nearly as many as the "my employer should think themselves lucky to have me, I'm doing them a favour by working for them" posts.

Agree with Vergingontheridiculous and there is a lack of understanding about the breadth of jobs and the way people work. I work in data protection and compliance and I have spoken on the phone to people about 6 times this year as my work is pretty much all done via email and Teams (at a push). I do have an office to go to so I occasionally see people in person if that's what I need to do but that is covered by a hybrid scenario. My DH has to bring in new clients with new contracts, it is not in his interest to be slack at all as he has bonuses etc. So of course he won't be called back in to work. Many of us who work in offices aren't carrying out 9-5 clocking in kind of work and we have to go way beyond our working hours anyway so I'm not sure why we would not be trusted to do this as if it doesn't get done in many cases that is problematic for your professional reputation so it is I your interests to work hard.

I'd push back, for sure.

I do wonder how many people will resign from their positions now that they're being forced back into the office.