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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

749 replies

Earlyflash · 23/01/2022 01:24

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?

OP posts:
missfliss · 23/01/2022 08:47

Agree @Iggly

My son (10) is old enough to be at home and occupied fully while I work now, but not old enough or mature enough to be home alone afterschool whilst I work in my office ( 45 minute bike commute - public transport would take longer, no parking for cars).

In addition he has SEN, and attends a special school for which there is no wraparound care whatsoever. When I started working for my employer he was at a mainstream with afterschool club.

In my example we had to find an afterschool nanny to be there in the house when he got home. Expensive but fair enough. The issue was that for the limited hours we needed, it took time to find someone suitable and available.

If my employer suddenly changed that without notice then we wouldn't be able to secure that arrangement again overnight. We would need minimum a fortnight.

Speakingmymind · 23/01/2022 08:47

I voted YABU as you haven't even had a conversation with them yet.

Blueeyedgirl21 · 23/01/2022 08:48

Sorry but as someone who works in a field that would never allow me to work from home who’s had to go into the workplace and people’s homes all the way through covid, the hand wringing over remote working and how people can’t possibly get their arses up ready and Out the door to work anymore suddenly is hilarious

Thisisit2022 · 23/01/2022 08:49

As one of those who has worked in their original workplace throughout, I never feel I'm able to give a reasoned response to threads like this.

MissVictoriaPlum · 23/01/2022 08:50

Yanbu for looking for another job if your current one isn't working for you for any reason.

Coffeepot72 · 23/01/2022 08:50

Hybrid working will be the norm. Any employer who doesn’t offer hybrid will look very unattractive to applicants

AmaryllisNightAndDay · 23/01/2022 08:50

That is very short notice. I've started going to the office once per week though I don't have to because I don't know what arrangements will be made in future and I want to be prepared. But then again I do expect to be given more notice than you were given!

And if you were told once per week during recruitment then you need to have a conversation with your line manager but it's a difficult conversation to have if that wasn't written anywhere. Do you have an email you can show?

So I would enquire politely about the one day per week promise first; if that goes nowhere then I would show willing but tell my line manager I needed a two or there week period to transition, what with being new and not yet knowing the ropes of working at the office; and some acceptance that I might be late and/or less productive for a couple of weeks while I figured out transport and other practical matters, found things in the office, got set up with IT etc., and maybe only came in one or two days a week at first and catch up with work at home while things are being sorted out in the office.

It's the equivalent of moving offices to a new location - people usually expect some warning and aren't as productive til they settle in. It doesn't sound as if your employer has really prepared properly for a return to the office if this is the first you've heard about it. So the return will probably be chaos anyway!

And if all else fails then yes I'd try to find a better organised employer.

missfliss · 23/01/2022 08:50

Assuming that those that have worked in their workplaces throughout have therefore had their arrangements in place throughout then.

The issue isn't the request to go back to the office it's giving ZERO NOTICE to get the logistics arranged

Mellowyellow222 · 23/01/2022 08:51

I am looking forward to having some in person meetings, to bumping into colleagues and catching up and to being able to chat to my team and get to know them better.

My work will eventually return to hybrid so we will be in the office two or three days a week.

It was always clear this wasn’t a percent arrangement. I live very close to work so there is no huge commute - and my home heating bill will reduce significantly!

I do believe that in my industry we need some face to face time, and working from home has been very tough for many people. Particularly new starts who haven’t learned as quickly as they would have in the office.

Blueeyedgirl21 · 23/01/2022 08:51

3 days week is hybrid working through
They’re not asking for 5 days a week 8-5 in the office

anon12345678901 · 23/01/2022 08:51

If you want to leave then leave. That's your choice just as it is a companies choice if they want to continue remote/hybrid working. My role can be done from home, however we are going back to the office as collaboration is easier and needed. All my friends jobs are going back to the office also so I don't think WFH Will be the new model for everyone. You can certainly leave a job that no longer works for you, the company will cope.

gettingolderandgrumpy · 23/01/2022 08:52

You are free to hand in your notice if you want a wfh job but to ask if you are unreasonable the answer is yes. Are you planning on wfh forever? If so then yes hand in your notice and good luck . Me personally the wfh thing was temporary and yes a lot of employers have decided to continue at least part time wfh and that’s great. Hand in your notice if that’s what you want but yabu to expect it to continue forever.

Pyewhacket · 23/01/2022 08:52

Interestingly the company I left due to them saying 100% mandatory WFH is now moving to a hybrid model as it didn't work well enough.

Hybrid model being a flexible working pattern then. I rest my case.

The world has changed. The cost of commuting is starting to really bite and that will escalate as the likes of Tfl and Government blatantly hike prices at every opportunity plus technology is moving apace. Adapt or lose out. Cramming into an office just for the sake of it is regressive.

Dentistlakes · 23/01/2022 08:53

Many businesses will want their employees back in the office. Working from home was never a permanent situation and they are well within their rights to expect their employees to comply.

From the employees perspective, they are also within their rights to vote with their feet and leave. Some employers may compromise to keep people, some may not. In any case if people are planning to change then I would do it quickly. The job market may favour the employee at the moment but it won’t forever and the cost of living is soaring. Now is the time to seek job security and quick.

Octopi · 23/01/2022 08:54

@Pyewhacket

*bonetiredwithtwins

Employers have every right to expect employees back in the office*

Good luck trying to recruit and replace the people who've just left to work elsewhere then.

My husband's firm rescinded their " back to the office" decision after they lost over half of their trained and experienced staff and are now finding it virtually impossible to find suitable replacements. Treating your workforce as an expensive overhead that should be lucky to have a job went down the crapper two years ago.

It depends on the job, a lot of people in truly impossible to replace roles had flexibility before the pandemic because it was needed to entice them away from their competitors. I agree that employees shouldn't be seen as commodities, but I disagree that a lot of employers will have a lot of issues replacing staff. The more people who search for fully remote jobs the lower they will be paid as well so it's a balance really.
Bringsexyback · 23/01/2022 08:56

Here it comes the great resignation we’ve been waiting for it for the past six months all I can say to anyone who is concerned about jobhunting right now there are 15 vacancies to every adult of working age within the IT industry I would strongly advise you to do some free courses at the weekend even if this isn’t your area of expertise yet there’s lots of transferable skills.
And working from home will not be a problem, it won’t be a problem for anybody tbh there’s a huge skill shortage across the board at the moment and if your boss is going to insist on this shit which plenty of them are trying at the moment, just push back you’ll be absolutely fine they won’t risk losing you. Employees currently hold all the cards don’t forget that.

Pyewhacket · 23/01/2022 08:57

@Coffeepot72

Hybrid working will be the norm. Any employer who doesn’t offer hybrid will look very unattractive to applicants
That's the reality of it. Regressive and unimaginative management will go.
JacquelineCarlyle · 23/01/2022 08:58

@Shamoo

Posts like this confuse me. Of course you aren’t being unreasonable to leave a job, for any reason at all, provided you have other options / can still afford to live. That goes without saying.

You are being unreasonable to be surprised or irritated that a work place wants their staff back in the office. You are being even more unreasonable if this was a key point to you and you didn’t get confirmation during the recruitment process.

Completely agree with this!
Coffeepot72 · 23/01/2022 08:59

3 days week is hybrid working through
They’re not asking for 5 days a week 8-5 in the office

Indeed, it’s not like they are asking for 5 days again

Bringsexyback · 23/01/2022 08:59

And it’s absolutely not true that the remote roles are paying less please don’t listen to that.

The old supply and demand doesn’t apply here, those offering full remote roles and working from home flexibility will just have the choice of the best people and the ones that come late to the game and resend in the end when they have to will just get what’s left but they will concede in the end.

monfuseds · 23/01/2022 08:59

@Bringsexyback I've read about the shortages in IT & salaries are often good. Any specific areas you recommend?

FudgeOff · 23/01/2022 08:59

You can leave a job at any time for any reason (your own personal financial situation aside).

Reasonableness doesn't need to factor at all.

FudgeOff · 23/01/2022 09:02

@Bringsexyback

Here it comes the great resignation we’ve been waiting for it for the past six months all I can say to anyone who is concerned about jobhunting right now there are 15 vacancies to every adult of working age within the IT industry I would strongly advise you to do some free courses at the weekend even if this isn’t your area of expertise yet there’s lots of transferable skills. And working from home will not be a problem, it won’t be a problem for anybody tbh there’s a huge skill shortage across the board at the moment and if your boss is going to insist on this shit which plenty of them are trying at the moment, just push back you’ll be absolutely fine they won’t risk losing you. Employees currently hold all the cards don’t forget that.
Totally agree. Remote working now even on Service Desks which have typically been the entry level for IT and have been much less inclined to be wfh roles.
monfuseds · 23/01/2022 09:02

The job market may favour the employee at the moment but it won’t forever and the cost of living is soaring.

What do you think will change in the job market? We have an ageing population, reduced immigration & a smaller working population. Vacancies will increase.

Luredbyapomegranate · 23/01/2022 09:03

No one’s being unreasonable. They are entitled to want you in, you are entitled to find an alternative.