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?

@monfuseds Anything data related Azure and AWS - googles equivilent.
We are going to a four day week shortly it’s being trialed right now and so many employers are pushing back and fighting against this but it is going to happen because we do not have enough low skill roles for the entire population so it’s better for them to be underemployed although actually the rates will stay the same but inflation will actually mean that they are under employed but that still the better solution than mass on employment which is what we had in the 80s … honestly I wish people of open their eyes and look around them we are walking into a repay of the early 80’s

Personally I'd speak to them first - "when I was recruited it was for a WFH role with a single day in office, and I took the role on that basis. I appreciate this might have been a pandemic change for most employees, but I was recruited on the back of this policy. I really don't want to have to move elsewhere, so could we discuss any options for my role?"

If they say no, you know you tried. I do believe with these policies people will vote with their feet.

Only the lonely, the desperate and the sheep will be flocking back

And the people who need to keep their jobs, obviously.

They are not being unreasonable to ask you to come in 3 days a week, if it doesn't suit you find something else - I wouldn't tell them to "do one" though, their request for you to come into the office is not a personal attack!

@Bringsexyback thanks will check it out.

What do you think will change in the job market? We have an ageing population, reduced immigration & a smaller working population. Vacancies will increase. The Government will relax immigration, once we move beyond populism.

YABU for not discussing this in your interview when you joined the company if wfh was your long term plan

@lagerandcigars

What do you think will change in the job market? We have an ageing population, reduced immigration & a smaller working population. Vacancies will increase. The Government will relax immigration, once we move beyond populism.

And why would people come back here ? We currently have colleagues who are in Romania, Macedonia, Poland working from the comfort of their sofas in their home towns contributing to their own economies and living at about a third of the price, collecting at least 2/3 of British wages. Where people physically have to be in the UK to take advantage of the increase in wages, the care sector the NHS, shop workers, hospitality they’re all on their knees at the moment and I can’t see that changing either as the likes of eastern European countries up skill their population to meet the demands of their own local economy which is actually how it should’ve been all along.

@saleorbouy

It is a reasonable request to want employees to return to the office, what is unreasonable is the short time frame of a weekend they have given you to sort out the logistics after being out of the office for so long. I would contact HR and ask if there is any way of phasing in a return at a slower pace and confirm their vision for WFH in the future if it's not defined in your contract. If it doesn't suit move jobs to a WFH model that does. My employer is going to increase days on site by 1 day a week each month to allow for transition.

Agree with this, all very sensible. I like your employer's approach.

YANBU - I'll be leaving my job asap for the same reason. Lots of remote roles out there. Companies that don't move forward on this will lose talent

The Government will relax immigration, once we move beyond populism.

That's too simplistic, we will be competing with other countries for immigrants as many countries are facing similar problems. Why would an in demand immigrant be attracted to the UK over other countries?

I find it bizarre so many people made permanent choices based on what they knew was a temporary situation! So many have moved or sold cars or given up childcare for what isn't a long term situation. Its gone on for longer than I thought, but I always assumed we would be back in. We have paid out for before school childcare for 5 days a week for this whole time, even though DH is WFH and could drop off (i only work PT so can pick up each day), because we knew at some point he'd be back in the office and I wasn't sure which days.

We've been sending the dog to doggy day care one day a week to keep a place/get her used to it for similar reasons.

I know a couple who are angry they're half way though having a posh garden office shed thing built for her DH and hes now been asked to go back to the office 5 days a week. Seems ridiculous to commit to spending all that money if you aren't sure you are going to need it.

Where people physically have to be in the UK to take advantage of the increase in wages, the care sector the NHS, shop workers, hospitality they’re all on their knees at the moment and I can’t see that changing either as the likes of eastern European countries up skill their population to meet the demands of their own local economy which is actually how it should’ve been all along.

exactly, times have changed.

I’m new at the company (4 months)

Given we’ve spent the last two years working 100% at home

You haven't spent the last two years working 100% at home, you've spent 4 months working from home.
They want you in the office which is reasonable, you don't want to be in the office which is also reasonable but if the job doesn't suit you then yes leave.

@OLP2019

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

Wfh has existed for far longer than covid.

Wfh is not a new concept

Wfh is not a new concept

people really struggle with this concept 😆

The more people who search for fully remote jobs the lower they will be paid as well so it's a balance really.

Only if the number of vacancies doesn't match the number of applicants, which at the moment is the opposite. Salaries are accutally going up. FOMO !.

We’re having problems getting staff now because people want to WFH.. as do I. We’re currently in once a week and I’ll be ok if they go to twice but 3 I’ll be looking for a new job.
The last two years have changed a lot of things. People know they can do EXACTLY the same thing from their home office as they can in the office but without up to a 3 hour commute. It’s not wrong for anyone to want to do what’s best for them, their family, mental health, finances etc.
OP.. you’re NBU. It’s too short notice. It’s not black and white and people have to organise their lives as things have been so different in the last two years.

@Bluesheep8

Only the lonely, the desperate and the sheep will be flocking back

And the people who need to keep their jobs, obviously.

Agree!

There is no need to start slinging insults based on people’s working preferences😂

Lots of jobs require colleagues to be able to bounce creative ideas of each other - that’s hard to do over zoom. Lots of people dislike working for home. It’s a privilege to have space in your home to work, to be able to hear your home and to have social interaction without leaving the house.

Different people thrive in different environments and not all jobs are the same.

I really don’t understand why people are so angry about this. Hybrid working is the perfect solution surely. Jobs where you never have to attend a meeting; never go on a training course, never meet your colleagues in person do exist of course but for a lot of jobs that in person element is a requirement.

The Government will relax immigration, once we move beyond populism.

..... a very short lived government.

It is a new concept for some industries though, and there have definitely been some 'making do' whilst people have been wfh in some jobs, rather than the job being suitable for working from home. I have no skin in the game really, we can work from home or work from the office, people are making their own choices, but absolutely for it to be permanent there needs to be additional considerations that some employers don't want to make. Things like handling personal data I'd be wary about as an organisation outside of well we are doing it as the government has said we must. For many jobs this isn't an issue, but for some it is.

Only the lonely, the desperate and the sheep will be flocking back

And the people who need to keep their jobs, obviously.

The desperate , as I said !.

The more people who search for fully remote jobs the lower they will be paid as well so it's a balance really

IDK - the fully remote roles I am applying for at the moment are circa £15k higher than my role that wants me back on site. To be fair it's different industries but the pay is going up not down due to the current labour markets being so tight

Rather than resign I would mention that 1 day was discussed and ask can you do that instead. They might say yes.
By the way I think it’s unreasonable for a company request a return to the office 5 days but 2 or 3 days is reasonable. In most cases fully remote was never forever

@PersonaNonGarter - of course they aren’t owned but is a business wants you in x amount of days a week and you don’t like it find another job. How is unreasonable for an employer to want their staff in the office? For my company this has always been a temporary arrangement for staff to be at home. 50-50 model is perfectly reasonable