to hate 'fence-sitters' and authority with equal passion!

[Ceci03]

So an issue has come up in work. Some of you will agree with me, some won't about the actual issue. But what's bugging me is the dictatorship of workplaces, and also the fence-sitters.
So, an email newsletter came around - comes out every day - and in the corner there were a few lines saying that all admin staff were required to come back to work 3 days a week starting in March.
Everyone surprised, and taken aback at both how it was announced - in a newsletter, nobody had been warned, or advised.
We've been on a 2 day week since covid started - when there wasnt a lockdown.
now a lot of you will say, what's the big deal. but just accept for a minute that a lot of us, all of us I would say, are happy with 2 days a week. We are doing everything we need to. All work can be completed from home, but we are in 2days per week per person to be public-facing. We're talking about 1-2 queries per day at the counter, so it never actually needs more than 1 person 'on duty'.
At our team meeting the Team Leader just states that this is what is happening and there's nothing we can do about it. Even though it will mean 4 of us will be in some days, and some people may have to go to a small cupboard office. From chatting to colleagues I knew that we were all unhappy about the change, and dont understand the rationale for it, or who it will actually benefit. So I said to the team leader could we push back on the decision, and see if we can get the 'powers that be' to listen to us. And to actually look at what we are doing.
She said we could, but made it clear she didnt think we should query it.
So I took some notes from what others said at the meeting, and circulated it as bullet points to other departments in our area. Mostly the response was positive, and people were happy that someone was prepared to put the effort in and try and get the higher ups to listen.
But one person in particular was very enthusiastic, one day, but the next day she emailed me and said she wanted her name nowhere near it.
Other people have simply ignored me, which I think is rude, but there you go.
I'm just annoyed as if we do effect change, and we allowed some flexibility, and can stay on a 2-day week all these people will benefit.
It makes me feel I'm sticking my neck out, for what.
This whole workplace and the attitude of management is sickening to me. Maybe I should just look for another job.
AIBU

10 out of 30 support it, but 4 won't put their names on it, so that leaves 6 of us.

Firstly, I’m unsure how customer facing members of the team can expect to work from home permanently. I’m not customer facing generally, but we will all be going back to the office full time at some point. It hasn’t happened yet but I’m fully prepared that it will. While I love wfh most of the week, I was always office based pre-covid and I know it will go back to normal at some point.

Some members of the team - those who are customer facing - are already back in the office. They would and have said that their work hasn’t suffered and that it’s not necessary for them to be back full time. The truth is you only had to ring the office to see just how essential it was to have the full team back in. Calls were diverted but they just weren’t answered as effectively. They would argue that they were doing equivalent work but given complaints we’ve had from customers, that’s not how it seemed to them. They felt they weren’t receiving the same treatment. I’m not saying anyone was slacking as I don’t think for a minute they were, but the customer experience suffered when they were at home and as a business that’s what comes first.

Secondly, if you have an issue, go and speak to your line manager directly. You don’t need to rally the troops to express your opinion and I guarantee you will receive a far more receptive response if it doesn’t seem like you are trying to stir the pot to get your own way. People may say they agree but there is no point trying to speak on their behalf when they clearly don’t have the courage of their convictions. Go and speak on your own behalf and you may find if pays off.

ButtockUp - you're right. I've posted on Ceci03's thread!. Never used Mumsnet before. What should I do now?

@Ceci03

I suppose it is 'blot your copybook' territory. Should it be though. I mean, do workplaces want 'yes sir, no sir, 3 bags full sir' type employees. Guess so. I'd say 90% of colleagues are on board.

The world is full of cowards in some situations ( and I count myself amongst those for some things ). We all choose the hill we are willing to die on. I have been on strike before for more pay and other things. I was the only one in my team on strike and missing out on pay for months etc . I was told I was trouble maker, they our employer couldn't afford it and I ( and the union) would cause the company to go under with our unreasonable demands, that I could lose my job, that I was an idiot / a socialist a red / ungrateful etc...

When we finally were awarded a 1.5% rise and some other concessions instead of the 0% originally offered as a result of the action, not one of my colleagues refused the pay award or said they thought they should refuse as the company might go under as a result of the pay rise

Not one of my colleagues even thanked me for the fact that they were several hundreds of pounds a year better off ( as was I to be fair) . The union members who went on strike were in fact probably no better off since they probably lost as much money through the strikes as they made on their pay rise that year . The people who did nothing hot the pay rise though

People don't want to rock the boat. They are scared to stand up. I don't always blame them but I am never surprised by it op.

YABU. If you care enough, stand up and fight. Don't worry about what other people are doing.

Each person does their own analysis of the risk and the likelihood of the reward happening. You happen to feel more strongly than you colleagues but so what, in any situation there will be someone who cares the most, someone who cares the least, and lots in between.

If you care, act. If not, don't.

I worked somewhere where I was the "fighter for justice" when management were trying to roll over people and take advantage. I got zero thanks from colleagues and management hated me. Never again.
If it's a cause you're passionate about, query it as a 1-2-1 thing. You do yourself no favours by showing up mob handed with signatures, believe me. You catch more flied with sugar than sh*te. Take it from someone who's played the game and lost.

Why are you collecting names? Surely survey monkey and then summarise the results...75% of people want to stay as we are, 50% want full time office hours, 80% want support to transition etc.

Not being funny but I wouldn't support names on a list as it doesnt sound professional. And phrases like "underlings" and "powers that be" would make me want to put 10,000 miles between my name and that representation. Fair enough you might be more professional at work and more chilled on mumsnet but just an observation.

@Ceci03

I suppose it is 'blot your copybook' territory. Should it be though. I mean, do workplaces want 'yes sir, no sir, 3 bags full sir' type employees. Guess so. I'd say 90% of colleagues are on board.

I think they do want yes sir no sir types. Unless your idea is making them some more money or saving them some more money, they won't want to know. Frame the request in terms of a tangible benefit for the company (increased worker happiness is not a benefit). Can they reduce their premise size if fewer people are in, what were savings on utilities with fewer people over lockdown, did they find people were working for longer hours without the commute for no extra money etc Your colleagues don't want their names anywhere near it as they don't want it to affect their standing for bonuses, redundancy, promotion. Also some might not be inn a position to easily find other work, close to retirement, genuinely not bothered. There are loads of reasons why they wouldn't want to cause waves with this.

@NotGonnaBeTakenForARide

ButtockUp - you're right. I've posted on Ceci03's thread!. Never used Mumsnet before. What should I do now?

Press 'topics' at the bottom then press the magnifying glass top right. Then type in the poster's name. You are then shown the plaster's posts starting with the most recent.

Sorry... poster not plaster !

Are we talking three days out of five in the office instead of two out of five, for a customer facing role? Did you work five days in the office pre-Covid?

If so I can understand your managers wanting people in three days a week. Covid was never a guarantee of long-term home-working. It sounds quite a good deal for me. I'd probably stay on the fence too, once you're seen as being awkward at work it's difficult to claw back that reputation. Individually, you may well have a confidential case for requesting flexible working longer term, which you could apply for in the normal way.

That said, I feel your frustration, given that you have been forced to get on with your job from home for two years. Sadly, this sort of detail is rarely a consideration for organisational structuring. I have experience of this, from your perspective. It's annoying.

From chatting to colleagues I knew that we were all unhappy about the change,

Thing that you don't seem to have necessarily taken on is that if someone feels strongly one way, as you clearly have, then often people will make agreeing noises if they minorly disagree but can't be bothered with challenging. It's nothing more than not wanting a blazing argument with people they've got to work with.

It's very easy for someone who feels strongly to assume everyone who isn't noisily opposing them, to assume they're with them. I suspect you may be doing that from earlier in the thread you've said "I'd say 90% of colleagues are on board" then later you say 10 out of 30-which is 33%.
And the 4 who pulled out may have felt carried by you then when they went away and thought about it from both sides, actually disagreed.

I've certainly had times where I've listened to someone though that their points sounded great, but when I've gone away and thought quietly found that their points aren't as great as they made them sound.

I'm also a bit bemused as how you expected to be told other than the daily newsletter, which presumably was put in place to let you know what's happening while a lot of you are wfh. Surely it was better to you all to be told, in writing, at once rather than rumours going round?
If you were only working 2 days in the office, then they're not going to get you in all together to tell you. So the alternative is either telling you bit by bit (see my comments about rumour mill) or sending an email-which is no different really to a newsletter.

I would just negotiate for yourself, it's often more tricky if others get involved anyway. My OH has negotiated to work from home full time but others in his team haven't/don't, I don't think others following suit should be an excuse from them if you point out that no one actually needs to be in three days. And if they say that you can tell them that only 10 out of 30 expressed any interest in challenging it so they don't have to worry about everyone following suit.

It doesn't sound like management have handled the communication of this particularly well.

However, signing a petition or letter is frankly ridiculous.

If you are unhappy, you speak to your line manager. Explain your concerns. You seem to have done this, so there isn't anything else to be done.

Yes, you do have to accept it, that's how employment works. Aligning it with fighting for women's equality isn't logical at all.

If you really don't like it, of course you can look for another job.

Not feeling strongly about it from the get-go is acceptable. Pretending to feel strongly about it then laying low when it matters is crap behaviour.

Well the thing is my line manager never listens or says anything other than the "party line". This was apparent when members of our team were in difficult situations during covid, and were worried about vulnerable relatives whom they were living with etc. Her response - better that we all just get covid and get it over with, then we can get on with our lives. I've tried to negotiate/reason with her before. I've tried going to her boss, but he always defers to her wishes, as does the next boss up the chain. She has all the power. The thing is, we have developed a new way of working that is providing excellent service. We have had zero complaints, in fact we have been praised over and over, and everyone has asked that we remain working like this. Some people would like to come in more, but all we are asking for is some flexibility to organise ourselves.

@Ceci03

Well the thing is my line manager never listens or says anything other than the "party line". This was apparent when members of our team were in difficult situations during covid, and were worried about vulnerable relatives whom they were living with etc. Her response - better that we all just get covid and get it over with, then we can get on with our lives. I've tried to negotiate/reason with her before. I've tried going to her boss, but he always defers to her wishes, as does the next boss up the chain. She has all the power. The thing is, we have developed a new way of working that is providing excellent service. We have had zero complaints, in fact we have been praised over and over, and everyone has asked that we remain working like this. Some people would like to come in more, but all we are asking for is some flexibility to organise ourselves.

I don't think you sound unreasonable. However, this is the structure in place. Rightly or wrongly, the management team have decided this is the way they want to proceed.

Petitions are not a reasonable response.

I think it sounds like this employer is not meeting your needs and you should consider moving on. (I know that's not an immediate or easy solution though).