My employer lied about flexible working - I want to leave.

[ConfusieSusie]

I joined a new organisation late last year, they offered me (along with the rest of the company) a Hybrid working arrangement whereby we would attend the office 3 days a week and WFH the other two days. We also had flexibility to WFH in instances where any of our children were sent home from school or nursery due to displaying any symptoms (this is an illness policy within school & childcare services across the board where I live).

What has actually transpired, is that we are required to be in the office every day, and MAY be able to WFH if it is absolutely necessary. However, if we take flexibility in a given week, we have to "make up for it" the next week by showing up every day. I am commuting 90 minutes each way and explained at the outset that flexibility was enormously important to me because of this, and would be one of the most influential factors in my decision to take any job offer. I feel completely duped, the majority of people doing my job in other companies are either on a Hybrid model or fully remote.

AIBU to hand in my notice? I have never left a job after only a few months but I feel very strongly about this.

Yep, do it. You'd have never taken it on these terms.

Absolutely. They mis sold that job to you. Is it written in the contract.

Absolutely.

You were completely mislead.

How very annoying.

You can hand in your notice for any reason or none, but the key point is what your contract says

Both employers and employees can say any nonsense at interview and often do, but it's what's in the paperwork that counts - though good luck trying to insist on anything if you're new, still in probation and with little protection

What does your contract say?

Did you turn down or not pursue other roles because of this job? I’d be suing for compensation.

We’re the hybrid working terms explained in an email? If so you could try arguing that they are contractually binding (providing you haven’t signed something later that says otherwise).

It’s worth checking your contract.
If WFH isn’t in your contract it’s still worth talking to them before you hand your notice in.

YANBU. I wouldn't take a job on those conditions.

I’d be suing for compensation.

Unless they're breaking the terms of a contract, this would be silly

You should have ensured this was all in your contract. If you have then ask them why they are not allowing you to do this.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

You can hand in your notice for any reason or none, but the key point is what your contract says

Both employers and employees can say any nonsense at interview and often do, but it's what's in the paperwork that counts - though good luck trying to insist on anything if you're new, still in probation and with little protection

Verbal terms can be contractually binding. It’s proving them that may be tricky.

(I’m dealing with a case where a manager who has now left made such verbal promises to new recruits during Covid. There are enough of them that it stacks up as a pattern and we’re trying to work something out to avoid having to re-recruit.)

The happened to me at DWP. Utter bastards practically made me beg on my knees to go part time, despite the advert saying part time and being asked a preference of hours to work (on the proviso I'd have to be flexible). Hours were 9 - 5. No part time and no flexibility. I'm not one to hold grudges but there is a special place in he'll for dwp staff in the office I worked.

Yanbu to give notice but I’d speak to them first and point out you accepted the role on the basis it was hybrid working. They may just shrug and waffle of course but if they realise you’re willing to leave over it they might have a rethink. You’ve nothing to lose by raising it if you’re prepared to quit anyway.

@returntoUK

Did you turn down or not pursue other roles because of this job? I’d be suing for compensation.

That's not a thing is it? Could you really do that? It sound a little unlikely

If it's a deal breaker for you OP and not in your contract then of course you wouldn't be unreasonable to leave, how could it be otherwise?

@Puzzledandpissedoff they haven't written anything into contracts yet, many companies haven't as it is still early days in the grander scheme of things. I was told that while it wouldn't be written into policy, I would absolutely have flexibility to work from home 2 days a week and in circumstances where I needed to. This was a huge focal point of discussion prior to me accepting the offer. I am now leaving my house at 7.30 every morning and not arriving home until 7pm.

We've now also been told that if there are children at home while we are working from home, that we need to take annual leave or unpaid leave. This part I understand to a larger extent, but where I live we are still in a scenario where children are being sent home from school for daring to cough!

Of course you can hand your notice in if a job isn't what you want. Why would you think otherwise?

Yanbu, that is unacceptable. Let them know by leaving.

Have you spoken to your manager and hr to outline your concern about being misled in regards to wrh. Explain that you made it an explicit condition of taking the job and you are finding the present situation problematic as it’s not what was discussed in interview

Check out the information about flexible working on the Working Families website

@returntoUK I wouldn't say that would be possible, nor would I be interested in pursuing it. As I'm on probation until next month, there would be no point trying to leverage anything!

I have never left a job after such a short time and would feel bad doing so. However, a colleague of mine whose son has a chronic cough which will take some weeks to clear has been told that if she can't attend the office to do her work that she should consider leaving, he job can and has been done from home the last 2 years. I just feel that's an awful way to treat someone, especially as working parents of young children are very stressed at the moment trying to manage absences and new school policies for illness.

@HairyMuttttt

Have you spoken to your manager and hr to outline your concern about being misled in regards to wrh. Explain that you made it an explicit condition of taking the job and you are finding the present situation problematic as it’s not what was discussed in interview

Have you tried this? Because I understand you handing in your notice if it's a dead end, but an absolutely explicit chat with your manager/HR should be your first step to see if you can work something out

Unfortunately, this is the result of the govt deciding Covid no longer exists. Yet almost 5 million people "thought" to currently be positive. So, children needing childcare, parents needing to provide it. Yet at the same time, workplaces being urged to get people back onto public transport and into town centres.

Employers had to guarantee things like hybrid/WFH/ but no longer need to. So, they aren't.

Unless it was written into a contract, then there's nothing you can do- there are informal job description terms, but the waters are also muddied by many of these coming into place during an "unprecedented worldwide pandemic" etc.

@HairyMuttttt unfortunately, I work in the HR department! So on top of feeling completely duped myself, we are dealing with many others coming to us feeling the same or just simply quitting. This almost makes it more difficult as my boss is imposing these conditions under orders from Senior Mgt. Just dreadful all round!

Of course you're NBU. They misled you and are inflexible. For this reason I'm not sure I'd bother trying to work anything out with your manager or HR either, because they don't sound like a good organisation to work for.