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.

I am starting a new role, 100% remote. However, my contract specifically states that it is remote.

Leave. Tell them why and tell your new employer why.

Yes I would hand in my notice without a doubt.

[quote ConfusieSusie]@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![/quote]
nothinmg in writing....good luck with that one!

Hand in your notice - but not until you have another job lined up.

Don't leave yourself high and dry without a job.

Then when you do hand in your notice, make sure you tell your employer why you're leaving.

You could even use it as a negotiating point - once you have another job offer, tell your employer, and tell them you'd consider staying if they would stick to the original terms and - crucially - get it written into your contract.

What type of company is it, if you can tell us without giving the game away?

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

Oh dear

As OnceAgainWithFeeling correctly said, verbal agreements can count, but it's proving it that's the issue - though if you've got several people complaining because they were told the same that might help.
Trouble is, they'll almost certainly claim "recollections may vary" (sorry!) and that employees are choosing to remember only what they want to

Personally, I'd just start the jobsearch somewhere else ...

OP “ I have never left a job after such a short time and would feel bad doing so.”
Why? They would drop you in a New York minute.
Just leave.
But next time make sure the contract reflects reality. Otherwise you might as well not have one.
I left a job in three weeks as the workload was insane. They were pissed off because they felt the interview process was rigorous. Which it was, but if you don don’t say the words “insane workload” the candidates won’t know.

OP, I left a job after two weeks, because it turned out to have far more project management responsibilities than I had been led to believe during the interview process.

I am dyslexic, and perform really well in the technical aspects of my job, but project management is far more challenging due to poor working memory hampering my organisational skills. This mismatch between what I was expecting to do in the job and what it turned out to be was a real deal breaker for me.

After I quit, the same recruiter that found me the mismatched role sent my CV out for other roles, and she landed me an interview with somewhere that was a much better fit within a month, and I started the following month. Over two years later, and I am still working there.

When I gave my notice (which was only a week during probation) I told the previous employers that it just wasn't going to work, as the role was nothing like what I was expecting based on the interview (which involved multiple rounds testing my technical skills, and had no mention of project management).

I would start looking for a new job.

I left a job after 3 months before. I had been completely lied to about the role which is why I started looking but then found out he was messing with my professional qualifications so quit without notice! I had a new job by the following week, in a not great recruitment markets.
I would suggest you give notice, your employer has lied to you but it's not horrendous. What mine did may have stopped me qualifying and I was angry.

Bin them off.

Go to a company that keeps its word.

I wouldn’t feel bad for the employer as they don’t actually sound like they are treating their employees in a way that deserves any sympathy. If you are worried about how it looks on your CV being there for a short period, I wouldn’t be too worried as you have mentioned that in previous roles you have been with other companies for long periods. The role, wasn’t what you thought it was going to be, simples. I’ve hired people before who have left their previous roles as it wasn’t for them. It’s a valid reason for leaving. If feeling bad is the only thing from stopping you leaving, leave. I’m sure they don’t feel bad for duping you regarding the working conditions.

[quote Kaftankween]@Laptopsandmouses -entitled to put in place the policy that meets the business need? It doesn’t meet the business need if you demotivate staff and find people leaving and not giving of their best.
People performance is at the very heart of business need. Work is an activity not a place.[/quote]
Actually, lots of people have loved home/flexible working but it has caused issues for employers and continuing it on a permanent basis now we are not in emergency Covid measures has significant implications contractually, and in terms of tax and health and safety.

Not to mention that there are often tasks that cannot be undertaken from home/not everyone has been productive (particularly with children at home). The business is allowed to protect itself.

On the children thing, working from home with primary school age children in the house isn’t sustainable and never was. Parents have always required childcare in order to work, and unfortunately a lot of people are taking the piss at the moment

Also very true
Among the pisstakers the narrative seems to be that "It worked perfectly well during lockdown so why shouldn't I still do it?", which ignores two issues ... firstly that lockdown was an exceptional circumstance, and secondly that employer/employee views of something working well aren't necessarily the same

Just quit, employers are ten a penny, and they’re learning they’ll have to up their game if they want to keep employees.
I wouldn’t keep going on about kids though, that’s a problem for people who chose to have a kid, not their employers.

Unless its written into your contract, or in an email, then they can go back on their promises if they want to.
They ANBU to change their minds and YANBU to hand in your notice.

YABU not to have pushed for this agreement to be in writing. If you work in HR, you should know better (and know to be in a union too).

I negotiated a home based contract when I started my job 6 months ago (cause I'm disabled) and they told me travel would be only occasional. If that changes, I would also look for something else.

Also loyalty to an employer is utterly pointless, and degrading. If something doesn’t serve your life correctly, bin it.

I haven't read the whole thread

Have you actually applied for flexible working in writing via an official process to your employer ?

If they decline your official request in writing, then start looking for a new job

@RosesAndHellebores

I hold a senior position in HR and no you wouldn't be unreasonable to leave as it sounds as though the psychological contract has been broken.

However it is worth having an open and honest discussion with your manager or the director of service.

FWIW I was amazed at how my team transitioned to remote working but leadership during that period was intense. We are operating to a hybrid system for staff who are not customer facing. All non customer facing staff must be in three days a week and there is a rota to ensure we have enough staff at various levels in on any one day.

It has been made crystal clear that hybrid working is a trial and could change at any time but with notice. I have observed that staff hired during lockdown have been far more resistant to come to the office than longer standing staff. Whether that's something to do with existing relationships and the fact that work is a social construct I am not yet sure.

I wonder op if it was always a bit silly to take a job with such a long commute when a return to the office was inevitable at some stage, hybrid or not.

Yes, this is my experience too. (Also senior HR.)

@PuddleR1ddle

I haven't read the whole thread

Have you actually applied for flexible working in writing via an official process to your employer ?

If they decline your official request in writing, then start looking for a new job

Doesn’t look like the OP has worked there long enough to be eligible for a FWR yet. And there is no guarantee they would approve it.

ALLyour discussions were verbal?
Absolutely NOTHING in writing to confirm what was agreed?

And you work in HR??

@RosesAndHellebores

My organisation is in London and we pay London Weighting. If exceptions are made for some staff to work entirely remotely or only to come in occasionally because they live so far away, should we continue to pay them London weighting?

We’re stripping it out for those not attending at least twice a week. Never seen so many people in the office!

(National organisation so if people have moved out of London (and lots have) they can attend a local office but not get the London weighting for doing so.

Not only should you hand in your notice, I'd be encouraging everyone else who was duped to do the same. En masse.

Sounds like mgmnt needs a kick up the behind reality check.

It's an employee's market in many sectors at the moment... take advantage of it.