is my colleague unreasonable?

[ipal]

I am based in the North of England and I am on a fully remote employment contract for a company in London. The reason why the company recruited a fully remote team is because they find it difficult to hire people in London with my specific skill set. They have a team in London as well and before the pandemic this team worked in the office of my company in London. During the pandemic, everyone in London worked from home and now the company is asking everyone in London to return 2 days a week to the office and the remaining 3 days they can work at home. A London-based colleague of mine had a bit of a run-in with our boss during a zoom call, because she said she only wants to work at the office 1 day, not 2 days. Our boss told her in a nice but firm way that basically she has no other choice to work at the office for 2 days. Today we had a teamevent and she told me that she had asked for a meeting with our boss next week. She said that she will tell my boss it's unfair that she has to work 2 days in the office if there's other people like myself who are on a fully remote contract.

So I am wondering - is my colleague unreasonable or does she have a point? I can see both sides. On the one hand I think a company can set the rules of your employment. On the other hand I can understand her that she finds it hard commuting to the office in London and I think the company should work together with her.

What does mumsnet think?

I would keep out of it and stay neutral. Your employment contract was always remote based, hers was office based, if she talks about it again say the same thing, at a push say you can see the pros and cons of both, but it is not relevant to you as your employment contract is remote.

If she wants to try to renegotiate her own contract it has nothing to do with yours.

You both have different contracts. I would stay out of it as much as you can.

What are her reasons for not wanting to go in?

I would stay out of it as well, thing she won't realise is by pushing back it unfortunately makes her look a bit silly and it won't go unnoticed by HR.

Her reason is her commute. She says that although she lives in London the commute is quite long to the office.

Stay absolutely out of it.

It’s perfectly reasonable they want her in twice a week, for lots of jobs some face time is really important. They knew when they hired you couldn’t commute, and either they think it’s less important for your role, or they were willing to suck it up to get the right person. You were hired under different circumstances so while it might be galling for her, it isn’t unfair.

It depends on her contract and the needs of her role, which can't be compared to anyone else. Some things are just easier face to face. If she wants to renegotiate her contract, she can see if that is an option.

I think both her position and her management's position are reasonable. But her management ultimately pay her wages so I guess they call the shots.

Absolutely stay out of this. You have different contracts.

Her contract may have London weighting or additional amount added to it for office based requirements, whereas yours was written and interviewed for differently.

It's for your employer to sort out with her if she is unable to fulfil her contract.

Your colleague should not be trying to draw you into this.

She would be better considering if she has a business case to make to her employer on her own merits, rather than the tactic she is trying to use right now.

(You'd be wise not to let yourself be used as a pawn in this. The fact you're asking MN shows that she's drawn you in too much already!)

London weighting for those working in inner London is often calculated at around £8,000-9,000 a year and £5,000 -7,000 for outer London weighting

For those commuting in , which was daily weekdays pre covid pandemic and for many even post pandemic is now less than daily couple times a week

(Before lots of posters reply, yes, many NMW or manual casual jobs not every firm pay anywhere near that level extra within London so it's not across the board.. that's not the point, it's illustrative)

As I said you are on different contracts

If your colleague feels she us underpaid for the requirements of her job, she Is able to make a business case to renegotiate her wages, her arrangements or seek alternative employment.

I say this has zero to do with you so stay out of it.

The employees should have refused to go back to the office.

Stay out of it, it's not your problem.

I'm in the same situation as your colleague. My boss wants me to return to the office 2 days a week, where currently it is one. That's fine if he's prepared to pay me the extra £400 a month gross it will cost in train, parking & petrol. I'm not paying out an extra 10% of my salary on a management whim.

Skills are so expensive in London, your colleague will be able to choose for themselves..

If people were paying the cost of travelling before the pandemic, what's the problem with paying for travelling after the pandemic? They did, after all, save a lot of money during the pandemic by not travelling then.

Stay out of this. Do NOT get involved.

Were you not doing this before covid?

I was thinking this. I've seen many threads where staff are resisting going back to the office.

If employers are simply expecting staff to return to their contractual place of work, for the same number of days, and the arrangement is the same as pre covid, people really don't have a leg to stand on. Preferring to work from home isn't a strong business case to refuse to return to the office.

Those who always worked remotely and their contract states that, should continue to do so.

No, I on-boarded during covid. And we've moved office twice.

I am not getting involved. It is between her and management and if she wants to negotiate a new contract, she certainly can.

I ki

I think you should stay out of it but I do think enforced office attendance is unreasonable. I have said this before but a WFH-first policy is one of the best things to have ever happened in working life.

I am just of the viewpoint that using the argument "it is unfair" is not a good argument to use when she talks with our manager. It would be physically impossible for me to commute to London every day and for many others.

She should rather talk about her strengths and use this as a reason why the company should be accommodating her request.

I know I am probably getting way to emotionally involved in this, since I am talking about it on mumsnet.

I think deep down I just find it annoying that my name will be brought up in a management meeting about a matter that has nothing to do with me.

HR here.

The organisation I now work for sent everyone home during Covid. They now want them back in 2-3 days a week. The idiots that moved away despite having contracts requiring them to work from London are now kicking up a fuss about being told to get themselves into the office (at their expense) or lose their London weighting.

They have no legal legs to stand on.

She is being ridiculous OP. She presumably gets London weighting in her salary. My view is that I worked in the office pre covid - we always had a bit of flexibility but people were expected in 3-4 days, going in for 2 only is a bonus. Sure she may have a commute, but unless her contract says differently then her employers can pick the location she works at.

If it's so hard to recruit staff in London, then she can find another role quite easily.

It's understandable you're not happy if your name gets brought up, but it does show worse on her than you.

She needs to negotiate her contract and responsibilities with her manager based on her own strengths and role, not telling tattle tales that it's not fair someone on a total different contract has different terms

If employers are simply expecting staff to return to their contractual place of work, for the same number of days, and the arrangement is the same as pre covid, people really don't have a leg to stand on. Preferring to work from home isn't a strong business case to refuse to return to the office.

Maybe, but with the staff shortages going on companies should think about what they need to offer employees to keep them onboard. Being flexible can help retain your staff.

Returning for 40% of the week rather than 100% is pretty flexible!

Stay out of it - your contact is nothing to do with her. I work in a similar situation and you wouldn't believe the number of London colleagues who get paid London weighting but are refusing to go to the office 2 days a week and also think they should keep their enhanced salary. One moved to bloody Newcastle 2 years ago but thinks she should keep her extra money and work at home 🤦‍♀️