To not be sure about this job due to days in office?

[LikeAKipper]

I've just been offered a role at a great company. I've been job hunting quite a while - I actually love the job I do, but the culture at my current company is not the best. This new role would be a very similar job but much nicer culture (I think).

BUT - I'm quite put off by the fact it's 3 full days in the office, and fulltime. I've currently been compressed hours (5 days work over 4 days meaning I get an extended weekend). I'm also currently fully remote. I know some people hate WFH but i love it. I find being in an office very hard to concentrate and whilst I love short stretches of socialising, find whole days quite draining. I love the "comfort" of having my home and dog near me and find I get way more done at home- not to mention saving the time commuting etc.

Is it unreasonable to not be sure on that basis? It is slightly more £, but marginal.

It is entirely fair to go back of their offer and state that “you are thrilled at the opportunity to work with them, and understand the importance of face to face collaboration but would like to negotiate it to two days one week, one day the next.”

I would also calculate the cost of commute and add that into a further salary negotiation. When you move roles you have the greatest capacity to increase remuneration.

If they’re more than a tiny organisation then they’ll be expecting this.

Also, request compressed hours again. They can only say no.

Thanks @TheBiscuitStrikesBack I did tentatively query the hours in office at the final interview and got told the CEO is very keen on bums on seats - I think as part of their one big family culture (lots of team socialising etc), and that my line manager is making sure all new employees realise there's an expectation to be in the office, so I don't reckon there'll be much wiggle room although they did say the odd day that needed to be from home would be OK.

It's strange as the advert sounded very flexible but I've been learning whilst job hunting that a lot which describe themselves as remote or hybrid don't really mean that.

I think there could be some wiggle room on compressed hours though so might ask as hadn't mentioned that so far.

*roles in the first response should read organisations

Genuinely believe that if they want you they’ll flex on the home working. Good luck with it! Let us know how the conversation pans out.

Do it!
Job hunting a while
Ajob you love
wanted to move for a while

You don’t just want to do this, you need to do this. It will be an adjustment but how would you feel if you said no?

Also enquire about a 9 day fortnight and also explain whilst you are happy to do more days in the office initially you are more productive WFH and would like to trail only being in 2 days per week after the first 6 weeks or similar.

The advert is correct in that it is hybrid working, 3 days in the office and 2 at home. What do you expect from an advert that says hybrid working? I’m assuming you knew it was full time when you applied as if you’re looking for part time why did you apply? I honestly don’t see what the issue is, 3 days in the office isn’t a big deal. Why should the company pay you to enjoy ‘home comforts’? If you want a job that’s fully remote apply for one that states it is fully remote.

What's a 9 day fortnight @RandomMess ? Not heard of that one before

9 day fortnight is pretty common in my firm you do ft over 9 days, most take every second Friday as their off day.

I think fully remote roles are going to disappear and depending on your line of work they'll say no to your request of remote working if they are trying to get bums back on seats. It'll set a precedent that they have presumably being trying to reverse.

I would run far away from anyone that calls their business “one big family”. If you hate being in the office, you will hate the forced fun of socialising with your colleagues.

That's a good point, although I do want a friendly culture where people actually make an effort to be civil to each other!

DON'T DO IT - you'll regret it.

I wouldn’t do it

The 'one big family' is corporate speak for, "I can emotionally manipulate you whenever I choose to."

Workplaces are not families there is no loyalty it's work and they will replace you in a heartbeat if needs be. That rubbish talk alone would tell me it's a toxic environment.

Even though you don't like the culture in your current office, you are shielded from it by being fully remote.

If it is marginally more money, it is not worth the risk. Joining 'one big family' sounds a cult. For 3 days in the office and not much extra money, no thanks.

“One big family” and “CEO likes bums on seats” means I wouldn’t be working there as like PPs say they’ll most likely be emotionally manipulative.

Anywhere that has such an antiquated "bums on seats" presenteeism culture FT and won't consider compressed working is going to be old fashioned in a lot of other ways too.

I'd stay where you are keep looking.

I WFH and save a fortune compared with commuting and office costs. I also save over 15 hours a week. Would never take anything requiring me to do an additional half a job.

No way

I love working from home and wouldn’t work for a company that insists on bums on seats for the sake of it

most decent companies recognise that to get the right people you have to let people works in the way that suits them

Despite mumsnet thinking everyone working from home does no work, I get far more done at home

In my industry working from home was common way before Covid and we have offices across the country so the need to be an office is negated by the fact half the time my colleagues aren’t based in ‘my’ office

i wouldn’t take a role that would make me sacrifice my time to commute in either, work life balance is the most important thing for me

and a company that is one big happy family yet inflexible to letting colleagues work how it best suits would be a no from me 🚩

I'd ask for full time compressed over 4 days - you're already doing it anyway, and you'll loss your commuting time. And then in the office two days per week only.

There's no way I'd give up WFH unless it was 100% necessary - like losing my remote roll and needing to pay the bills.

'Bums on seats' is an awful culture.

It's worth applying and seeing if you can negotiate, my role is meant to be 2 days a week in office but I have informally negotiated 2 days a month (albeit it unofficially so could be revoked at any time).

That said I do understand, there's a role I'm interested in that I know is more likely to enforce 2 days a week in office, and despite the fact it's not too bad a commute I just don't think I can do it...I've got some a good work life balance right now and feel on top of everything, my youngest is in year 5, I think I will reconsider when he's in high school and not requiring school run, but right now I can't bring myself to rock the boat. I'm taking care to ensure I don't stagnate in this role for ease though, doing some qualifications and extra work to keep CV colourful, I've not been in it very long anyway.

I guess it's a case of weighing everything up, but I'd def apply and take it from there.

Sorry for my poor comprehension, I see you've got the role (well done!) and they're not seemingly open to negotiation. I really don't know what id do...but I think 2 days a week would be my absolute limit atm.

This is a good point - it would actually be quite difficult to go back to the office when you're used to WFH. I think I'd struggle with more than one day per week in the office now.

My employer has recently forced us back into the office three fixed days a week (we've been doing two flexible days for the last couple of years but they now want us in Tuesday to Thursday and I hate it. I'm actively looking for a fully wfh role, although I appreciate they're getting more rare now things are settled post-covid. I hate the commute, I hate the noise, I hate having to rush home to get back in time to collect the kids. No way I'd go from wfh to back in the office if I didn't have to.