New manager want me in the office. I wfh-help!

[Stressedgiraffe]

We've changed management structure so my new manager wants me in the office. Ideally once a week but might settle for every month.
I've been there over 2 years. I wfh permanently but my contract says HQ.
I live 5 hours away always have done. They knew where I lived when I started. I go into the office about every 3/4 months for a few days .
Could I push for a change in location in my contract or do you think I'm screwed?

Gosh... Haven't they heard of constructive dismissal?!

Lovely that she wants people in the office but unfortunately you work on a niche remote team and you probably wouldn't be the best person to manage projects in an area you nothing about. I would be saying things like "Are you pushing me into resigning?" "So you want me to do a completely different job in a completely different location that I'm not qualified to do?" Get HR on your side promptly and any Union if you have one.

They will likely beef up the reason, make it linked to business need in some way.

Thats if they want to give OP the heave-ho, which sounds likely. If they value her they may come to some compromise.

Er... HR isn't there to get on side, they are there to protect the interests of those running the company.

Actually I would call ACAS before speaking to HR. They were very helpful when DD needed advice.

Ignore the jealous types who are only on here to make thinly veiled 'HAHA's at you, and celebrate your suffering.

If you have it in writing that it's remote, then that's important. It might not save you, but it will be something. Don't expect HR to back you up though - most of them are spineless in this situation and exist to support management and the business, not the underlings.

Your manager seems to be trying to scare and bully you into this, to make some kind of point about her authority. She sees you as an easy target and probably has been given targets by her own management to fulfil when to remote workers. Because of that, I would get to HR first if you can. They might take you up on this, so be careful, but in your shoes I would ask them to put it in writing that they want to change the terms of your initial employment and that they are willing to sack you if you don't agree.

Honestly....this isn't worth the aggravation from your company. You live 5 hrs away ffs!!!

As you’ve been doing WFH for two years it can be considered an assumed contract term even though not specifically in your contract. Therefore the onus is on them to justify why they are now needing to change your terms.

This exactly! Its almost a flight away, a short one but never the less…

have you been reading this with your eyes closed? She was headhunted and has it in writing she is in a remote wfh role. read the posts

The position was confirmed by HR to be remote, so they shouldn't be trying to change your job spec. It is very unreasonable seeing as how far away you live. I would be very careful as this smacks of constructive dismissal to me. Maybe they want to get rid of you for some reason, and are going to make things difficult so you'll leave. Stand your ground. Good luck!

Will call acas tomorrow. Also was venting to a colleague today and she's given me the name of an employer lawyer who'll talk to me for free.

Get back to the office or get another job.

Why should she? No, seriously? They headhunted Op for the role, assured her it was remote, and gave her a contract stating remote working, provided her with home working equipment etc. Why should she just agree that they can make it office based for no good reason?

gave her a contract stating remote working

I thought her contract said working in the office... has that changed since earlier in the thread?

most are going back to office..
it's being phased out

Total bullshit to make people believe it's normal to full time work in the office these days. Look I can do it the other way around too:

Most office people do wfh these days

Wfh will becoming more and more the norm and will continue to be so

Most people believe wfh is the future as its better for the environment and work life balance

See...

Sorry but contract says HQ. So it is not an easy one.

I don't think custom and practice would cancel out a clear written contractual term?

Edited as I didn't see your later posts. It's obviously a bit more complex than that. I'd talk to the employment lawyer. If you have house insurance with legal expenses insurance that might be worth looking at too?

Her contract says HQ.

In her fourth post, Op found the original job details and it said remote.

This so sad and so unfair. Constructive dismissal sounds great, but actually isn't, you get a small payout, and you still need to then get a new job. How is that a win?

It was wfh and now one manager decides it isn't. Even if the contract doesn't specify it is wfh, she's been doing it, after a certain number of weeks it becomes ….. suggests it is inferred, has become ‘custom and practice, after x time.

None of this helps Op, even if she gets a payout, she's still almost lost her job, because this new manager wants bums on seats.

In Op’s fourth post.

An office 5 hours away is an office 5 hours away…remote or not my lovely!

No, her 4th post said this:

I've found the original job spec and it's a remote position as well as emails before I started with HR confirming its remote with occasional visits to the office.

Her contract said her job is in the office. HQ told her there would be occasional visits to the office. But the OP is expecting to NEVER go into the office...?

Quote from OP

do you...not understand what the word 'remote' means? 😂

it's irrelevant whether the office is five minutes travel from her home, five hours or 2 days, remote=do not have to come to office!

One of the things that is really pissing me off is I was there for 3 days a fortnight ago for workshops. At expense £500 or there abouts.so it's not like I never go there. Training workshops etc I go !