Change in Working from Home procedure

[HappyKite2067]

I have a fairly flexible job, I’m expected to be on site for certain meetings and activities but for the past 2 years, outside of this I could work from home. We are now being encouraged to be onsite more and although we don’t have a WFH policy, the procedure has changed. We now can only WFH limited days and we have to seek permission to do so. It feels like my job, which was previously very flexible and suited me, has turned into quite a micro managed job. Am I being unreasonable to think this is something to be bothered about, and raise with HR? Or are most work places now starting to push staff back into the office?

you say you like to get admin done on quiet days, do you mean work related admin off to life admin?

either way it is all about what is in your contract

my contract stipulates work at office but can be from home on request

Lots of companies are doing this now.

If you want a wfh/fully flexible job, you need to go and get one. Make sure it's clearly spelt out in the contract.

My job is similar (sometimes we work 70-hour weeks and collaborate a lot - that's when I come into the office - and sometimes it's a bit quieter and I can do admin work at home in peace). It would annoy the hell out of me if I had to ask someone for permission. I'm best at organising my own time, my manager knows this and lets me get on with it. As long as my performance is good, no one cares.
That said, my company has also introduced an app that's used to book offices for attendance days (we are now officially "hot desking"...) and if we are not in the office, we are supposed to select whether we are at the client's or WFH. There is an option for the management to approve WFH days, similar to vacation days, but my manager turned it off immediately, and so did I for my team. It's enough for me to know where my people are. But I know that some other senior managers have kept this option.
Personally, I find that such tools are often used as an ugly power play on the part of the managers. All it does is scare away good, reliable employees who don't want to be treated like children.

The only reason why I took my current job with a charity was that they offered flexible working.

I was told at the interview stage that everyone in my team worked from home and that I would only need to attend their small office for quarterly staff meeting or if there was a specific event that require me to be there. I was given an hybrid contract.

They knew at the time that I live 2.5 hour each way from the office. I also declared a long term health condition (the reason why I seek jobs that offer remote working).

Then six month into the job I was told to be in the office once a month, then two weeks later I was told that I would need to be in the office once a week to 'show my face'.

This is not what I had signed up for and it would make no financial sense for me to commute every week as the salary is not great and the flexible working is the only reason why I took the job in the first place.I felt completely mislead by the company and had to remind them that I have a long term health condition and requested home working as a reasonable adjustment. Occupational Health became involved in the end.

This has really soured the relationship with the company for the past year and I have been ostracised and undermined to the point where I am considering claiming unfair dismissal. I think they are hoping I will quit so they don't have to go through a redundancy process but I am not going to do them that favour...

The point is WFH is a life line for people like me who are disabled/have long term health conditions and employers who put in place blanket attendance policies really come across as micro-managing dinosaurs.

For those that say people are bunking off to do other things like household chores, its entirely possible to do those things spaced out throughout the day. People are still entitled to breaks from their desks as they need to move about, and I'm not just talking about lunch breaks. Obviously picking kids up from school is different, but then that would be requested through flexible working.

sadly there is a current trend to get everyone back in the office as much as possible - I had hopes that wfh/hybrid was here to stay.

Not much you can do really, even if it's in your contract they can easily change that by going through the correct procedures.

In that case I'd start looking elsewhere.

It's possible there might be a custom and practice argument, although if there is you're probably not going to get much sensible advice on the point on AIBU. But it's better not to be somewhere that your preferred working arrangement is seen as a concession, something that's had to be fought for.

There's lots of variation in what other workplaces are doing. Some are trying to get people in more, some are succeeding at that, some are failing, some don't give a shit. The ones that tend to get most publicity are the first two. Articles about how people continue to work remotely in exactly the same way as they have for several years aren't such good copy.

You can't blame them when a lot are taking the piss!!!

If they're no longer offering that flexibility that don't be flexible either. If you do over your hours on travelling or whatever the arrangement is then record them, don't just do extra, same when in office. It sounds like you are already very open to being in office when it makes sense so it's not like you're hiding away at home, although they can ask people to be in, I can see why you're annoyed.

I don't think it's fair for it to be normal expectation that employees to wfh 99% of the time then do a 180 degrees turn and want them in the office 99% of the time.
I doubt OP is the only employee feing like this.
Do you have a union?
You could talk to them or an employment solicitor to see if WFH would come under "custom and practice" and try and fight it. Would help if other employees are also prepared to fight it.
Or you could put in a formal flexible working request to WFH and if agreed get WFH stated in your contract
Or you can look for a new job.

I don't see this at all. I put my washing on before I start working, whilst eating my breakfast, then hang it out. All done before I start work. If it starts raining I'll go and bring it in which takes a couple of minutes.

I go to the gym during my lunch hour, but I take a late one to avoid people who go in a set 12-2 lunch break.

I'm still doing the same 9-5 hours but I'm not restricted to the same hours as everyone else. If I need to go to the shop I go on the way to the gym or take a 10 minute break and walk to the local shop.

I'm on here right now as I'm trying to get my head into work and it's not working. I'd be doing the same if I was in the office but I'd probably be talking to a colleague instead of on Mumsnet.

Agree. The whole push against WFH at the moment seems to have become a bit of a dick measuring competition between employers.

OP you should direct your anger at the piss-takers, who have used WTF as an excuse to do much less work than they’re contracted to. We all see them - on MN and in real life. There are posters on here who have babies and never organise paid childcare as they WFH! And I know people who play golf, go to the gym, collect their kids, go shopping etc etc all while “working” from home. Unfortunately, companies are having bring everyone back in, because of the ones who take the piss.

She's got an employer who expects to have it all ways. Her anger should be directed at that employer.

I would find this really frustrating and find it annoying that companies are pushing for more office time when the current way is working for everyone

I would send an email every Friday afternoon detailing your plans for the following week, including planned travel days etc and stating when you'll be working from home with a 'let me know if that's not ok' at the end so the 'permission' is implied if your line manager doesn't respond - hopefully when they realise how much extra time you are working when traveling etc they'll leave you to it

Is it possible to agree a method of notifying your manager you will be WFH without it feeling like asking for permission. As a manager I'd be happy to accommodate this for trusted workers. E.g. just send me a calendar invite for the days you are WFH and I will flag if any cause me any concern, maybe because something is happening that day that you should be in the office for etc.

I'm an employer and we have no plans to change everyone's wfh, at the moment they are in the office one day a month.

It doesn't make sense because commuting is dead time for everyone, and the amount they save in time is crazy - it gives you years extra on your life. Plus they save large amounts petrol/transport money, which means they're effectively on a bigger salary vs me paying them more. On top of that, what's the point forcing everyone to come in for literally no reason when they can do the same job at home and be happier and richer.

I love my job but I'm doing a course at the moment which I have paid, for to broaden my skill set and allow me, I hope, to work for myself. This is all because although I have hybrid working at the moment I only really want to WFH and in the most flexible way possible. Sadly I think the days of hybrid/WFH if you work for a company or organisation are coming to an end. It's the commute for me. I see it as completely pointless to commute into an office to do the work I can do at home. It's so ridiculous.

But not everyone is taking the piss, I was allowed to do the school run, I don't have to anymore. We are discouraged from organising meetings over the 'school run' times. I have a gym at home so use that at lunch time. We are encouraged to go for walks whilst on meetings where we don't need our screen. As long as over a month we do our contracted hours we aren't dictated what hours we do we can be as flexible as we want and are trusted to manage our own time/work.

I would submit a flexible working request (see template on .gov site). I woukd say I wa t to work flexibly and state how it works for the job (being away for work all week) and for your work/life balance. If they reject it I would not be working away for a week unless it's in my contract, I'd have commitments that nake that impossible.

@HappyKite2067 in your situation reading what you do I would basically throw a tantrum. I did it in my previous job where they picked up what time I came in but didn’t take into account what time I left, in the end obviously they don’t want someone just stopping work at 5.30. If they stop being flexible with you I would be pushing back and trying to stop being flexible/as flexible with them. I’m office based now 5 days a week but half the time I’m out on sites etc so sometimes I’m not even there and my manager doesn’t mind if I want to work from home if I need to or want to…because they appreciate that I am flexible myself

I think many of these problems arise from poor, unskilled, less-engaged or - in some cases - simply lazy management.

I've a lot of leadership experience. I find that those managers who push against WFH tend to be those least equipped to be managers.

This sounds harsh, but a skilled manager doesn't worry about WFH. They are equipped to support staff in ways that ensure that work objectives are met.

So my response would be to sit manager down and explain, that as the wfh flexibility is being restricted by the employer you are finding it harder to balance demands of work and home. Point out it is stressful and tiring to be micro managed and there have been no complaints about your work.

Therefore you will no longer travel on weekends for work. That ends now, as you find it too tiring when you are working in the office more often.

Also if you are required to work away from home, you will set out at the normal time you’d set out to reach the office. You won’t be travelling in your own time.

in the office I would also enforce your full lunc break away from your desk and don’t work overtime.

This is not an unreasonable restriction of your flexibility

As always a few bad eggs have ruined it for everyone. In the UK its hard to fire people, so its just easier to force everyone back into the office. Sux.

@HappyKite2067

How difficult would it be to get another job if it came to that?

if you could walk into another role fairly quickly/easily then I'd write to them stating that you work on site (at the office, clients, whatever) whenever it is required & wfh when that's more suitable. You work weekends, evenings & away from home all when required. However, if they are going to start micromanaging your schedule, you are going to be looking very carefully & working to your contract or looking for a new role.

word it better (I'm underslept & under caffeinated!!) but basically tell them to knob off unless they want you working to rule if leaving. It's not like they've got any issues with what YOU have been achieving.