AIBU to continuously request hybrid working and think management are being unfair

[HelloWorld2577]

I work for a relatively small company. We have three offices over the country and yet only one of our offices works on a hybrid basis - I think this is unfair.

Just to clarify my role is admin. My role can be done the same from home as in the office and all offices have the same structure, we are all exactly the same just in different locations.

All staff at one of our offices work hybrid (60 home 40 office) - capacity of the office is not an issue, their office is actually larger than ours with less staff. Their manager simply said they work better when at home with less distractions (as we would too as it can get very loud).

However in the office I work in, and the other office we have, all admin must work in office 100% but ALL other staff including managers can work from home whenever they please and even have set days to be at home etc.

I personally feel the company are treating employees unfairly, but I don't think theres anything whatsoever that can stop them doing this - unless there is?!? All employees should be treated the same IMHO but they are not.

Every single time I bring it up they make ridiculous excuses. I've asked to WFH before when childcares been a problem (over half terms etc) and they've said 'no as you will be caring for your child'. I can slightly understand that. But when I have questioned the fact the other office WFH and we cannot they have said we need more staff before we can WFH ... makes no sense? They've said some newer team members would need training to WFH, but yet we have no manager in office as they WFH, so they don't get anymore support being in office they'd still have to call the manager.

Anyone know where I stand with this? Do I keep requesting it for our team or just leave it as theres nothing I can do? Surely employers should have to treat all employees the same?

Are all the admin women by any chance? You could make a case for indirect discrimination, if the only people not allowed to WFH are the women in the lowest paid job. It is also really unfair that the lowest paid incur the highest travel costs.

They probably think because you asked due to childcare issues and would potentially be looking after your kid at same time that this is the reason why you are requesting it and are reluctant to give it to you for that reason?

There is no requirement to treat everyone the same

Rather than 'bringing it up', you need to make a formal written request. The ACAS website has tips and a letter template. https://www.acas.org.uk/statutory-flexible-working-requests/making-a-request
However, if your request is refused you cannot reapply for a year. (note that you can appeal a refusal and in doing so, perhaps explore/negotiate if there is scope to agree a different proportion of wfh, less than what you'd have liked, but more than you have now). In my workplace we received a couple of flexible working applications that we have refused as the proportion of days wfh was too high (80%) to meet business needs - had the person appealed and sought to negotiate, we'd have accepted a slightly lower proportion. But as the people didn't appeal, the opportunity didn't come up, management never offered it voluntarily and it didn't happen. But if you do get granted it, don't take the piss and have young kids at home without childcare.

Agree with this. I know some people who actually wfh and have their children around, but none that would be so silly as to admit it to management. This is exactly why some employers don’t want their workers to wfh, because they suspect this is what’s happening.

YABU

If you want a WFH job, then get a WFH job.

Your job is not WFH.
It doesn’t matter if it can be done or not.

Just get a WFH job then?
You had a child knowing you needed childcare and took an office based role. It’s your responsibility to sort anything in the middle or look for alternatives.

You shot yourself in foot citing childcare. Wfh isn't for childcare. That's exactly one of the reasons not to allow wfh

If the admin staff not being allowed to wfh are all women you can claim discrimination. Talk to a union.

Urgh I hate the ‘kids at home while I’m working’ mob. Pay for childcare like the rest of the world and stop taking the utter piss.

Yes. Claim discrimination. See how good your working relationships are after that.

Are you a trade union member? They might be able to help you with this.

If they won’t budge, just get another job. Loads of hybrid/wfh admin jobs where I live.

Wow seems like not many people have understood the point of my post. It’s about them saying one rule for one office and another for mine. They previously allowed other staff before I joined to wfh when needed due to lack of childcare. I was under the assumption they would treat me the same. I pay £1500 for my youngest to go to nursery 5 days a week. The childcare I mentioned in half term is a lot of decent clubs don’t run my full working hours. So I was going to get a friend to drop my daughter (who’s 11) home for the final part of my work day and I was completely transparent with my work. She requires minimal care for this short period of time and I can do my full job role on my own laptop. Purely a processing role.

ADDITIONALLY- there are men in the office who have set working from home days that their partner is at work so they care for their kids at home and do their work from home. Toddler aged that are screaming in the background when you call them about work.

So one rule for them one rule for us. It’s frustrating.

all other members of the team have had their requests rejected also, all childless. They simply won’t allow us but will allow our other offices admin to wfh. I did not say ‘can I work from home because I want my kids with me’ they go to school and nursery.

Your responses on this thread - defensive, full of assumptions, not able to see why this decision has been made - just underlines why management have made the decision they have, and why you haven't got anywhere in your negotiations.

You need to understand that this was a business decision by them, and you need to try and negotiate your request on business terms.

Any sort of "one rule for them and one for us" mentality just makes you seem really silly, and misses the point. You need to frame your request in a way that makes it clear that they - not just you - will benefit from your wfh.

If you're only admin there are a million remote admin jobs put there, just leave.

Is it really worth putting your poor child in 5 days a week nursery when you just work admin? I'd go remote part time and cut the nursery hours.

"Just work admin" can be quite well paid if it's the right admin. Don't be so sneery

Unlikely to be more than 30k max I would have thought. So not worth £1500 nursery bill.

I've asked to WFH before when childcares been a problem (over half terms etc) and they've said 'no as you will be caring for your child’.

This right here will be why they are saying no. Wfh is not an answer for needing childcare and if you think it is, you wfh is probably going to be an issue.

Wfh doesn't mean you don't need childcare. When I'm working from home my kids are at the childminder after school.

Is it really only admin staff not allowed to wfh?

Is there anything about your role that differs from what others do that is being used to justify you not being able to do it effectively at home?

I would be so pissed off if my fellow admin person reckoned she was working whilst babysitting her kids at the same time.

Submit a formal flexible working request. Specify clearly what you require and how any impact to the business will be mitigated. They will have to hold a meeting with you within 28 days to discuss your request or any alternative proposals, and issue an outcome within 14 days. They can cite specific business reasons to reject your request. You can appeal the decision and your appeal will be heard by a more senior manager. There is now the statutory right to submit two requests per year.