End of Mat Leave and WFH

[TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis]

Hi all

I returned from Mat Leave after 10 months in August, with my husband doing the last two months as SPL. My son is now in nursery three days a week, and we both work five days compressed into four.

I completely underestimated the impact of returning to work, because before my husband was caring for our child in our house. The adjustment is hard, and I went back full time cold turkey.

My office requires 40% attendance, the nearest offices are 2h away. They removed this requirement and barred me from the office when I was pregnant due to high risk factors, so I haven't been in for months. My team has always had below-target attendance because it really doesn't suit our tasks.

WIBU to now ask for a phased return in the form of WFH whilst I'm still breastfeeding?

It's the thing that really causes issues because I can't express (I've really tried but it takes over an hour to produce one measly feed!), and I can't be back to feed my son without turning back practically after I arrived.

Whenever I have attended the offices in the past, 9/10 either the person I have come to meet has cancelled and attended virtually, or they've cancelled altogether.

I’d use the business reasons over the breastfeeding one too. Not because there’s anything wrong with breastfeeding or it shouldn’t be a consideration for them, but because the business reasons are stronger and you have an OH report as back up anyway.

I never really understand how compressed hours help anyone

You just have an even longer day (its hard to manage childcare long enough to cover a standard 9-5.30 with a commute, let alone trying to do 8-6.30 pm or whatever.

How do the childcare drop offs and pick ups work on the 2/3 days you are both in office

I do resent people who spoil wfh for everyone else by taking hybrid jobs with clear minimum office requirements and long commutes they can't manage. At my work we have a core minority who basically thought they'd get away with only coming in one (or no) daysa week and living 2/3 hours away, raking it in getting London wages & living in the midlands etc. As a result the company has now increased the minimum time in the office from 2 to 3 days, just to get those people in. Most of them have joined the company knowing full well its hybrid, not remote, and literally just planned to take the piss from day one.

If you want a remote job, apply for a remote job! If you want to be near home to feed your baby on lunch etc, thats your personal circumstances, choose a job near home or a home nearer the office.

Well I would say you have nothing to lose by asking , but bear in mind they could say no ...
What would you do then ? Are you likely to leave and find another similar position where you can wfh more or exclusively ?

Well, it's a long and outing story, but honestly, this company has done a shit ton of restructures in the past few years. Fired a quarter of their staff, rehired half of them, are now doing redundancies and restructures again.

I did ask and expect to be put on the more local office which would be a lot more manageable, but my team are default put on London even though we work for core operations. Before I was pregnant I split my time between the two, and my plan would be to do the same in 3-4 months when I am phasing out BF, he's settled in nursery, and the confidential project is concluded.

They weren't bang on at all. Was a ridiculous comment

In the short term I'd just have to fail to meet the target (maybe hit 20% not 40%) and have to catch up in the new year.

As I said, my team has always been underperformers for this particular target, because a) it's industry standard for people in these roles to WFH and b) the type of work usually means we have to focus on these sort of projects by ourselves.

I've just noticed that the private working booths and desk dividers aren't even set up yet at the new London office!

A lot more women left the workforce after mat leave.

It's super interesting but WFH after mat leave has led to way more women staying in work long term.

Yup ita a godsend