Employers hell bent on working in the office full time

[NewDayNewLife25]

Anyone else currently job searching and noticed the same thing?

I'm utterly miserable in my current role which is unfortunate as I've been there for 4 years and use to love it, but a new manager has changed things. I've always worked from home.

Anyway, I've been applying for jobs, mainly remote/hybrid working but also a few office based roles. I always state in my cover letter what I'm looking for, and my address is on my CV too.

A few employers have contacted me, saying that I'm perfect for the role, have all the experience/skills that's required and that they think I would make a great addition to the team. But as soon as I've asked about the working set up, that's it, done. They won't entertain it and decline my application.

I just think it's a shame. I know that they probably have plenty of applications, but surely it's more important to hire the right person, with the right skills and experience. Not just because that person happens to live near the office. Half the time they can't even explain why they need the person in the office. Is it control?

I'm fed up already!

It takes a lot to admit defeat.. I applauded you and wish you happiness, on your lonesome.

I don’t doubt there are some businesses who have a high degree of flexibility and for whom hybrid/ wfh works. But I really don’t understand the assertion that wfh not working for an organisation is usually because of poor management. It can be, of course, but there may be reasons that not every employee will be aware of/understand- it might seem like it’s “being forced back with no good reason” to someone who prefers wfh, but does that make it the case?

I know someone who works for a company that are pulling people back in. The acquaintance is furious, stating that they work better from home etc. perhaps on an individual level they do, but I have to say that as someone who has used this company as a client before and since covid- they are certainly not as efficient as they were.

DH also knows someone in senior management there. There are a number of reasons they are pulling back on wfh. Little is to do with their staff “piss taking” and ruining for others. They are happy they have ways of identifying and dealing with any issues relating to that. The reason is that they have looked at the a number of factors which are not going as well as they’d like for the business and, having made some changes which haven’t totally addressed that, concluded that they actually cannot continue with the level of wfh/hybrid as it is having a negative impact. Maybe they could keep tweaking, but they have decided that it just is not working and they need to change it. It hasn’t been a knee jerk decision or “we are just dinosaurs”. Additionally, they have found training of new starts (especially inexperienced staff) is much more challenging, takes longer to get up to speed etc.

I know you will probably say that is due to training not being up to scratch. I think it is also very possible that training/early stages of working may be better in person, if you see what I mean. I think cohesion/team working can also be impacted if you barely see each other, and even then it is on the phone or by video call.

This is only one business, but I think it is perfectly possible this is true of many of the organisations rowing back on wfh- it’s not all bad, but the balance has tipped in favour of back to the office.

You're pretty good at the goading stuff, I will give you that.

I'm not defeated at all - just bored. I prefer intelligent debate. Now run along.

I’m disabled so running isn’t in my wheelhouse. You’d know that if you read my posts.

Read through those links yet.

Have they explained the rationale to staff though? Every employee should know and understand that. Is there any reason why they couldn't have hybrid working?

I do take your point about training; however, our organisation has historically been very poor in its provision, due to lack of funding. Most of the training involves mandatory provision of things like manual handling and fire safety!!

As for the whole "sitting with Nelly" thing, that doesn't apply really to my team because of the way we work. I'm old and experienced but I do think it's harder for new people and youngsters starting out on their careers.

Posting without comment

But if you are applying for hybrid jobs surely you can't expect to fully wfh?

There’s always threads on here about people doing stuff at home when it's their wfh day - someone yesterday was talking about supermarket shop & a trip to IKEA. So I can see why employers are getting people back in.

Surely if wfh becomes more established then eventually those jobs might get outsourced to cheaper countries?

I posted this in a WFH thread last year on here

SofiaSoFar · 13/05/2024 08:30

"I work in business consulting and one of the areas we provide services and research in is productivity. We find very, very few scenarios where people WFHing are as productive as they are in the office, and yet almost unwaveringly people are convinced of the opposite.
There will be a tidal wave of back-to-the-office diktats in the coming years; this is already underway in the US where I do a lot of work as companies are starting to say enough is enough.
I'm sure there will be responses along the lines of 'people won't accept jobs in the office so the employer will have to back down' but as momentum builds for a return to office working there will be fewer options and more impetus to return."

Overwhelmingly responses were that I must be working with small local businesses, or that I/we are wrong in our analysis (none of my clients are <£1bn annual revenue).

Many MNers were convinced that WFH would expand and basically laughed at and dismissed anything pointing out the building momentum towards back-to-the office.

In reality, things have continued as expected, worldwide. I'm just back from working in Midwest US with a large global client who is expanding their office space and making 5-day office working mandatory again from Q4.

Another client - one of the biggest O&G multinationals - is gradually moving that way with 3 days now mandated across the board and plans to move to 4, then 5, days in the next couple of years.

Sadly this is true. I know SO many people who WFH - very intelligent, well-paid, good jobs - and there's not a single one of them who hasn't at some point bragged to me about all the other things they manage to get done under thr guise of 'working' from home. One admitted to me that while her kids are on school holidays, she and her husband basically do a half day each (while being paid for a full day) and just keeps half an eye on email in case anything they urgently need to deal with, so that they can avoid childcare for their kids. The kids are at private school so holidays are quite long (e.g. 3 weeks for Christmas and Easter). Their employers (apparently) have no idea...

Was it a side class you took?

But to the point

Is that because she went to business school
and did a side course in psychology?

Did you also go the business school?

Could not love this anymore 👏

@surreygirl1987

I guess they will argue they are performing well & doing enough.

I think it's quite a privileged position people are in. Someone who works in a shop, nursery, care home, or cleans, drives a bus, works in a factory etc doesn't get the opportunity to pick their kids up early, go and get their food shop or walk the dog. It seems to be people on higher salaries expecting to call the shots.

I don't know how anyone can manage someone remotely - I suppose add in a meeting for 3pm to check they aren't doing the school run when they're supposed to be working?

No, I went to business school. I've got several business qualifications and many years of experience. I don't feel the need to list it all out here.

Do you? I'm not remotely impressed.

Could be a load of nonsense for all we know. There's not much understanding f how businesses operate coming across to me.

Yes, thats exactly what they are saying. Basically, that their employer hasn't complained about them (or at least not to them) so there's no issue.

And you're right - it is a privileged position to be in (or perhaps the word should be 'entitled')...

You manage by output primarily. Team meetings, management reporting, stats...

My manager can check easily. She has access to my calendar of course, and she can see my Teams status at any time.

I have never picked up kids, got a food shop or walked my non-existent dog.

A bit what your saying could be a load of old nonsense too?

Whether your interested or not is not really something I think about.

How on earth is it "entitled" if you have an organisation that's happy for staff who are able to, work from home?!!

Trust me, my head of service would be straight on my case if I went MIA!!! She knows we're all working hard. She sees the outcomes.

Actually, they're not. They're trying to move them back to the office. Apparently something about 'lower productivity'... 😉

And the 'entitled' bit is that they're moaning like hell about returning to the office (a couple of days a weekso far, with more on the horizon), while simultaneously bragging about doing half days (secretly, without their employers' permission) during school holidays while WFH.

Surely you can understand why this smacks of entitlement...?!