My manager is making me come in the office 4days a week

[Lavendar01]

Since beginning of my role (which was coming out of covid), I've been hybrid working 3days in the office and 2days wfh. I had my own office but had to give it up for other staff that were in full time. Manger agreed for me to wfh and come in once a week - worked perfect!

In my recent supervision manager said he wants me in 4days a week "business need" and that there will be a room available to share with a couple of other staff. I've gone in and that room isn't set up, currently its dusty with extra office furniture/ equipment, basically being used storage room for now. I made a point to my manager and said could I continue wfh until the room is sorted, he refused and said to set up in that room somewhere in the corner for now.

AIBU here thinking I am within my right to refuse to be there until I have a proper work station set up, as required for my role? Not to mention sitting in an empty room for 8 hours with no interaction effects my mental wellbeing

We have hybrid working. It was brought in after the pandemic as we'd proved the business kept running with everyone at home. It is very clear in the remote working policy that it's not a right to wfh for evermore. Some people choose to be in the office every day and haven't requested wfh. There's someone on my team who was verbally told they could work from home all the time despite what the contract, etc state. They are now having to be in the office more as they just weren't visible and had no working relationships with anyone but their line manager (the one who lied to them about wfh all the time and who has now left the business).

@ginasevern you tagged me in your post upthread, but it wasn't me who made those comments, it was a pp who either tagged or quoted me.

Entitled mental health brigade. Off to space with Katy Perry

it is not your job to clean rooms and make them safe. You should not be moving furniture as under H&S rules you need to have training to do so. Know that sounds ridiculous but if you got injured moving a desk then they are leaving themselves open to a claim.

as for the days in office then it needs to be what’s on your contract but maybe put a cardboard cutout of yourself in the office and see if anyone comments on it. If nobody said anything then nobody went in your office that day!

This sounds so archaic trying to catch people out.

It wouldn't make any difference to me anyway. I am running my business mostly so it is easy to jump on for even a short notice meeting.

I could easily do chores and other tasks in and around the meetings. I would go out and do the shopping after the first morning meeting and then back for the second meeting.

So the real reason you want to work from home is because your husband does?

Was it just me that read the thread title with a filthy mind?

Op I get why you'd want to stay wfh, I wish I could and I'm jealous of those who can but I do think if you've been doing it successfully then you should be allowed to continue

I don’t think being purposefully difficult will help much. If my boss suddenly decided that I had to come into the office 4 days a week then I’d be worried that they had issues with my performance.

Sorry op, you sound a bit entitled. Your mental health suffers if you work alone- That’s a rubbish excuse not to go into the office and you know it. You just don’t want to go in. If you can’t bear being in a room on your own for a few hours till it’s breaktime, ask to sit somewhere else, or keep the door open, or work on being able to be on your own for a few hours. Surely you’re not chatting or interacting with your husband every hour at home? If you are you can’t be very productive for work.
The office space not being ready is a different matter, but you need to show some can do mentality and ask for a temporary different spot at work. Sounds like that would be win win anyway if you truely suffer from being on your own in a room for a few hours.

People during lockdown: "Being in the house all day is sooo bad for my mental health. It's a human rights infringement."

People now: "Having to come to work is sooo unfair. I want to be in the house all day".

😂

What a stupid post for so many reasons

It's almost like people have different circumstances and would like balance in their life.

Not at all- it's more about those who enjoy those privileges are aware that not everyone is that lucky.

Nothing to do with envy.

The poor kids in Shein sweatshops must be sobbing over the ordeal of someone having to actually go into work to do the job they are paid for...

Being against WFH seems weirdly tied in with right wing political beliefs like Elon Musk and his ilk.

But then why be so vitriolic towards those who wfh if not out of bitterness and envy?

are you SURE you wanted to give your post the title you did?

If it doesn't work for you, why not find a fully wfh role OP?

Many will be happy to take your place.

It's almost like people can't take a joke. 😂

Get back to the office. Your employer clearly feels your presence is necessary and beneficial. Tbh, if I employed you, you’d have requested back, full time, months ago! Failing which instant dismissal. Sorry but I think the wfh trend has caused more problems than it has solved.

You can't just instantly dismiss someone

Employers do not always want staff back because it is beneficial. They might have other reasons.

I don't think you can refuse.
You can however discuss with a union rep for advice (join a union if you're not already in one!).

You can make a reasonable adjustment request if you have any health issues that would count as a disability under the equality act and see what they say (ACAS has good info on this).

You can also make a flexible working request, include in this your increased productivity at home and benefits to the company. Again ACAS has good info on this. It's my understanding that they don't have to allow it but they do have to consider it and give you reasons why if they turn you down.

Of course you can.

Especially if they've been there less than two years.

I agree Shein has questionable work practices and I no longer order from there, but this has absolutely nothing to do with the OP.

Ditto the 'nurses/pilots/supermarket workers can't wfh' posts. What's next? No holidays because not everyone can have one this year? Learn to drive? Nope, not everyone has a car.

Realistically, not many people would want to work alone in a dirty office with seemingly no good reason for it. I would start job hunting, OP.

I manage a large team that mostly work remotely, and I employ people that I can trust to work anywhere, because they're adults.