Work announced a move from 2 days to 4 days

[Everanewbie]

Hi all. I'm looking for some suggestions of what avenues I might have.

I started a job just over a year ago. It is company that I worked for some time ago, but had to leave due to personal circumstances, which was with regret. I was thrilled to be offered the job. I applied and received the offer where I was told at both I was obligated to be in the office twice a week.

I left a job that was entirely remote (well, with the exception of trips in to London maybe once a month) to take up this role, accepting two days in person because I was excited by the role. Pay incidentally, is much the same, above the average, but only HRT if a decent bonus is paid. I now pay to park in a city centre twice a week and drive maybe 10 miles or so to get there.

I have child that is full time in nursery and my husband works long days. He is the main breadwinner in a job that is very well paid, think 6 figures, but only just. This means that I do the majority of nursery drop offs and pickups, however, he helps where his hours allow. We also have a dog. He is great at home on his own, but I only resort to that one day a week as a try to work my other day when my husband is off or on a shorter day.

So now, out of the blue, my firm have announced they expect people in the office 4 days per week. This will not work for me. Days will be too long, I'll be £60pw on parking, plus I will need to employ a dog walker 4 days a week. The salary no longer looks decent when you consider this.

I've heard about flexible working requests, and heard that these are considered on a case-by-case basis, but does any HR-y posters have any thoughts on the merits?

Would you be weighing up other options? Speaking to my manager, or holding my cards close to my chest?

I really don't want to leave this job, but I don't have the energy to be a mum and husband to do this, and the salary will no longer be competitive.

Yes. When you get an email from the hiring manager saying something along the lines of "It was great to meet with you today Everanewbie, and we believe that you have the right skills for the role and your personality is a great fit for the office culture. We would like to offer you the role with a salary of £. We work a hybrid week where you will be expected to be in the office two days per week, with the remaining 3 days per week from home, however, you are welcome to come in more often if you prefer." I thought it was a fair assumption to take someone at their word. Maybe not.

Thankyou!

If you were able to do a 4-day in-office week, presumably you'd have been looking at a much larger pool of potential jobs as well OP, so you might have found one nearer/ better pay /generally more flexible rather than going for only ones that were mainly WFH.

You've been forced into a position you haven't chosen - it's not fair.
I like the suggestion of requesting it on a temp basis and review in a year. Worth a discussion so you know you tried ?

I've just handed in my notice for the same reason. It took me a week to find a new job with proper flexible working policies and it wasn't my only option. Current place is now offering my old working pattern to get me to stay but I don't trust them to do it again, so off I go. Vote with your feet.

@Everanewbie Understand the reasons you'd be pissed off for this (I am lucky to work fully remotely bar 1 day a quarter). I'd probably be looking for a different job BUT, in the mean time you could try:

1. asking for a flexible working request - maybe working 5 longer days in 4 (if you have family/support to help with nursery run)
2. asking if you could do 3 days instead of 4 in the office and emphasise caring responsibilities.

You're legally entitled to make 2 flexible working requests per year.

I do expect them to honour the terms that they were presented as and not shift the goal posts on a whim

You could try speaking to ACAS, OP, but I suspect the employer will point to the contract and insist the pattern of 2 days pw in the office was only ever intended to be temporary - hence why the contract said what it did

I agree with PPs about requesting a flexible arrangement, but remembering they don't have to grant it I really wouldn't emphasise child/dog care since that might kick off a justified "not our problem" response

And if the business need really does concern collaboration that's not necessarily "bullshitty" - especially if experience has taught them that WFH is damaging it

I’d leave to be honest. If you’re experienced then you don’t have to be treated this way. You have skills other companies will want.
I left a job when a new senior manager came in and didn’t value staff. They very much are regretting having lost all the staff that knew what to do… so now they are having to do a lot more work. Sometimes companies have to learn the hard way.

Have a conversation with ACAS because I'm reasonably sure they are attempting a unilateral change of contract.

I would just lay out what you’ve said here and explain that you had never anticipated having to go in more than 2 days per week and that you would not otherwise have taken the job. I’d leave the dog out if it and your parking charges etc because these are, in effect, your problem. I think the suggestion of a 12 month grace period is a good one - you could explore your options in the interim.

I don’t wfh and get why people on here are cynical
about it when we have thread upon thread of advice to buy mouse jigglers and all know people who have e completely abused it, but I think your position re childcare arrangements makes it different. You may have been naive - and I think you were - but the reality is that this job sounds as if it will become logistically and economically unviable (is that even a word?!) Tell them that but expect them to refuse. After that you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it or whether you need to look for another job. Going forward though you’re v unlikely to have a guaranteed hybrid pattern forever and you’ll run the risk of this happening again.

This is why you should never leave a fully remote job for a hybrid one. Hybrid literally doesn't exist! Its a way and form to lure people in like yourself, bait and switch. I guarantee now in 6 months it will be 5 days office. £10 bet if you're up for it? Start searching for a remote job and applying. Make sure its in your contract.

I would also assume this! I didn't realise that employers can offer you a job on particular terms, then just change those terms to suit themselves. I've worked remotely for nearly a decade now and recently looked at companies offering hybrid work but I'd need a payrise of a minimum of £5K to justify the extra commuting/dog sitting expenses - and that wouldn't really be giving me any extra cash at the end of it. It's just not worth it.

If it was me, I'd write a polite letter saying that you accepted the job on the agreed terms (copy in your offer letter/email) and as the goalposts have now shifted, is there any flexibility on this? Ask them politely to justify why they've suddenly changed direction. And I'd also look for another (remote) job. It's their loss in the long run.

Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. He works an hour away in a new consultant post (which presumably is likely to be permanent). Maybe use this opportunity to move nearer his work whilst your dc is still in nursery, and you can move jobs to one near his / fully wfh.

Yeah, agree with this.

You keep saying your employer has done this “on a whim” but you cant possibly know this. You need to look at this from their perspective too before putting your case to them otherwise it will look like you are dismissing their business reasons.

In addition, I think it would be reasonable to say that the additional costs incurred require a salary increase to cover.

That depends on whether they've stated their business reasons, rather than doing this on a whim. The OP hasn't told us what their business reasons are for the change in policy.

Pre covid a 4 days a week in the office rather than 5 would have been rare. 4 days is increasingly normal now.

I'd suggest find a way to share pick up drop off with your husband. It's very doable if you work as a team - have done it when both working full time, kids in school/nursery, 1h + commute each way for both of us.

Alternatively you can think of it that the travel costs saved have been a nice bonus while it lasted.

Sorry but op took the job on the offer made. That included the hours and the wfh basis. This is the case for most parents who work.

Agree with PP leave the dog out of it. Maybe find another job with full flexibility (you clearly need it), and then speak to your manager when you have another job (with the right terms) in hand. Otherwise it’s put up and shut up.

I agree with you, but unfortunately unless its written in contract which most companies are hesitant to do. They can change it based on "business needs", they do not need to explain or justify. They can change whatever they like. Its bait and switch.

A genuine question, which I know may not be the point of your original post, but if the salary is the same, why did you leave your previous fully WFH job?

I feel for you OP. My department was recruited on WFH contracts across GB. My organisation, who has moved to hybrid, now only grants hybrid contracts on promotion. Essentially cutting off promotion opportunities for my department unless you're willing to add 4 to 5 hours worth of commute a day, and pay for it.

Worse, I have to enforce it in my team. I'm looking for other WFH opportunities elsewhere, and am willing to take a pay cut.

Apologies if you have replied to this already - does it say 2 days in the office in your offer letter? I get that it’s not in your contract - but I would make very clear those were your expectations, and if that’s ignored, I would also make clear that the new arrangements don’t work for you and that you’ll be looking to move.

The shift is away from hybrid to more and more time in the office. I would not advise anyone to take a job assuming the current hybrid on offer will stand.