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.

Not bullshit at all.

Many companies are finding that new staff, especially entry level, are finding it very hard to get up to speed because all their more senior colleagues are working remotely. You may not benefit from being in the office but they may benefit from having you in the office.

Thanks for your kind words and advice

Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

I think you will need to cut your losses and look for another job OP. I doubt you’ll be the only one leaving over this. I couldn’t work for such an inflexible employer that don’t trust their staff.

Unfortunately it’s looking like they won’t be benefitting from having me in the office at all!

Have you tried ACAS?

I realise that but they are not going to say “We are doing it on a whim” are they? The OP may not agree with the reason, but there will be one.

Anyone finding OP unreasonable has been truly hoodwinked by capitalism. If someone is meeting their targets and performing well at home, there is no need to be office based full time if you can do your job at home. A couple of days to spend time with your team, sure, but there is no real justification for dragging people in otherwise. It's like employers don't want people to have more work life balance. In reality I get through far more work at home even with a ten minute break to put some laundry on, than I do in the office, where I waste ages talking and getting asked about cases I'm not involved in!

OP has this job because she can fit it around childcare. Comparing her to people who have none-office based jobs isn't relevant, because OP didn't choose one of those jobs. She applied for a job where they offered two days and hybrid working. She wouldn't have taken it otherwise.

I think the issue is that you’ve only been there a year.

Would it work better for you if they paid a touch more? To at least cover commuting costs and dog walker (agree with PP re not mentioning the dog though!).

Your DC won’t be in nursery forever, it’ll be a couple more years before FT school - and then you’d have to sort something for the holidays and inset days etc anyway. You don’t want to give up a job you want for the sake of a couple of years of logistical problems.

As ever with an employee-employer relationship, it’s a negotiation and I would approach any discussion with this attitude. If it’s not because they won’t negotiate, at least you know where you stand. That’s not nothing, makes decision-making easier.

OP could you look at alternatives such as reducing your hours so you go in 4 days (WFH 1) but you leave in time to fetch your child and walk the dog? Or condense 5 days in 4? Even if they want everyone in the office 4 days there should be a few workarounds.

I think your offer letter explaining the hybrid working pattern puts you in a very strong position. Your contract says that the normal place of work is the office, but in line with the offer letter, it’s reasonable to interpret that as meaning on your office based days the normal workplace is the address of the office and on the other days you’re free to wfh.

If I were you I would tactically approach this gently with an in person meeting and explain to HR (if you have one) that you accepted this job on the basis of the description in the offer letter. Ask them whether you are able (in their opinion) to rely on that or whether you should put in a flexible working request. In your flexible working request (if you have to do one) I would phrase it so you acknowledge the position that your job was always a hybrid one so you’d like it to remain that way.

Best of luck, this back to the office nonsense will set parents back another decade - the juggle is hard enough as it is without factoring in unnecessary commuting etc.

This kind of thing comes up every time the working from home situation comes up. It's not helpful. Nobody is saying that they should work from home so they can also provide childcare for preschool children. They are saying that nursery runs are easier when you're not commuting. It's not hard.

There's a massive difference working from home most days when everyone else is, and doing it as an outlier. You'll likely be seen as not quite one of the team. Don't be surprised if the exciting work and promo opportunities go to others now.

Unfortunately the great wfh experiment covid gave us has ended and the results are in, and most places realise it doesn't work so well.

I’m not interested in promotion or project opportunities. I just want to do the job I was employed to do on the terms I was employed on only 379 days ago. The company deemed it ok then. Some bigwig in a chauffeur driven car, in another county, with bonuses in the tens of millions has just decided collaboration is his buzzword of the month.

Thanks for this. There is no way I could do my job and care for a 2 year old at the same time. When nursery sent my child home with a temperature I put postman pat on a did a teams meeting, but that was just the once.

Unfortunately the great wfh experiment covid gave us has ended and the results are in, and most places realise it doesn't work so well.

And yet many companies managed it well before covid, working across timezones and countries. It's not automatically unworkable.

And there's no guarantee that people will learn from their peers, even when you're together in the workplace. Being physically in the same place doesn't always make everyone a team player. <smiles sweetly at colleague>

Flexible working isn't just about WFH days. It can be about different start and finish times and things like that, too. Are there any other creative ways round it you can suggest to them?

Try looking up some employment tribunal cases for indirect sex discrimination. If it's a policy / practice they've introduced without considering or impact assessing the outcomes and without consultation then it could be (indirect) sex discrimination.

Does anyone know where I get one of these highly paid jobs where the main issue is doing 2 days in the office vs 4 days?

Really sympathise OP. It's not super hopeful to have jealous people weigh in. You took the job expecting to honour what was offered you, and they're the ones who've moved the goalposts.

I am lucky enough to work in a very flexible job and I know I would struggle to get one again. And I'd be devastated if it all changed tomorrow!

I'd still try and get another one though...

I work extremely hard at home but it's just so handy not having to worry about the commute etc. It really does free up a lot of time and makes the job that much more worthwhile.

Yes, they’re all around you in the corporate world. Just apply.

Putting aside the reasons why it's not workable for you, as far as a pure numbers exercise, if everyone in the company went back to the office, is there enough capacity?

At my old company, they soon realised there were too many people wanting desks, meeting rooms so what started off as a three line whip ended up with people going back to WFH with one day in the office that had to be booked in advance, but sadly some were not able to book.

Sounds pretty straightforward, find another role which pays more, works for you and holds your interest.

You're being rude for no reason. She has childcare her child is in nursery its the drop off & pick up she cant manage because jer husband works shifts. She gave up a fully remote job to work for a company she enjoyed working with previously & 2 days in office was a reasonable sacrifice for that. 4 days in office leaves her struggling to manage & is not what was offered at the time of taking the position. Your opinion on people WFH is irrelevant - OP is asking what she can do about this unexpected predicament she finds herself in. People like you are just weighing in with rudeness for absolutely no reason.

What a nonsensical response. If your employer changed your job from 9am-5pm to 9pm-5am, would you think "ah yeah, that's grand, no nurseries at night but it's my fault for having kids". If your employer moved your office 100 miles away, you'd be fine with that too? It's not your employer's fault your house is where it is...

Where has OP asked her employer to care for her pets? She's just expected her employer to stick their agreement, which is perfectly reasonable.

There's no question that OP is being reasonable - the only question is whether her position is legally enforceable and I think she has a good chance given that the covering email for her contract stated a 2-day in-office working pattern.

Our job adverts say hybrid working, which is currently 60%, but it’s always clear that is not set in any contract and could change. Most companies are falling out of favour with WFH and I can see why. What was normal pre covid is now seemingly impossible, and it is frustrating when everyone wants an adjustment as they have a nursery run to do. Why not just ask to work shorter office days, catch up with hours on your day at home. If your office is that far from home / nursery. I agree it’s also frustrating when the mothers employer has to he the flexible one, as dad couldn’t possibly ask for flexibility as he’s far too important. I’d just look for another role if you’re so against it.