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.

OP’s employer can only expect her to meet the terms of her contract, what she does in her free time is none of their business. The employer are not ‘picking up the slack’, the couple have (presumably) agreed to manage their family this way. If that means OP can’t manage unilateral changes to her contract then so be it, it doesn’t mean she’s not performing or that the employer is suffering. If she was a single parent, a carer for someone else, had another job or other responsibilities that meant she couldn’t accommodate a drastic change to working conditions no-one would say that other requirement was ‘picking up the slack’, because they’re not.

Thank you!!!!

What your employers have done is 'crappy' use everything you can to fight your corner.

I don't understand what is wrong with this, when are employers going to do more to support working mothers?
I have had online meetings and training sessions with colleagues who have had to feed their children during the meetings/training and I applaud them for doing so.
Society needs to move on and be more inclusive we do it for the LGBTQ community (and rightly so) but we make life difficult for mothers who want to work.
In my opinion it is so wrong, fight your corner OP or find an employer who recognises you as a human being not a robot.

Unless it is in your contract that you are hybrid, there isn't really anything you can do. You could request flexible working but unless it benefits the business, they will probably reject it (highly likely if alot of people are requesting as well) You could potentially request a pay review and increase based off the fact it is no longer competitive against other companies. Last resort you could leave.

I've had a steady increase in days since covid - last year to 4 days and this month (next week actually) to 5 days. They is no option but to come back 5 days a week. For me it means no flexibility for attending meetings outside my usual hours (of which there have been alot). I'll have to be strict to my 2.30pm (reduced hours) finish time in order to collect my children from school/ nursery. Even this hasn't been enough to get WFH for the 1 day a week I have an important meeting. Ultimately it will effect the business but that isn't really my problem now.

The company can do what they want unless it’s specified differently in your contract (and it’s very unlikely to be).

You have two choices: quit, or ignore it and wait to be fired. Frankly I’d do the latter, it’s credibly difficult to fire people. (Of course you won’t get any pay rises or promotions while you do this, so may not be the best for you).

'Play the health card' - you cannot be serious?

Things change all the time for people and for businesses. It's not everyone's 'right' to work from home. Some people work as hard if not harder and achieve more from home, other do not, and ultimately it's the employer that loses out.

The original thread was posted by someone who's been in a job for a year based on 2 days a week in the office. If the employer wants to get people back in the office that's a fair request. Suggesting that someone should start telling lies about how it won't be possible because of their health is way out of order and, frankly, what is wrong with this country

That’s nearly £200 a month in parking alone, plus another £250 for the dog, then whatever extra petrol costs. Come on now! The OP will have to spend double what she’s spending now, which is quite poor form for a workplace to suddenly spring on someone.

How important are you for the role? I'd be careful if your easily replaceable since you have less than 2 years service so very few rights.

Put in a formal flexible working request—it’s your legal right and gives you a strong starting point. Be clear on the impact the change has on your caring responsibilities and finances, and offer a workable compromise (e.g. stick with 2 days or suggest 3 max).
Speak to your manager early, but calmly—frame it around your commitment to the role and productivity, not just personal strain.
And yes—start discreetly looking at your options. It’s smart to have a Plan B. Don’t wait for burnout to make the decision for you.

Hi op,

they know very well some will not be able to and will probably try to make it work to keep employees but this also means that they are ready to hire newbies that will be happy to go into office for 4 days a week.

caring responsibilities and dog will not really go down well as said child is already in full time. You are more talking about lifestyle and they might well decline you that.

a temporary solution might be found, so that you can find something that will suit you better!

If you have been there less than two years and you have no protected characteristics, your employers hold the cards.

All depends on how keen they're to get everyone back to the office and how keen they are to keep you if you tell them it doesn't work for you.

Before the end of two years of continuous employment with them they can offer you a new contract, take it or leave it. If you refuse the new contract and they want to play hardball, they can terminate your old contract based on it's notice period Terms. Unless you have disclosed any protected characteristics to them, in which case you have full employment rights from day 1 and they'd have to go through a protracted process to terminate your original contract and you may have grounds for constructive dismissal if they dont follow employment law to the letter.

Unfortunately everyone I know who wfh does the bare minimum and usually goes gym, pick up kids, shops etc etc I’m sure you have also done something when you should have been working from home. Thats why they are getting people back in the office because they know everyone is taking the pi$$

Boo fucking hoo. If employers want good employees then they need to offer wfh at least a couple of days. If they want a high staff turnover and lots of sickness, and no good mature women employees in particular then make people come in five days. When we have the tech to support it, it makes no bloody sense for people who don't need to, to commute ten miles each way five days a week. It certainly makes no sense for the environment, and the places commuters live.

OP, stand your ground, your offer letter is part of your terms and conditions of employment.

Well, I've worked from home at least some of the time for over ten years and I don't recognise that perspective. If people are going to take the piss they will do that in the office as well.

I think a lot of posters on here must be commercial property plutocrats! That's the only people who benefit from people being in the office five days a week. Women ought to stick together against unreasonable demands of employers, not tear one another down.

And the posters spouting about how people should be in the office five days a week are probably the same people who moan about how much we pay out in universal credit or disability benefits. 🙄

Just here for solidarity. I am a mum too and was told the other day I need to be in the office 5 days a week and can potentially work from home on " exceptional basis only "
Don't have any advice yet as I'm still processing the news

It's fucking shit. These employers have their heads up their arses.

Is it worth just approaching them to see if anything can be done in your circumstances. As for what was advertised i don't think that matters as my workplace have a job advertised for up to full time and competition rate of pay. They be lucky to get 16hrs and it's minimum pay. All about your contract and if they willing to help

Meet them in the middle with 3 days?

i don’t know when people become so hellbent on sticking up for corporate in these scenarios.

“If they think it’s best for the business”… who is “they”.. usually a CEO and board made up of a very limited demographic and life experience. Sure I agree they will do “what’s best for the business” but why do we always assume business leaders do what is best.. they do what is best for them. Uk productivity has been diabolical for years, because we pay poorly, treat employees like shit and have no social infrastructure to support working families (childcare, travel costs most expensive in Europe). All those on the back to the office bandwagon, who are you fighting for and why?

OP if you have any power to leave and find a job that suits your lifestyle then please do it. Wield what limited power you have to live the life that helps you and your family to find a bit of peace and ease in this world that prioritises “what’s best for business” above pretty much everything else

Do you get on with your manager, and is there a feeling within the office that people dont want to do this? The reason I ask is because in my last job, the big bosses at HQ in another country tried the whole "mandated return to the office". What actually happened is that everybody nodded, and then quietly did their own thing. The people who liked being in the office went in and the rest of us continued to WFH unless there was a genuine need to come in, or the big bosses needed us. Might be worth a quiet chat to get the lie of the land and whether an informal arrangement is possible before making official movements and getting HR involved. Who also continued to WFH at my company

Exactly. I’ve moved to hybrid recently, 2 days in the office and if they tried to change it I’d just leave and go back to my old wfh who are forever short staffed and recruiting

What is their justification for this change OP? And for those who say that isn’t relevant, it is. There’s also a risk of indirect sex discrimination in policies that require more office attendance, unless there is a good justification, as it’s something more likely to disadvantage women as principal carers of children

Or how busy the roads/buses/trains are