Hybrid Working Policy help needed

[jamcorrosion]

Hi - my job has a policy as above, states to be in the office for 3 days a week, with an option to submit a form for unforeseen circumstances. The policy states that the focus is on days not hours spent in the office per day but the expectation is that majority of the day is spent in office when there. There’s no definition of ‘majority’ so I’ve assumed it means more than 50%. This policy has been in place a year. Recently received an email from a senior member of staff to the whole team stating that when in the office we are expected to be there for a full day.

Since this policy was introduced - I arranged my childcare around it. My son is in nursery 7.30-5.30 daily (I’m a single parent) I chose these hours so I could get to the office early. Usually around 8.15/30, I stay until lunchtime which is four hours and then head home. I do this as I thought it was better to travel home on my unpaid hour than later in the afternoon on works time.

Since receiving the email I have reached out and explained my usual routine and asked for clarification if this is no longer ok. I have been told it is no longer ok and I cannot leave at lunchtime consistently only occasionally for appointments etc. Apparently this was clarified with HR before I was given a response. Where do I stand here as the policy doesn’t state full days? I have offered to stay till later in the afternoon and explained why I chose lunchtime. Also explained that I can’t stay till later than 4pm really due to traffic and nursery pick up.

I’m just not sure where I stand or how to handle? As the policy is not specific at all. Can the goalposts be changed like this?

IABU - Suck it up
IANBU - This isnt ok to just change it

For me this is less of an issue if what the policy does and doesn’t say and more of a conversation around how can your manager support you as a carer to be a highly effective employee but also support you to have a work/life balance. I would work up a few proposals for hours and have a discussion. Surely you can do two longer days wfh and leave at 4 on the office days?

sorry OP but it’s employees like you that cause this situation and make it difficult for everyone.
policies are not there to document every single situation. They are there to set out the expectations and the expectation is that people act in the spirit of the message.

you know full well that “majority” of hours isn’t 50%. It’s the opportunity to come in an hour late or leave an hour early on occasion.

get with the programme and stop ruining it for everyone else.

You work the rest of the hours at home whilst taking care of a nursery aged child?

I am in a work from home/hybrid position but without set days in Head Office. We just are expected to attend if there is a fave to face meeting (which is occasional rather than frequent)

I actually completely understand where the OP is coming from. Working part of the day in an office than going home with enough hours to be productive sounds fine - and as a manager I would be looking at WHY the office time is necessary. Sitting in teams meetings in a room with people who you don’t work with or collaborate with can feel arbitrary.

it is sad that people still see WFH as less than work in an office - and the assumption is often that people are trying to pull the wool/be lazy. I do feel the OP has had an unfair bashing on this thread to be honest!

I understand we have rules at different workplaces but I wouldn’t choose to manage like this.

I was thinking this.
how many hours are you paid for per week? Divide by 5 if you work full time and then get your hours surely that would make up the hours per day in the office?
are you just working from home for the rest of the day?

You are entitled to put in a request for flexible working, and your company should have a family friendly policy unless it is a very small company.

If you can arrive consistently at 8.15am, work until 12.15pm (4hours), take your mandatory 20mins lunch break, work from 12.35pm-4.05pm, that would make your 7.5 hours.

The OP must have said literally 5 times on this thread that their child is not at home with them while they are working at home in the pm.

I don’t even know why I bother with this forum honestly - so many posters jump to conclusions make HUGE assumptions. I was another thread where a poor mother was getting absolutely torn to shreds.

According to most on here I only work 3 half days a week. I’ve come to a compromise with my employer now anyway, I leave at 3pm instead of lunch, everyone’s happy!

I’m really glad they’ve agreed to it - I’ve got the same employer and they’re usually pretty sensible and flexible so glad it’s worked out for you.
I mean in saying all of this - I completely agree with the recent comment that it’s pointless being in the office if you’re just on Teams calls all day - there are some very stupid things involved with the mandatory 3 days, but we are where we are

Yes this is the issue - I’m in the office today, I’ve spoke to nobody and any meetings are on teams as my colleagues on my current project don’t work at my base office.

I genuinely wouldn’t mind if we were all here working and collaborating but we’re not….it costs me £20 a day to be here and I’m just sat working on my own same as I would be at home except I have to add on the commute. Feels a bit pointless

Honestly you’d think I went home and got on the couch!

Yeah this is my issue - my colleagues are all at different locations so no collaboration. I’m in the office today. I’ve sat and worked on my own and joined teams calls, except it’s cost me more to get here and with the commute on top.

Feels a bit pointless as I’d be doing exactly the same at home - I’m just ticking a box!

Yeah I usually let him do my work for me whilst I go sleep on the couch

Not pointless when you get paid for it though.

The travelling and being in the office is pointless when I’m not collaborating with colleagues is what I said.

You've reached a compromise yet you're still unhappy. It's got to be give and take.

We don't always agree with work policies but if it's that bad, maybe a new job would suit better.

I honestly cannot understand why so many posters don’t understand that @jamcorrosion WFH until nursery closes, and collects DC at that time.

Anywho…please do keep us updated on whether the 11am starter changes her pattern to 9am.

And I’ll still adhere to the compromise - it’s only frustrating as office time is supposed to be for collaboration but none of my team are here!

Once I’m assigned a new project it will probably change

It’s a he, he’s in the office tomorrow so I’ll be watching haha

The problem is you almost certainly have colleagues who don’t actually get much done at home. Or do the time but are hugely inefficient.

And geberally organisations like to enforce policies fairly universally rather than targeted.

There's also the wider / softer collaboration that often gets overlooked.

At my work, most of the day would mean that you’re there for most of the time between 9 and 5. We have similar policy, and doing drop off, coming in at 10 and leaving at 4 for pick up would be fine (provided the hours are made up elsewhere). Coming in for 8 and leaving at 12 regular would not be okay as one only been in for 3 of the 8 hour span of the working day. We do have a loose concept of core hours though (10-3) which we require everyone to work so part time and flexi arrangements all ensure those hours are covered. Your policy is ambiguous but that how I read it.

Also you won’t be travelling home on works time if you don’t travel on your lunch, as presumably the expectation will be that you make up the time?

So many posters on Mumsnet want to tear apart working mums that are looking for modern flexibility to keep themselves in the workplace.

WFH allowed me to put my child in nursery 8.00 - 4.15pm instead of 7-6. Amazing for me, and my family. And keeping a woman who wanted to be, in her career.

On a weds we had an office day and i was allowed to leave at 2 for lunch to get home and avoid the 4pm traffic so I could still do pick up.

Now I work 7-3pm in the office 1 day a week, so I can do school pick up.

My employer doesn’t care if my child is ill and I need to pick them up, I don’t have to work back the time.

I get all my work done and work extra of my own free will when projects are busy.

Yes exactly this - my DS has no input from other parent so everything is on me all the time and no maintenance.

I’m doing my best - and same no expectation to make up the time.

i don’t mind being in the office for good reason but when it’s costing time and money for essentially no benefit I can’t help but be frustrated!

If the 11am starter is hanging round til 5 they are doing far longer in the office than you!

Hybrid working normally means you do a certain number of days in the office. I have to do two days in the office for example. So I do around 7.4hrs in the office on those days.

You are doing 3 half days....that's not 3 days!

Maybe think about going part time or changing your hours to more suitable for the commute. You shouldn't be working whilst looking after a nursery aged child in the afternoon.