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

Yes I don’t think there’s much I can do about it really.

Luckily I do have some wiggle room - someone I spoke to said they would be happy to support a formal request if needed. I’d rather not go down that route if I can help it as I like the flexibility and I’d rather not make such a permanent rigid agreement.

I have offered to leave later in the afternoon suggested 3pm. I only chose lunch as I thought it would be less frowned upon to travel than in the afternoon and works time

Contract doesn’t really say from what I remember it has contracted hours etc but has (I think) something around business needs and being ever changing

I’m happy to stay later in the afternoon to meet the extra, I only chose lunch so I wasn’t travelling in works time but at least it gives me some wiggle room

I don’t pick him up at lunch. I go straight home log back on till end of day then do pickup. There’s no hours to make up as I travel on my lunch

I bet the reason they have focused on days not hours was because if they said 21hrs there'd have been cheeky sods trying to only come in for 2 long 9-10hr days then 3 days at home. Because there is always someone trying to push their luck.

Wfh is a privilege - we are SO lucky these last few years that we have been able to do it, but i can already see that eventually it won't be allowed anymore and its because every office has the people like you, who having been given an inch... Take a mile, and spoil it for everyone.

You also need to choose a nursery closer than 1hr away from work if getting to nursery pick up is such an issue

I’m confused - Why would travelling in work time be an option? You aren’t doing them a favour?

This is a bit muck taking and why WFH ends up being scrapped - it clearly was an issue over the last year hence the change.

you start at 8:15 so can’t you take half hour lunch finish at 4:15 and pick up by 5:30?

This is why people who want to start their day very early - the 7 am type people - drive me slightly mad - because they want to work quiet hours when nothing is happening very early in the morning, and then cop off at 3, which is still well within the time when important meetings will be happening.

If your son is in nursery until 5.30, why don’t you just work until 4? It’s taking you 45 mins to and hour to get in and then that leaves you 1.5 hours to get home.

Sometimes permanent is best though, because it can’t be taken away. So once you have a flexible working agreement in place, this situation won’t happen again where you’re having to rethink your entire routine.

I’ve been doing this for a year with no issues - I wasn’t questioned it’s only come about as I reached out for clarification.

None of my colleagues on my team have my situation only one other with a young child but not a single parent like I am.

I have offered to stay later in the afternoon, I chose lunch so I wasn’t travelling in works time but I can stay longer.

When do you eat?

Are you in a union? If so speak with them. Is this policy tgat states 'majority' specified in your statement of particulsrs/contract.

That’s the issue isn’t it - it’s ambiguous so I’ve interpreted it to mean something different than others and than by management. None of us are wrong as it’s not specified.

I only chose lunch so I wasn’t travelling on works time but have offered to stay later

There’s no hours to make up I travel at lunch

I think you'll find in places like the NHS 7am is an incredibly busy part of the day for many staff. Right through the morning where things can quieten down by the afternoon....it's not one size fits all🤷‍♀️

I think you were a tad cheeky to think "majority" meant you could get away with working a half day in the office. That said, if you are contracted for a 7.5hr day, then working 8.30am - 4pm covers you, if you then have your 'lunch break' at 4pm (then use it to travel home).

I don't think you should argue to continue to work half-days, that's just unreasonable, even if you are working the afternoon at home. You are contracted for 3 office days, not 3 half days (technically 1.5 office days then).

I personally think you're being unreasonable and cheeky over this, and should work your full office day, as you said, as long as you leave by 4pm, it works for you anyway.

I haven’t done it deliberately that’s how I interpreted it and I’ve been doing it for a year with no issues.

the policy specifically states the focus isn’t on how many hours in the office but days

I wasn’t taking advantage at all - and I’m not the reason this was put in place. I haven’t been pulled up or questioned about it. It’s only come up as I reached out for clarification

You need to wait to travel til 4pm really. Even 3pm is taking the piss a bit it's halfway through the afternoon and as a PP has noted you'd presumably go straight to pick up your DC at 4pm and then get little more work done that day as caring for a preschooler. If it's 45-60 min to get to nursery you need to be staying at work til 4, that leaves a decent margin of time for traffic.
Why have you asked to leave at 3 when you could stay til 4?

Yes that’s what I’ve offered

Majority of the day to me would mean being in for around 6-7 hours, not going home at lunch time.

This is exactly what happened at my work place. We used to do two days a week but some people would work 12 hour days there and then say "well I did 12 hours on Tuesday so I'm not coming in on Thursday". nope they need to be in on Thursday as there are office based things that need to happen and they should be doing them. Our minimum hours in the office is 6.

It’s because the policy specifically states the focus isn’t on hours per day spent but on the number of times attended

I’m not leaving and not continuing working through - I still work the rest of the day at home

Civil service? My dept has clarified that a day means "majority of the day" eg 51% minimum.

It can be difficult if everyone works flexi though because if everyone is working say 4hrs in the office then depending on start and finish times, there is no guarantee everyone will be in the office together.

Kindly OP - you absolutely were.
You might have thought it was OK for a year but I suspect there's been a lot of mutterings about it after you saunter out at lunchtime and that's why they've now been forced to confirm that by majority they don't literally mean anything over 50%. I mean come on most people would recognise they mean most of the day and in working terms that would be 6+ hours at least