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

Majority means 51% or more

I couldn’t do two days as they’re very specific about it having to be three.

id rather not go in 5 days a week the added expense of parking etc isn’t worth it. I would if it was necessary but wouldn’t be my first choice.

I only chose lunch so I wasn’t travelling on works time but have offered to stay till 3pm and take then as lunch

Jeeesus this is why we can’t have nice things!

Of course it means sometimes you can leave a 4, not a lunchtime situation!

Your entire department will have been rolling their eyes every time you leave. This is ridiculous.

PwC right? In which case I’ve noticed an increasing number of people quite frankly taking the piss. Yes the policy says it’s days not hours, but the whole point of the mandatory 3 days is that we are meant to be connecting with each other. They’ve also made it clear that whilst at the moment they aren’t reporting hours on the dashboard, they are very much tracking them.
I know the whole process is frustrating, but it’s not going to go away, and yes the more people who don’t do at least 6 hours in the office are going to ruin it for the rest of us who are sticking to the policy. I know you’re not as bad as some of the people who literally come in, grab a coffee and go, but you’re also not really acting in the spirit of the policy and will just lead to making things worse.

Yes I know - neither are wrong as it’s too ambiguous.

i have offered to stay till 3pm - should be told tomorrow but get the impression that would be ok.

frustrating as the person who sent the email never turns up till at least 11am

If they are asking that an office day is a full day and you cant make that work with childcare, is there an option to get childcare for your office days? Then you can work longer office days for flexi?

Do you not have core hours? That might have made it clearer for everyone.

It might be worth submitting a flexible working request to formalise the arrangement you need.

Its aganist most work policys to have lunch just before leaving. You need to work after lunch or its not a break its an early finish. Stop saying you offered to stay till 3 you get paid to do 7.5 hours thats what you should be doing or flexible request you only do 6.5 hours on office days but only get paid for that

@jamcorrosion Why do you need to leave at 3pm though? It makes very little sense, unless you have a 2.5 hour commute?

Yeah that’s the issue I can’t share the load with anyone.

Well there are no F2F meetings - we are all assigned client projects. My current one has nobody else assigned from my office all other locations.

I’ve offered to stay till 3pm

based on where I work, if your working day is 7.5 hours and the focus is on days not hours and the expectation is the majority of the day then I’d expect you to be working your whole shift ie 8.15 - 4.15 in the office assuming you have 30 mins for lunch

lunch would be for break not travel time (travel home time would be expected after your shift not during)

it sounds like rather than this being a change to policy - which has always stated 3 days, it’s had to be put out as a clarification as people aren’t doing the whole day - they are doing half days which less than what the policy has stated

My daughter is a Lone perent, works full time, 2 days in the office. The hours are rigid. She does the office hours as requested, I feel like others that you are taking the piss.

I suspect the company are asking for this because either, other staff have complained you are only doing half days, or the management have had enough of people especially you going early then working from home.

I’m not spoiling it for everyone - I’ve not done anything to deliberately take the mick, I’ve followed the policy and checked beforehand and it’s never been an issue until now.

I chose a nursery close to my home not to my work. When I started at this job I was only in the office one day a week as that was all that was required and I’m not changing it now he is settled and happy.

Just out of interest when it was only 1 day in the office did you do a full day or leave at lunch?

You keep arguing with people about the "majority of the day" seems any reasonable person understands that the company policy doesn't mean you head home at lunchtime 3 days a week.
What would you have done if you're expected in the office 5 days a week as most now are? Id be annoyed someone leaving at lunchtime for childcare reasons 3 days a week. When im paid to work, im in work, I only leave to collect my children when the working day is over. I think you need to be realistic and understand you need to be in the office 3 FULL days, they've probably changed the policy because of you and your behaviour

But why 3pm? You said nursery pick-up is 5.30.
It takes you 2.5 hours to get there? Surely not.

Lots of people travel in work time where I work it’s not unusual like I said it’s generally really flexible

it wasn’t an issue - it hasn’t been changed cause of me. I wasn’t pulled up on it this has only come up as I asked for clarification

We can't do half and half days in case the place burns down and we don't know who is still in the office or who has just left for the day.

Yeah i think see what they come back with on that....
And I would wait to see because if thats agreeable then it's a non event.

I would however work out the latest you can reasonably leave even if ot means more traffic (it's quite odd traffic is 45 mins max one way and so much longer the other way but I guess thats UK traffic!)
Have you ever done it at that time? Google maps is a reasonable gauge but I sometimes find it unreliable.

I'd also think about whether you would agree to this if they were adamant
you start at 8:15 so can’t you take half hour lunch finish at 4:15 and pick up by 5:30.

You must have known you were onto a good thing here?
I can see why companies are tightening up on this.

Is the train quicker?

I think you are being way too literal to assume the ‘majority’ of 7.5 hours is 4 hours……

Do you have that in writing?

I would have assumed that by "majority of the day" they meant you can get a slightly earlier train, not go at lunchtime. Like 80-90%, not 51%.

Once you pick your kid up, how are you working with them at home?

Can you say you'll do four days in the office, but half days like the hours you do now, and make up the time on a longer WFH day?

Can You condense your hours so when you do an office day you work slightly less hours than when you work from home?

I used to go for a walk on my office days and would end up on the train home so I have nothing else helpful to say. My only excuse was I was the only one in the office in my team so only going into keep national rail going etc. I now have a wfh contract due to health conditions