to stop extra flexibility after my manager imposed office hours?

[LouuLou]

I work in a small office team of five people. I’m the only full-time member of staff, everyone else is part time. We had a new manager start last year and honestly, up until now, things have been really good. We get on well, I like his management style and he has always said he cared more about people getting the work done than clock-watching.

I work very hard. I consistently hit targets, usually go beyond what is expected, and I won an achievement award last month. I also work very flexibly. I regularly start work at 7am, answer emails early, and will often still be available after 6pm. I usually work through lunch too. That flexibility has suited both the organisation and me because it means things get done quickly and I can also fit other parts of life around work. It is one of the things I am regularly complimented on - how quick I get tasks done.

Out of nowhere, he has now announced that I have to be physically in the office 9–5 three days a week. No actual problem has been identified, no concerns raised about my performance, no suggestion that work isn’t getting done. The explanation was basically that he “wants to try something different”.

Fine. He is the manager and he is entitled to set office hours if he wants to. I’m not arguing with that part.

But my feeling is that if he now wants strict contracted hours and presenteeism, then that is exactly what he will get. I no longer see the point in starting at 7am, replying to messages before work, being available into the evening or working through lunch. I’m planning to work my contracted hours, take a proper hour lunch break and log off at the end of the day.

I know this will reduce the amount I actually get done overall. But another part of me thinks flexibility works both ways. If management removes trust and autonomy, they can’t really expect staff to continue giving unpaid goodwill on top.

Nobody is struggling to reach me. Even if I am out doing other things the next day because I worked late one evening, I am still available and answering emails. I get tasks done faster than anyone else on the team. There is always a delay with the rest of the team understandably as they are all part time.

If I am away for short periods, I still answer emails and get tasks done. He likes that I get things done early and late particularly when urgent tasks crop up. He says I am highly responsive.

They like that I message out of hours and get tasks done as the rest of the team are part time. I am there during the working day but I slip off here and there when I have worked late or early.

No. Only me.

I have won an achievement award which the manager nominated for me last month which was not just based on getting tasks done quickly.

I am reliable and pick up additional tasks when the part time staff are not around.

So are you running an informal flexi-time scheme? Do you log the hours that you do extra and then take them as TOIL, or are you just thinking 'ah I worked a bit late last night so a long lunch is fine...'? Are you informing your manager when you're going to work less hours because you've worked more hours at another time?

I would have thought that if you're taking a very informal approach to your working hours, that may be part of why he's trying to formalise things.

I don't understand why you be slower working 9-5 in the office?

Well if that’s the case then it’s a sledge hammer to crack a nut when he could actually give her that feedback.

Who is stamping their feet and sulking?

I asked him and he said he wants to try something different. I agreed straightaway. I am just changing my approach and sticking to core hours from now on. Things will slow down too as I will no longer respond out of hours.

I remember trying to organise a meeting between my team & a company we were working with. Of the 7 people who needed to be there, I was the only one doing a full 5 day week.

Finding a time when everyone was both working and available took ages.

You are going to have a problem though as there will now be a dip in your performance and that will most likely be put down to you not liking the office hours and thus checking out.

Did you keep a time sheet before?

I personally don’ t like emailing people and don’t like receiving emails before work starts for people unless it’s super urgent as it tends to clog of inboxes when people need to focus on the urgent things that have come in overnight (ie safeguarding)

But he will care when I slow down in getting stuff done as it will not be done first thing or after hours as he likes

Why will he care? What affect will it have on the business for you to be working office hours 9-5 as requested?

I wouldn't be doing out of office hours on the other 2 days either, Id work to rule and enjoy your time off. Especially as you tired talking about this to him to no avail.

He agreed in the past that I can have flexibility as I will work early and late. He said I didn't need to inform him if I took an hour here or there but did if it was longer.

It is fine if he wants to formalise but he has got used to me responding out of hours and getting tasks done quickly. I will still get tasks done but no longer our of hours so he will have to deal with things that crop as I will no longer be responding. I have been covering for the part time staff out of hours too - will also stop that.

There’s an issue then, and he’s just being nice.

Do you line or task manage any staff? What is the office attendance / WFH balance for colleagues?

I would absolutely work to rule when in the office. He’ll soon see the difference.

He has always complimented me that I get stuff done quickly and our of hours and how it reduces his workload.

If this is no longer happening, it means he has to pick up instead.

Op How is he trying something new if the others are not involved. Op if I was you I would give him 9-5 every day and take your lunch break as it’s illegal of them to let you work 6 hours without a break even if it’s unpaid it’s still needs doing. Fuck doing free overtime go by his rules and stick to them when he complains just say oh I can’t do additional hours now I’m commuting I only did it before as it was convenient being at home.

He can think it is checking out if he likes. But tasks will wait now until 9am whereas before they would get solved before he started work.

No timesheets. All done on trust so I was happy to do extra.

Good managers will talk about the issues rather than just be nice. I am open to discussion and doing things in different ways.

In my office working experience managers liked to get rid of flexi time/working outside the normal 9-5 hours simply because they thought it made them look good, viz: I got everyone back in the office for the whole working day, must be better/more efficient, right?

No, Sonny, it just looks more efficient. You lose goodwill and flexibility in one fell swoop, in the interests of more control. (Which is what it is really about.) Then it takes its toll on efficiency.

Unfortunately too many people taking the p* wfh. See it as a god given right.
The wfh pendulum has swung too far the other way with people thinking it is their entitlement.
I don't doubt that there are several who do work their contracted hours and optimise productivity.
However, there are many more who don't. I know several people personally who do this

I agree if he wants you in the office 9-5 then you should only work contacted hours. Flexibility goes both ways and sometimes I think employers forget that they also gain by allowing flexible working.

@LouuLou Out of nowhere, he has now announced that I have to be physically in the office 9–5 three days a week.

On this board, I see the most trivial things being raised as if they are world-ending.

You know, people in the manufacturing sector generally have to be on site all the time, and there's no arguing otherwise. It's normal to be on site.

I fully support your approach. I believe the term is “malicious compliance.”

Years I had this. My hours were 9-5 but I could never get myself moving properly so generally was at work from 09:05am - 09:15am.

However we had long hours so I routinely worked till 7-9pm and sometimes weekends (unpaid). Apparently one of the directors had an issue with me arriving after 9am and insisted I must be in each day by 08:55 to log in and be ready to start at 9am. I pointed out my willingness to work past 5 and was told “we never asked you to”.

So from that day till I left I strictly worked 9-5. That pissed them off massively but what could they do.