So annoyed with manager or aibu

[Sarah510]

So scroll on by if you want. i know I'm lucky to have a job and that I can wfh. But this happened and I wanted to gauge opinion or see if other companies have a policy.

I moved house last Friday. Had one day of annual leave booked for a few weeks. Planned to move over the weekend and be back in work on Monday morning. So on Wednesday evening we were told to work from home, on Thursday I logged on, did as much as I could despite system being down for a lot of the day due to to so,many people logged on. Friday I didn't log on as I was off officially. Got a messsge to say that a skeleton staff was needed to go in this week, so I volunteered, being relatively fit and healthy. I was told to come in on Monday, which was fine, but then it changed and they closed the office building and all were directed to work from home. I reminded my manager that as I had moved I wouldn't have internet on Monday but that my wifi company were due to come on Tuesday to set up wifi.

Fast forward and wifi people have only just come now, today. I kept in contact with manager explaining what was happening, that it was out of my control, that I was on the phone all day yesterday trying to get through, they were saying they were doing their best but were inundated and had low staff due to the corona situation.

Just got a messsge from manager saying she is taking these 3 days out of my annual leave,

Am very pissed off. Aibu.

I was available for work, I tried my best, it was out of my control,

Yabu

Yes you were available for work, yes you tried your best and it was out of your control. However, you didn’t work for 3 days. I agree with your manager. It sucks but tough.

I don't know what else I could have done . Seems extremely unfair at a time when my employer is depending on employees good will . They have just assumed everyone has reliable fast broadband and can afford it.

I know in the scheme of things it's not massive but it's put my back up I can't say it hasn't.

Would you prefer to have it unpaid rather than taken as annual leave? To save your leave for later in the year? I think it should be one or the other, as you didnt work for 3 days so they wouldnt pay you for them.

I would have happily gone into work but it wasn't open! Hardly my fault? In normal circumstances I would have taken 1 day for the move and back to work on Monday, I volunteered to go in. I wonder do 100% of the employees have broadband. What happens if your internet crashes or goes down - which has actually happened me a few times, I remember the kids going mad lol.

YABU. You did not work for three days so you are not entitled to any pay. It doesn’t matter that you were willing to work, you did not work.
Honestly, you could have made your phone a hotspot and then logged into work. You don’t need broadband WiFi installed in your house to get online. So your excuse is a bit thin imho.
Your being very cheeky to think you are owed free money for no work.
If you are really upset about losing your annual leave, offer to make up the 24hours by working overtime and weekends (if it’s possible in your profession).

I tried to do hotspot from phone but signal was too weak to get on to the system.

I was available for work. I did my best to get internet asap.

I'm going to query it with HR. Not everyone has unlimited data on their phones, enough to work from them.

I think YANBU, it was their decision to close the office (albeit the correct one), I cannot imagine contractually they have a clause to say you must have broadband and be able to work from home so I think you could absolutely dispute this. Do you have a grievance policy, if so I would follow this.

Given the situation and the fact that you havent worked those days, you might consider as a goodwill gesture offering to make the work time up on the weekends.

YANBU. As you say, not your fault. You were available to attend work but were unable to as the office was closed. Your employer needs to take this on the chin, many other employers are in the exact same position and not everyone is able to work from home.

Thanks I'm glad not all of you think IABU. It was a pretty sudden decision and I offered to go in to be part of the skeleton staff especially as I had told them I wouldn't have internet for a couple of days, and st the time they said that that was out of my control and to just do the best I could,