Hi all,
I’m after some advice please if possible.
In November last year, my employer agreed to a trial period working from home 3 days per week following my flexible working request. This trial period began in January and was due to continue until Feb 28th.
I have recently told my employer I am pregnant (very early days).
According to the agreement, we were to review the homeworking at the end of January and then again at the end of February and make a a decision about whether we could continue at that point.
We undertook a review on Tuesday, during which my employer said they were not happy with the homeworking and wished to stop it and have me work full time from the office again.,We discussed the fact that this was not feasible for me (due to many circumstances previously discussed and understood by my employer) and therefore I would need to tend my resignation. My employer in this meeting verbally agreed that as the trial period had been due to run until the end of February that I could work two days per week as I currently do and have the remaining days per week as garden leave to enable me to find another role. This was on Tuesday.
However, this morning I have come to the office as usual, to be greeted by a letter stating that as per our meeting I will be returning full time to work in the office as of Monday! My colleagues have also been informed that this is the case.
Is there anything I can do? It is literally impossible for me to be in the office full time, but under my original contract I have to give a full months notice (which I gave on Tuesday) so have to keep working until the end of February. I’m stuck and feel as though this has all happened because if they get rid of me now then they don’t have to pay Mat leave or hold my job.
I think that because we signed an agreement with a trial period until Feb it is unreasonable for them to expect me to be full time in the office prior to this date.
Please can anyone offer any thoughts or advice? I am confused and very worried.
Thank you and sorry so long!