Work issue advice

[Sarah2025]

Ive been doing a new role now for nearly a year. I work 3 days a week and go into the office once a fortnight. I recently got a new manager and I'm just being hassled for timesheets. I've been in this company 15 years but in a different role and never been asked to provide timesheets before. And then with my work laptop my manager is saying to me I know you logged off at x time whatever it was so it's like they are looking at my login and logoff times and making me do timesheets. The thing that's really bothering me is that I'm in a really small remote team and I know by the way other people talk that they are not doing timesheets. Even when I asked my manager about doing a really basic function in the time sheet she didn't know so clearly this is not something she's familiar with. Then on top of that I've just been asked to go to the office weekly for no reason. I'm not part of a team at that office but more like an advisory/support role (that's what my small team is) mainly if there are new staff but it would be organised to do 1:1 work together if they needed support from me and if I am at the office I am just sitting at a desk doing my work on my laptop. The issue is the commute is absolutely awful, bumper to bumper the whole way home and i have childcare and there's no parking and I just dread going there once a fortnight. The other thing on my mind is that I recently delivered some training at that office for the first time and then my manager was like 'you don't have to do it again if you don't want to and' not everyone enjoys it bla bla' and i was like 'no it's fine' and she said it about 3 or 4 times not having to do it. She's being nice to me but at the same time she's obviously micromanaging me and doesn't trust me to work at home. Are these all signs they are trying to get rid of me or am I being paranoid because it's a new role?

Document everything.

Complete your timesheets and make sure you don't log on/off too soon or too late. Once you're doing this without complaint, it's perfectly reasonable to ask if she had any concerns about your work or productivity.

Re being in the office - what does your contract say?
How long does the commute actually take? Bumper to bumper isn't a problem if it's 20 minutes!

Do you mean hassled or asked for? Timesheeting is a perfectly normal part of working, especially when you are offsite/home. If there is any question over your hours you need to be able to evidence you are doing enough. I'd get on with recording the time pronto if you don't already.

Im interested in your language about 'hassling" - do you dislike your manager? What does your contract say about work location?

It’s not OK to have different rules for one member of a team. There is no way you should be putting in timesheets unless everyone else is. The only reason this would be OK is something like you being a contractor or casual staff member and the others being permanent. They need to be able to provide a rationale for why you are being asked to do this. I’d be finding out for sure if the other members of my team were putting in timesheets and if not I’d be taking it to HR.

As far as coming into the office once a week, I’d be asking the reason for this. Again, it should not be happening if it’s not being asked of anyone else and it’s not essential for your job.

As for log in and log out times and monitoring that, I’d be saying that it makes me feel policed and if there is a concern about my hours it needs to be raised formally in writing with me so I understand what’s going on.

Sounds like they do not trust you at all, timesheets, commenting on your start and finishing time and asking you to attend the office more.

Are you working the hours you should be? Sounds like they are carrying out investigations or at very least making jt difficult for you to work less than tlh are paks for.

One or two weeks I had to just do them from memory because I dont write down when I logged in or logged off as only doing them a month now so they may be off but have agreed to do some work on my non-working day to make up any time. No it's bumper to bumper for like an hour and a half coming back plus I'm insulin dependent diabetic so it's really tiring... I'm so paranoid about this login stuff I feel like I can't even go to the toilet. I don't know are they watching every single log in and log off because if I am away from my laptop for just 5 minutes it logs me out. I've tried to change the settings but the organisation has set them.

Does your manager know you're diabetic?
Could you explain that on occasion you have to sort medical things that take over 5 mins.
If you're honest, are you having multiple breaks away from your laptop and now you've been caught out?

Are you a trade union member? I would get them involved.

Does manager know about your diabetes and how it affects you?

It sounds like your manager thinks you’re not working your hours and they want you where they can see you. Have you been working when you should have been?
Their mistake is not treating everyone the same. Even if they suspect just you, they should ask everyone for timesheets and to come in the office weekly.
What does your contract say about attending the office?

Document everything you do and conversations with your manager. Ask them, “is this a new policy? Is everyone expected to do the same?”

I’m assuming you’re entitled to a break during the day. Going to the toilet is surely allowed?!

Time to have it out. Arrange a 1:1 to ask what they need from you as it’s feeling like they don’t trust you to work your hours and it’s starting to feel a little micro managed. As others have said document everything from now on. Keep a note of your work activity / delivery too in case it is a trust issue and they think you have not been working. Timesheets just for you is bordering on harassment but go steady if you plan to make that accusation. I’d also just clarify when you’ll be in the office based on your contract / previously agreed working arrangements. If they want that to change ask for it in writing and ask them how long they will consult you about it. That’ll give you time to figure out what’s really going on / find a new arrangement / complain about new bosses methods / put in a new flexible work request to carry on as you are due to heath needs. Good luck.

I would join a Union and declare your diabetes as a disability and then ask for reasonable adjustments - breaks as needed for toilet/food/drink and WFH.

Fill in your timesheet daily, or make a note of times develop the habit.

Then ask why you are being treated differently. If you are new to the role do they think you are taking too long to get up to speed? It could be anything tbh.

That's good advice OP.

Also are you older than other team members? is there a discriminatory reason why this new manager could be picking on you?

Could it be a way for them to make life difficult for you so you quit and they can bring someone new?

I would start making notes as well of any conversation you have with them with dates and so on.

If your manager makes comments similar to those about your training you can follow it up with an email - you said X 4 times and as I explained I’m happy to do that role, is there a reason you brought this up? That type of thing so you have written evidence of what they said.

How much time are you needing to catch up on your non working day and how did this come about?

I would follow the rules to the letter, keep an record of everything and when you had back the next time sheet contact your manager about the purpose of them.

Do you have regular 1-2-1 type reviews?

My manager wouldn't see me in the office-all of my team work out of different offices in different locations...

Since I complained about having to go to this office weekly she is now put another office, which is far away, as a place I need to go to weekly. It was meant to be our small team going there fortnightly, which I had agreed to, but now she has just decided to make it weekly. There's no asking how it will impact, Childcare, my husbands working arrangement etc. I mean when she told me about having to go to the office weekly(from my original post) she just sent me a timetable, not even an acknowledgement that this is an extra full day in the office each week and do I need to put arrangements in place with my husband regarding childcare.. And no I absolutely don't need to be there. I haven't needed to be there that extra day for almost a year.

Yes she is aware. I told her I have bad days with it when I can't get my blood glucose down I feel tired-in those days I dont necessarily want to be involved in the group team chat. I've told her I sometimes need to do quick bursts of 20 minutes on my exercise bike at home to bring my blood glucose back into range at times when insulin is not working fast enough. There is no exercise equipment at any offices. She obviously just doesn't give a shit because she is not even asking how 2 long commutes each week will impact me.