Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Original poster

Being 'forced' back into the office

191 replies

PinkPeonies22 · 31/03/2023 20:11

Wondering whether anyone works for companies that after letting them work remotely for several years during the pandemic, have now told them they need to return to the office. How have organisations been policing/enforcing it, and has anyone been made to leave for refusing to go back? If so, how? (eg. was it via disciplinary?), and did you have compelling reasons why you wanted to continue to work remotely? Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
Original poster
PinkPeonies22 · 01/04/2023 09:57

Lionsintheocean · 01/04/2023 09:52

It’s tricky because we had a policy change saying we would become remote organisation and told we would no longer need to come in to London on an official basis, only every now and then for meetings. So people moved house to live around the uk. I also have left London. Now the policy seems to be changing and they need people to come in every week. So I’ve moved and now basically will have to resign as they keep changing their mind. It just seems really unfair when big moves and people’s lives are so affected? Not sure what to do tbh!

I really empathise with this. It is unreasonable for companies to keeo changing their minds about these huge factors that make an immense impact on employees lives. I hope everything sorts itself out for you.

OP posts:
Lionsintheocean · 01/04/2023 10:00

No new contracts unfortunately and I was on maternity leave, so frustrating!

Lionsintheocean · 01/04/2023 10:01

Yes it’s such a specialised job too so not many other options. It’s very unfair I think but doesn’t look like we’ve got a leg to stand on legally, though I need to research it a bit more.

Spectre8 · 01/04/2023 10:09

Lionsintheocean · 01/04/2023 09:52

It’s tricky because we had a policy change saying we would become remote organisation and told we would no longer need to come in to London on an official basis, only every now and then for meetings. So people moved house to live around the uk. I also have left London. Now the policy seems to be changing and they need people to come in every week. So I’ve moved and now basically will have to resign as they keep changing their mind. It just seems really unfair when big moves and people’s lives are so affected? Not sure what to do tbh!

So whats the issue you decided to move knowing that you would have to go to the office for meetings as and when required, you just don't have to go in every day. However if more and more meetings become face to face your in more which is harder to predict.

Surely you thought about that when you made your decision to move further away. They never said you never have to come into the office, it was quite clear you would be having to go in ...how much dependent on meetings.

Lcb123 · 01/04/2023 10:11

Assuming the office is your contractual place of work it’s reasonable they want you in some days. You could do a flexible working request to be home based instead. And judging by the amount of parents on here who think WFH whilst looking after a young child(ren) is ok, I’m not surprised employers are doing thjs

Humanbiology · 01/04/2023 10:13

Thank goodness teachers don't carry this attitude with them. The nation's children would not be taught.

Lionsintheocean · 01/04/2023 10:15

No it was only for training days here and there

Soontobe60 · 01/04/2023 10:19

magicthree · 01/04/2023 09:29

My yearly commuting costs would be £800 if I had to work from the office full time. So no I wouldn't be happy to lose that money plus 90 minutes a day.

I keep reading things like this. Were you forced to take a job so far away from where you live? It truly astonishes me how far some people travel to go to work, why, just why?

Blimey, that’s only £15 a week. She’d save that much (n heating bills if she went into the office !

Abyss23 · 01/04/2023 10:23

4-6 days a month is nothing really. Its shocking how little some people have to go in.

You'd be shocked by me then, I've not been to the office since 2017. No need to. If WFH is done right it can work perfectly well.

Thank goodness teachers don't carry this attitude with them. The nation's children would not be taught

Utterly irrelevant.

rogueone · 01/04/2023 10:25

Post pandemic we had to make changes to people’s contracts as a number of people were receiving inner London payment when they were based in Liverpool and WFH. Everyone had to agree to being hybrid or agree to WFH and have a contract change and pay could be affected. I know people who used the pandemic to move out of London and are angry that they are being asked to return to the office- I mean to make a huge change like that was naive at best

I like WFH and am very productive however there are many who take the piss, aren’t on line, not contactable and think there work day revolves around kids or appointments they have scheduled in the middle of the day.

Inkpotlover · 01/04/2023 10:27

Humanbiology · 01/04/2023 10:13

Thank goodness teachers don't carry this attitude with them. The nation's children would not be taught.

What a ridiculous and goady comment to make.

RandomUsernameHere · 01/04/2023 10:51

Interesting to read about everyone's experiences. I suppose it's as simple as, employers are perfectly within their rights to demand employees go back to the office (if the contract states they are to be office based). Employees are also within their rights to resign. It will all come down to supply and demand in the end. People may not be able to get WFH jobs and be forced to accept office based jobs, or employers will struggle to recruit decent people who are willing and able to commute and so will have to offer WFH.

Fedupofdiets · 01/04/2023 10:52

BitchBrigade · 31/03/2023 21:07

I am being forced back into the office. I work for the Shitty Daily Mail as a lacklustre journo who has to post vague scenarios on Mumsnet because I can't do any real journalistic investigative work.

😉

My thoughts too!!

SilverGlitterBaubles · 01/04/2023 11:00

There was a thread last week about what people get up to WFH. Any employer reading that people were doing housework, gardening, lying on the sofa, painting their nails and having afternoon sex would be quite within their rights to ask people to come back to the office.

Architectahoy · 01/04/2023 11:07

Mmmm afternoon sex tho...

Callmenat · 01/04/2023 11:36

Lionsintheocean · 01/04/2023 10:15

No it was only for training days here and there

Good god. Another sanctimonious teacher thinking they do the hardest job in the world. Change the record and get out your bubble.

EightChalk · 01/04/2023 11:41

Lots of UK cities have become extremely expensive to live in. I know some companies pay (an inadequate) "London weighting", but it's not the only city which has ludicrously high housing costs. I think if companies want their employees to come in for jobs where it isn't actually necessary, so not in e.g. teaching, medicine, nursing, manufacturing, cooking, etc., then they should commit to paying a salary that means you can at least rent a flat, alone, within reasonable commuting distance of the office. Otherwise, let staff work from home and choose where they live.

Exhausteddog · 01/04/2023 11:41

My yearly commuting costs would be £800 if I had to work from the office full time. So no I wouldn't be happy to lose that money plus 90 minutes a day.

I keep reading things like this. Were you forced to take a job so far away from where you live? It truly astonishes me how far some people travel to go to work, why, just why?

45 min each way I would have thought was a fairly standard commute? Not outrageously far. (Maybe 20-30 miles?) And 800/year for it seems pretty cheap, to me.

That's similar to my commute and I barely know anyone who has a shorter commute. (Or such bargain fares) We can't afford to live in central London ! Not saying everyone should commute, if wfh is possible and convenient but I'm not sure a 45 min or 800/year commute could be described as excessive in terms of time or money.

Soontobe60 · 01/04/2023 11:43

Callmenat · 01/04/2023 11:36

Good god. Another sanctimonious teacher thinking they do the hardest job in the world. Change the record and get out your bubble.

Show quote history

Why is this ‘sanctimonious’?

EightChalk · 01/04/2023 11:44

EightChalk · 01/04/2023 11:41

Lots of UK cities have become extremely expensive to live in. I know some companies pay (an inadequate) "London weighting", but it's not the only city which has ludicrously high housing costs. I think if companies want their employees to come in for jobs where it isn't actually necessary, so not in e.g. teaching, medicine, nursing, manufacturing, cooking, etc., then they should commit to paying a salary that means you can at least rent a flat, alone, within reasonable commuting distance of the office. Otherwise, let staff work from home and choose where they live.

(Note to add that I also think they should be paying those salaries to staff who do need to be in the workplace!)

Callmenat · 01/04/2023 11:46

Soontobe60 · 01/04/2023 11:43

Why is this ‘sanctimonious’?

Show quote history

Sorry, I quoted the wrong message. I meant to quote the one from the teacher

Quveas · 01/04/2023 12:19

PinkPeonies22 · 31/03/2023 20:11

Wondering whether anyone works for companies that after letting them work remotely for several years during the pandemic, have now told them they need to return to the office. How have organisations been policing/enforcing it, and has anyone been made to leave for refusing to go back? If so, how? (eg. was it via disciplinary?), and did you have compelling reasons why you wanted to continue to work remotely? Thanks in advance.

It is 1st April 2023. The first Covid lockdown was a few days over three years ago. The last restrictions ended in July 2021. Where was the pandemic "several years" long?

I am public sector, and we had hybrid working before the pandemic. We have hybrid working again. If you refuse to return to the office as required, you will be dismissed (and people have been). If you take the piss with home working, you will, at the very least, be returned to the office permanantly and full -time or possibly dismissed (and both have happened).

And the mythology of how there are loads and loads of jobs out there and employees can just pick and choose is hysterically funny. There are loads and loads of jobs out there that most people don't want. That is why they are desperate to recruit. There's a real shortage of staff in social care. If you fancy the hospitality industry then there's equally quite a lot going, especially amongst the worst employers. There's plenty of zero hours employment around. Not so much lots of jobs with decent pay and conditions, as testified to by the massive numbers we are now attracting to even our lowest paid positions. And many of the jobs available are not even hybrid either - it's hard to do social care, hospitality etc when working from home!

Perhaps there are a few enclaves somewhere that have loads of decent jobs going begging. I live not too far from two major cities, and it isn't the case here. It seems to me that the people advocating it's a sellers market, and people can just walk if they don't get what they want are either very lucky, very skilled in demand led indistries - or more likley haven't actually put that to the test.

DojaPhat · 01/04/2023 12:21

The country is genuinely one of serfs, imagine thinking that we must all return to the office regardless of practicalities or any sort of work/life balance and the opposing view is 'if you don't like it QUIT' because we must be seen to be doing work and putting on a wash at midday means you should face a disciplinary.

Spectre8 · 01/04/2023 12:56

DojaPhat · 01/04/2023 12:21

The country is genuinely one of serfs, imagine thinking that we must all return to the office regardless of practicalities or any sort of work/life balance and the opposing view is 'if you don't like it QUIT' because we must be seen to be doing work and putting on a wash at midday means you should face a disciplinary.

No what most are saying is dont take the piss and stop moaning at every single time you're needed to come to the office. Be grateful its hybridnand only 2 or e days a week and dont fuck it up for everyone by moaning about even doing that.

Beantag · 01/04/2023 13:00

DojaPhat · 01/04/2023 12:21

The country is genuinely one of serfs, imagine thinking that we must all return to the office regardless of practicalities or any sort of work/life balance and the opposing view is 'if you don't like it QUIT' because we must be seen to be doing work and putting on a wash at midday means you should face a disciplinary.

I think some people see the genuine value of being in the office at least a few times a week though, that's different to we must go back just because.