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Original poster

Being forced to travel to another office regularly isn’t sustainable long term?

74 replies

Hairspray0 · 19/07/2023 13:33

Long story short, I need to move to an office 4 hours away from where I currently am because my mum isn’t well. The whole team there are now leaving so I’ll be on my own. Work say I’ll have to travel down to this office “as and when” for client meetings, training etc because I’ll be on my own.. despite saying a year ago that nobody would ever be forced in to any office but that’s another matter I guess.

I am just not keen to do an 8 hour round trip potentially weekly, I can’t commit to it and it’s just not sustainable in the long term in my opinion. I would have to leave about 5.30am, sit on a train for 4 hours, work my 7 hours, then straight back to the train station and get home about 11pm. I definitely do not want to do overnight stays which I will have to do if there’s something that starts pre 10am! If I did overnight I would have to do a full days work, travel for 4 hours and get in about 10pm, then same again the next day.

AIBU to think this just isn’t doable? In all honesty I think it disadvantages women who tend to bear more caring responsibilities outside of work but maybe I’m being a drama llama?

OP posts:
SwitchDiver · 19/07/2023 13:38

As it’s something you requested, I think you’re lucky you’re not being forced to resign to care for your mum. They are at least trying to accommodate you by allowing you to work remotely from 4hrs away with only occasional travel back to your contracted office location for your job. I would at least try it. Maybe it’s more like once a quarter? If it is too much, resign then.

redskytwonight · 19/07/2023 13:38

Just to check I've understood your post ...

  1. You are moving to work in another office that's 4 hours away from where you currently work
  2. You are doing this to be closer to your mum; it's not something your work has mandated
3.Your work says that you have to travel back to your current office weekly.

I think it depends what it says in your contract. If you are contracted to work at current location, then it is reasonable that you would be expected to travel there. It's not your work's issue that you are choosing to move 4 hours away.
I actually think it's quite reasonable of them to let you work somewhere else. In many companies you would just have to leave.

Original poster
Hairspray0 · 19/07/2023 13:52

But my Q was do you think it’s sustainable?

Just to be clear - the goalposts were changed because the whole team in the office 4 hours away have now left, this has never been a requirement in the past. If I left and they hired someone new in the office 4 hours away, it would be required of them too.

When I told them I was thinking about moving they said they couldn’t stop me and to go for it if it suited me.

OP posts:
User63847484848 · 19/07/2023 13:57

I think it could be doable if:

  • it’s less than weekly, maybe monthly or every 2-3 weeks even
  • if you get time off in lieu including your travel time (I do when I have to go to a different office from my ‘base office’)
  • if when you go there you don’t have to stay for a full day eg you could ask for the client meeting to be 12pm then leave again at 3pm.

if the alternative is to resign then surely it’s worth a shot? You can hopefully dial in to some team meetings

HundredMilesAnHour · 19/07/2023 14:12

Whether it's sustainable or not is down to you really. I know quite a few people who have longer commutes and do it every week for years. You need to decide if you want to/can find an alternative job nearer your Mum or if you can continue as you are. I think your employer are being pretty good actually. They could easily say you need to be in the office 3 days a week (or more!).

Original poster
Hairspray0 · 19/07/2023 17:06

I don’t like working from home so I do plan to be in the office probably 4 if not 5 days a week, I just won’t be with anyone in my department, which work are fine with.

Hardly anyone attends my current office which is another big part of why I’m moving. The people I work closest with actually work in our third office and I see them in person once a quarter.

OP posts:
SwitchDiver · 19/07/2023 17:59

But my Q was do you think it’s sustainable?

Depends. Depends on how often. Depends on you. Depends on transport reliability. Depends on how long your mum can be left alone.

LIZS · 19/07/2023 18:05

I'm not clear why, when you requested the other office, travel is now an issue. It may or may not be practical long term for you.

TimesRwo · 19/07/2023 18:47

I don’t quite understand. You’re moving 4 hours away

Or you are moving and at the same time been asked to go to a new office which will be 4 hours away after the move?

VisionsOfSplendour · 19/07/2023 18:51

TimesRwo · 19/07/2023 18:47

I don’t quite understand. You’re moving 4 hours away

Or you are moving and at the same time been asked to go to a new office which will be 4 hours away after the move?

I don't understand either but no one can tell you whether you'll be able to hack it as it's personal to you

I'm not sure what answers you are expecting but maybe if you can explain a bit more clearly there might be some suggestions

CatsOnTheChair · 19/07/2023 18:59

Depends.
DH is technically 5.5 hrs drive from his office. His boss is 7 hours (longer on the trains for both).

They tend to block everything together, go up for 3 days or a week, then not again for ages. So, say there is a training course, they have a team meeting, and deal with any paperwork that needs signing in person all together.
-or DH just goes to his boss's unofficial office which is much closer--

So, I guess it depends on a) if its a wont or can't do overnights and b) how flexible others are when making plans.
It's possible if you want it to be. Or you could look for a new job nearer your new home.

Gracewithoutend · 19/07/2023 19:01

So you're requesting to move to an office 4 hours away from where you now live in order to be near your sick mum. But you will have to return to your present office for meetings as and when? And you want to know if the around commute of 8hrs is sustainable over a long period of time.

You're also wondering it's discriminatory of them expecting you return for meetings because women tend to be the carers in the family so it's particularly discriminatory against women expecting them to commute.

Is that right?

FrivolousTreeDuck · 19/07/2023 19:03

I couldn't do that once a week. I think once a month would be my limit. Is there any room to negotiate the frequency? Can your meetings and training not be done remotely?

BungleandGeorge · 19/07/2023 19:06

So your contract is at x office. You want to change to y. Your work have said yes but you need to attend x for training etc. that’s their offer you can take it or leave it. Yes I think 4 hours each way once a week is sustainable if you really want to change office location. Your other option is to stay where you are?

Dotcheck · 19/07/2023 19:14

But you would have to travel back ‘as and when’.
Weekly? Monthly? Seriously how can anyone know.

Also you’re coming across as a bit entitled here. You have an amazingly flexible job, and they are asking very little of you.

rookiemere · 19/07/2023 19:15

If the situation is that you have chosen to move 4 hrs away to support your DM, but your actual team expect you in sometimes, then yes YABU, unless you signed a wfh contract.

It sounds like your company has offered a fairly reasonable compromise based on the circumstances and it's hardly their fault that it's apparently completely unacceptable for you to stay in a Travel Lodge or Premier Inn from time to time to make the journey less arduous.

So yes if you feel you have no alternative but to do the return journey in a day, it will be pretty unsustainable to do that more than once a month or so, but if you could bring yourself to stay over it wouldn't be so bad.

LlynTegid · 19/07/2023 19:18

If you could travel by train, and work on the train, perhaps sustainable. Expensive though and you'd have to consider your lifestyle and especially diet.

I don't think a verbal comment a year ago cuts it for not having to come to the office.

SheilaFentiman · 19/07/2023 19:28

Is there a way to fix the day? So every other Monday you travel Sunday night (say) and get a travelodge?

yogasaurus · 19/07/2023 19:33

But my Q was do you think it’s sustainable?

Depends if you can personally deal with it.

It doesn’t mean your work have to change it, if it isn’t sustainable for you. They’re already being very flexible, this wouldn’t be an option in most workplaces.

Original poster
Hairspray0 · 19/07/2023 19:34

TimesRwo · 19/07/2023 18:47

I don’t quite understand. You’re moving 4 hours away

Or you are moving and at the same time been asked to go to a new office which will be 4 hours away after the move?

Sorry, so my firm has two offices in central Scotland and one in the north east of Scotland (in my home town).

I currently live/work in central Scotland but am moving home to the north east. There are 3 colleagues in my department in that office currently, but they are all leaving, so it will just be me.

OP posts:
TimesRwo · 19/07/2023 19:36

Hairspray0 · 19/07/2023 19:34

Sorry, so my firm has two offices in central Scotland and one in the north east of Scotland (in my home town).

I currently live/work in central Scotland but am moving home to the north east. There are 3 colleagues in my department in that office currently, but they are all leaving, so it will just be me.

Show quote history

So how does the 4 hour commute come into it if you’re moving back to your home town and the new office is there?

Original poster
Hairspray0 · 19/07/2023 19:37

Gracewithoutend · 19/07/2023 19:01

So you're requesting to move to an office 4 hours away from where you now live in order to be near your sick mum. But you will have to return to your present office for meetings as and when? And you want to know if the around commute of 8hrs is sustainable over a long period of time.

You're also wondering it's discriminatory of them expecting you return for meetings because women tend to be the carers in the family so it's particularly discriminatory against women expecting them to commute.

Is that right?

I didn’t say anything about discrimination, those were your words. I’m saying this set up is always going to put women at a disadvantage, surely.

OP posts:
fiorentina · 19/07/2023 19:38

I have to travel regularly to an office around 3 hours away. I tend to go every fortnight and stay over night so there two days rather than driving/training once a week. It is doable to go weekly - I leave at 5.30am and back late, would you have to do the full seven hours in the office if you work also effectively on the train?

TimesRwo · 19/07/2023 19:38

Hairspray0 · 19/07/2023 19:37

I didn’t say anything about discrimination, those were your words. I’m saying this set up is always going to put women at a disadvantage, surely.

Show quote history

Which is sex discrimination…

Original poster
Hairspray0 · 19/07/2023 19:41

TimesRwo · 19/07/2023 19:36

So how does the 4 hour commute come into it if you’re moving back to your home town and the new office is there?

Show quote history

I was due to take clients close to the new office but there has been a reshuffle (because of the mass departure!) and I’m not getting any, only keeping my existing clients in the central belt.

They insist on doing training in person, which yeah is fair enough and I prefer that, but because everyone is leaving I won’t have “in person” and they’re saying I will have to travel down for them. They don’t have set days for training so I just have to go with it. Some of them are 8.30-10.30am breakfast sessions so I’d have to stay overnight.

OP posts: