To stop WFH because rules not applied equally

[FoxtrotOscarFoxtrotOscar]

Have had a shit day at work.
I started a new FT job in my very large organisation this time last year.
We can WFH two days per week and three days in the office.
If we take a day off, WFH is reduced accordingly.

The WFH and planning calendar (with various tasks) has been drawn up by one of my counterparts since before I arrived. It should have been done by our senior colleague but she is inept beyond belief.

Anyway, this suits my colleague down to the ground and she has been giving herself a lovely working regime and choice of tasks and recently started allocating herself three days WFH (1 full day and 2 half-days) twice a month to work around her childcare arrangements.
However, when I have taken a day's leave, she's quick to apply the rules to me to ensure I'm in 3 days a week.

This inequality got me so worked up that I discussed it with my boss.
He has now taken the planning away from this person and given it to the inept colleague. However, my boss announced yesterday that he would make an occasional exception but didn't want to see a "systematic" pattern. This is utter BS and contrary to our organisation's rules.

I am now seriously considering going into the office 5 days a week because the WFH arrangements have angered me so much and I don't want to be part of it.

Am I cutting my nose off to spite my face?

I also had a look at job vacancies today in other areas of the organisation but there's nothing I can apply for at the moment.

Someone talk some sense to me, please. I am so pissed off.

Yeh I'd just go in, for a while at least. Build Relationships,show willingness to be in the office.

Have the rules been written down

No one is going to be mad if you go in 5 days a week though?

See how inept colleague does at it?

@WeeStyleIcon
Yes, the rules are on the intranet for all to see.
The only reason I would go in 5 days a week is then I would (hopefully) stop obsessing about special arrangements being made for some colleagues when it comes to WFH.

@lamalamalamasquirrel
I wrote to inept colleague today to ask about balancing out more fairly one particular task in November's schedule. She said sure! But nothing done about it yet and frankly she's as much use a chocolate fireguard.

Why would it stop you obsessing? You’d be just as aware of it if not more. Whichever choice you make makes absolutely no difference to anyone else, it really is just cutting your nose off to spite your face.

Occasional EXCEPTION isn’t unusual @FoxtrotOscarFoxtrotOscar and often helps to make things work smoothly.

Id do whatever works best for you.
If being in the office 5 days a week helps then do so.

But, and I mean it really gently, you sounds really angry and resentful towards your colleagues when you’ve been there only a short time. I’m wondering what’s going on there.
Could be that the department/company culture doesn’t work fir you. Or is it more about you (as in external stuff going on etc….)

recently started allocating herself three days WFH (1 full day and 2 half-days)

A bit confused - does this not add up to the two days you are allowed?

Makes no sense doing that as the wfh people won't care and it won't change the lack of inequality.
I'd keep raising it with manager.
In all honesty I line manage staff who work in a similar hybrid manner and its quite hard to manage as sometimes have to make decisions based on people's circumstances. Not saying it's always fair but it can be an organisational nightmare getting it bang on.

@CesareBorgia
In hours maybe but our rules state that a half day WFH equals a full day.
We are required to be in the office 3 days a week.

@UnevenBalance
Insightful! I can't wait to retire but soonest I can leave is in 18 months.
I have a deep-rooted dislike of unfairness and this bending of rules for some makes me mad.

Calm doon hen. You’re definitely cutting off your nose to spite your face

I (kind of) get why you are annoyed if tasks are being allocated unfairly and you are getting more than your fair share of the dross.

I have no idea why you care how many days/half days other colleagues work from home though! Why does this have anything at all to do with you? On that one, I’d suggest you wind your neck in and just focus on what you do. Work the days you want to from home and the days you want to from the office in line with the parameters your employer has set and let others do their own thing. If the employer is genuinely so strict about the proportion of time which needs to be spent in the office, they will enforce this soon enough themselves without you having to get involved. And if they don’t enforce it, you will know there is some flexibility in the system if you want to work from home more frequently now or in the future.

Why do you care so much?

And yes, of course it would be cutting off your nose to spite your face. 🤦🏼‍♀️

What bothers you so much that she is trying to work around childcare - is she taking 2 half days holiday

^In hours maybe but our rules state that a half day WFH equals a full day.
We are required to be in the office 3 days a week.^

It's a weird rule then, because 2 half and one full WFH day actually has her in the office 4 days a week, one more than the required 3

While the frustration with the perceived inequality in the application of WFH policies is understandable, hastily deciding to work in the office five days a week might have consequences on you're overall job satisfaction and work-life balance.

Yeah it would be cutting your nose off to spite your face.
They also may get used to you going in 5 days a week then expect it every week.
When you've calmed down you may want to go back to a couple of days wfh and then you'll get mad again if they expect you in 5 days because that's what you've been doing 😁
We do three in the office and two at home but it's not in our contract, developed into hybrid after covid.
If I have a day off I still go in three days as I appreciate the wfh option and don't want to look like I'm taking advantage.

That will show them. I will give up the convenience of wfh and come into the office 5 days a week.

Are you the wfh police?
Just chill out

Give her a chance! The manager has decided they can give it a go! Chill 😎

Sounds like a ridiculous rule.

Why do you care so much? Does it have any impact on your work?

Initially I was with you OP but I've read your other posts and I'm not sure this is the team for you. Once you find a team you gel with it is much easier to not let these things get to you

I find it strange you’re cross that your manager is allowing some sensible flexibility outside of the policy?

Bloody hell OP, the half days really don't matter whatever the supposed rules. Unfair allocation of tasks is the thing to get worked up about. Being in the office 5 days week will only inconvenience you. Calm the f down.

But it sounds like they would also bend rules for you, if you needed an occasional change then they’d give it to you. An extra half day or whatever.

That’s how work should be. Flexible and making exceptions when necessary to help employees out. What’s your problem?