Is this unfair treatment? harassment?

[needhopeandluck]

Company policy says employees need to work from the office one day a week and that presence will not be monitored.
It also says that this requirement does not apply to part timers.
I work part time and I have been told by my manager that I have the obligation to be in the office once a week. Also my presence is being monitored in writing.
My commute is basically half the time I am meant to be in the office working, so a long one.
I would not have cared a few years back, but now I have a toddler with special needs and I find it stressful to be away from him for 9h hours.
I have asked HR about why I am told something which is in contradiction with the policy and the answer I got was that there are benefits to coming in around bonding with colleagues and that they have made accomodations around the hours I could come in.

Is this ok? It just feels unfair.

Unfair isnt illegal.
Several well qualified and experienced people on here have said its not discrimination

I haven't suggested it is discrimination, however her own company says part time workers are exempt and are ignoring that. That is unacceptable and something that needs to be sorted with hr.

Oh give over, they can just update the policy.

Which would make them a rather rubbish company if they did that just to force op in unnecessarily. I don't understand why some people are so insistent that wfh is somehow lesser than being in an office. Op has spoken to ACAS and got good advice from them, hopefully they are able to help further.

I have stated that I am not against going to the office, but I raised the concern about why my presence is being monitored, but no one else's. This cannot possibly be fair treatment

There are performance issues mainly due to my personal circumstances

you're being monitored because of your performance issues. Simple.

It's not "unnecessary" though, she's been failing to perform for a prolonged period and keeps clashing with her line manager. That's a significant problem that needs to be addressed.

Most employers have policies about grievances raised by someone on a PIP.

You said: "So I was without childcare for 2 months until I could find suitable support. I had to work and look after my son at the same time, which was a nightmare."

Wouldn't you have concerns about why an employee who was previously not working when they should have been has rescheduled a meeting multiple times?

It's not harassment.

Hi OP

Looks like you seem to be getting a hard time, but on the whole I agree with most of what is stated

However, IMO, you will seriously benefit by contacts ACAS for advice they are damn good.

Let me know if you decide to do this

Good luck

Surely it's in her favour that the attendees looked like they were available? The attendees who said they couldn't make it weren't unavailable in the calender, so the manager asked you why you moved it. Answer: "attendees contacted me to say they couldn't make it despite their calender saying they were free." Manager: "Oh, that explains it, thanks."

That’s easily checked by the manager, and yes the op should say exactly who said they couldn’t attend but had not updated outlook. I would think thr op had moved it to suit her own time. So she needs to give names of who couldn’t attend so it can be checked.

She's being monitored due to poor performance bit different to a normal part timer whose doing they're job well.

Are you a single parent? What does the father do? It seems that a lot seems to be on you and it sounds like your employers are suffering because of this. It hard when you have difficulties and it sounds like work have been very accommodating but it is a job and they will expect you to perform what you are contracted for.