New Job not hybrid as stated at interview

[Starsaroundmyscars]

I start a new job on Monday. At interview, again when I was offered the job and when arranging my working pattern, I asked and was assured that there would be the option for hybrid working. Today I have received my contract to sign and it states ‘office based’. I don’t have childcare in place to manage being office based, and I would not have accepted the job if I had been told this sooner. Should I try push back on this?

Were you planning to look after your children while you're working? How old are they?

Even if the job is hybrid , you should still have childcare in place surely?
You can't wfh and look after a child at the same time

This. WFH is not a substitute for childcare.

How old is your child? What were you planning to do on office days (given it was advertised as hybrid rather than home-working)?

I’m “office based” but in reality that means going to the office once a week. Have you queried with the employer and received confirmation in writing of the expected attendance schedule?

childcare might mean wraparound arrangements. For days I can wfh, I only need to pay childcare til 4.30pm. When I’m in the office, I need to pay til 6. I only try to wfh with children at home in an emergency situation.

You still need childcare even if you work sometimes at home, so you’d still need some childcare, you can’t work and look after your kids.

Hybrid is a mix of office & home, how many days a week had they said you’d be at home? Have you questioned it? I’ve always had a new contract before even handing in my notice, it’s quite late for them to send it now.

No, two days a week I will be working shortened hours to allow me to pick up from school. If I was at home and near to the school this would be possible. The office is over an hour away and so I won’t be able to make it to school in time for pick up. I have made this clear throughout the whole process. I have childcare in place for the days I work until 5pm but the 2 days a week that I am due to finish at 2.30pm, I am working those hours so that I can do school pick up because I have no other childcare for those days.

My contract says office based but work hybrid. The difference being if I was home based they’d have to pay for my travel into the office but if the contract says office based then they don’t. So it might be the same for you.

Maybe OP means commuting to/from the office would mean she couldn't drop off/pick up her DC on time.

My contract has a 'home office' but I'm hybrid. Fully aware they can change back to in office ft for 'business needs'. Have you actually queried the terms in the contract?

So query it, if you’ve had conversations about some time wfh throughout your interview process then you need to clarify this.

Don't worry about the contract, it only matters what they've agreed with you.

All our contracts state the office is the normal place of work, that's just to avoid remote work clauses. But we all work hybrid, two or three days a week in the office.

Yes this. All to often people leap to assuming the worst

I have been working in a hybrid capacity for almost 4 years, my children are never in the house with me during my working hours. This is not a full time contract, it is 32 hours with 2 shortened days to allow me to do school pick up on those days, which I arranged verbally and made clear that was really important to me accepting the offer. The commute from the office if I have to be office based on those days means that I can’t do school pick up. Hope that makes sense.

Our contracts say office based but hybrid is allowed, they do it so they don't have to pay travel costs to office or cover time travelling!

I think my contract says office based but I mainly WFH

Thank you, it might be this, because if I think about it when we changed to hybrid in my current role, I think our contracts didn’t change. I think I need to check with them in a non confrontational way. Just slightly panicking!

No, my children are at school. My children are never with me while I work from home, it would be entirely inappropriate to my current role and my new role. The reason for me wanting to WFH two days a week is to allow me to drop off and pick up from school. My working day will end before I pick up, but the commute if I am office based on those days would make that unworkable.

What have they said when you’ve asked them to clarify?

Thank you everyone. I will double check tomorrow and try not to panic. I think you may be right that it has to state office based rather than home working as that has different implications. I think my current contract might be the same if I think back, but I do WFH two days a week.

My contract says office based but in our staff handbook it says that the minimum expectation of office time is x days per month arranged directly with your line manager. If you already have your staff handbook why not check that.

@Starsaroundmyscars how did you get on?

People always have to assume the worst, don't they? They don't even ask what the childcare situation is before piling on!

Lots of people I know use their WFH days to do the pick up from after school club because the ASC hours arent long enough and they wouldn't be able to get there in time on office days! I am one of them!

I was employed on a hybrid basis and it’s what I’ve been doing for the last 3 years.
my contract states “office based”.
we all ignore it
clarify by all means, but it’s probably fine