Need to vent. I work with three other women with same grade and job description as me. We all share the same manager.
Colleague 1 has been on sick leave due to a bad back for the last six months - no prospect of her returning in near future, if ever.
Colleague 2 works 3 days a week. Works from home one day a week, sometimes more. Has two young children - one at school. Cites expense of childcare costs as reason to work from home one day a week.
Colleague 3 (childless and in her twenties) works 5 days, but has just asked boss to work 3 of those days from home each week. Cites stress as the reason. She has hardly worked a full week in the past year, due to docs appointments and time off sick, so has a history of stress she can use to back up this request.
That leaves me. I work 5 days a week. I have three children (ages 15, 12 and 7). I don't work from home except on odd occasions for a few hours (once a month or so). I have taken 4 days off sick in the last year.
So, if my manager agrees to colleage 3 working from home, I will be the only other person in the office full time apart from my boss.
Out of all my colleagues, I have the heaviest workload of all my colleagues. My manager is not good at delegatin work to my colleagues when they work from home (or checking it). But as we work in the same small office, he can keep a very close eye on me and always ensure I have plenty of work to do! I never have a moment when the pace is slack.
I like my job, it is interesting, challenging and convenient. The organisation prides itself in flexible, life/work balance working patterns. So I suspect my boss will say 'yes' to colleague 3's request to work 3 days a week from home.
But every time I think of my colleagues, especially when I am alone in the office on a hot, sunny day ...... sorry but a red mist descends!!!! I cannot help it, even if I know for some of them, the reasons are genuine.
My manager knows I feel put upon. I have already talked to him and explained that although I like what I do, I feel very undervalued.
As I have recently taken on extra duties, I am seeking to get my post regraded. I would be happy with more money and with my present level of flexibility - I am not seeking to work a lot of hours from home.
I suspect my manager will pay lip service to this and will give me no real support. He has said my job description is a standard one for all four of us and therefore so is our grading (and salary). As my other colleagues are not applying for a regrading, I suspect I will get nowhere.
I have involved our union, but I feel so pessimistic. I know my colleagues are not even bothering to try and get a regrade as they think our manager is spineless and will not help fight for one. At least one of them has resorted to playing the system. I sincerely do not want to do this, but feel so unsupported and increasingly depressed by what is happening.