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Original poster

Flexible working policy change

32 replies

PetloverGal · 15/05/2025 08:06

Hi all,
Does anyone here work for a company that offers flexible working with the core hours of 10-4? I had an agreement (verbal) that when I was hired that I could do 8-4 with the ability to work on the train from 8 (my commute is 2.5 hrs) I’m now told that I will no longer be able to do this and have to be physically present in the office at 8am. Thoughts? Based on this should I submit a flexible working request, even though they offer it? Everyone leaves the office at 4 so seems odd that I have to be physically present if I did 9:30 to 5:30?!

OP posts:
Calmdownpeople · 15/05/2025 08:12

Sorry OP I don’t understand your question. Your company is saying you have to be in the office from 8 if you are leaving at 4 and it sounds like they aren’t going to ‘count’ your working on the train time as office time. If you arrive physically in the office at 9:30 then yes you would have to stay until 5:30. You also said you have to be in at 8 so not sure where the 9:30 comes from?

Unfortunately verbal agreements aren’t worth anything especially over time when people and managers change along with policy.

You absolutely can put in a request but long commute times aren’t normally approved as a reason to not be in if the company policy has changed but that would depend on your company. Also my guess is if the company has put this new policy in they won’t be in any hurry to make exceptions.

You may want to start by speaking to your manager about it.

1AngelicFruitCake · 15/05/2025 08:14

Presumably they want to make it fair otherwise others will ask for it.

Loopytiles · 15/05/2025 08:16

IMO most employers wouldn’t accept working on trains being counted as working time.

10-4 core hours in the office seem reasonable, so if you want to arrive at 10.30 and leave at 4 it’ll mean a flexible working request for the late start and to reduce your hours.

usererror57 · 15/05/2025 08:20

Commute wouldn’t be classed as work time at my employer - only if hon were travelling to site / client meeting. Realistically you aren’t working as “hard” on a train. I know - I do it several times a week. It’s not fair on your colleagues for you to effectively start 2 hours later who will not be classing their commute as works time. Why did you choose a job so far away?

rookiemere · 15/05/2025 08:23

I concur that most companies wouldn’t agree to count your commute as working hours. It may be worth discussing see if they would accept some compromise such as 2 hrs working in train = 1 standard hour, but it does seem very much as if that ship has sailed.

Do you wfh some days ? If so you could propose working longer hours on those days to make up the shortfall.

LIZS · 15/05/2025 08:25

A 2.5 hour commute at 8am is not even arriving in office by 10. Unless you had having your commute included in hours in writing it is difficult to insist otherwise. It sounds as if the earlier start / finish is agreed as you asked though and you have assumed the travel. Presumably you knew the commute was that long when you took the job.

LittleBearPad · 15/05/2025 08:25

You can’t count your commute as working time.

At this rate you’ll claim the full 5 hours there and back as part of your day and bugger off at 2 or 3.

Presumably this isn’t every day - if so you should move house or job

Original poster
PetloverGal · 15/05/2025 08:40

thank u for your replies.

OP posts:
Welshmonster · 15/05/2025 12:26

If your core hours are 10-4. Why do they want you in at 8am? What are your contracted hours for each day? Are they asking everyone to be in at 8am? So are core hours for all changing to 8-4?

If they want to push it through, it could be because they are looking for people to leave so might be time to start job hunting before redundancies come.

sakuraspring · 15/05/2025 12:32

I"m pretty surprised anyone agreed your commute could be working time.

I am always astonished when people work on things that could be commercially sensitive data or personal data on a train.

sakuraspring · 15/05/2025 12:34

Welshmonster · 15/05/2025 12:26

If your core hours are 10-4. Why do they want you in at 8am? What are your contracted hours for each day? Are they asking everyone to be in at 8am? So are core hours for all changing to 8-4?

If they want to push it through, it could be because they are looking for people to leave so might be time to start job hunting before redundancies come.

Agree with this too.

A lot of employers start clamping down on (in this case mind-boggling) flexibility etc as a way to reduce head count before they get to the redundancy steps

AgnesX · 15/05/2025 12:38

My office don't consider train journeys as office time, and they're pretty flexible.

I think you'll have to try and negotiate something thing else if they're bent on having you in at 8. Equally if you don't start until 10 you'll have to negotiate something else to manage the later finish.

IamGrout · 15/05/2025 12:39

It depends on your role though. There are people in my team that have to travel quite far and they make calls and do work while they are travelling. Commuting doesn't count as work time but sitting at a table with a laptop does. Replying to emails or preparing a report on a train isnt any different to working at home.

I would suggest talking to your boss about a compromise that is in keeping with policy. You need to work for 8 hours. If you are on one train for the whole time with no changes, perhaps you can agree one hour of uninterrupted work time when on the train (just like working from home for an hour), then 7 hours in the office from the time you arrive (eg 1 hour on train, arrive in office at 9.30am and finsh at 4.30pm, or arrive by 9am and finish at 4pm).

Loopytiles · 15/05/2025 12:45

I’d guess OP’s employer’s core hours are the same as before, but that with the new policy excluding travel tome she can’t complete her contracted hours unless starting earlier or finishing later.

Loopytiles · 15/05/2025 12:46

Most employers wouldn’t agree to that IMO @IamGrout

sakuraspring · 15/05/2025 12:50

IamGrout · 15/05/2025 12:39

It depends on your role though. There are people in my team that have to travel quite far and they make calls and do work while they are travelling. Commuting doesn't count as work time but sitting at a table with a laptop does. Replying to emails or preparing a report on a train isnt any different to working at home.

I would suggest talking to your boss about a compromise that is in keeping with policy. You need to work for 8 hours. If you are on one train for the whole time with no changes, perhaps you can agree one hour of uninterrupted work time when on the train (just like working from home for an hour), then 7 hours in the office from the time you arrive (eg 1 hour on train, arrive in office at 9.30am and finsh at 4.30pm, or arrive by 9am and finish at 4pm).

It's hugely different in terms of confidentiality.

I can't tell you how many things I have over heard or seen on trains that absolutely should not have been in the public domain.

I wouldn't want an employee doing this regularly. We banned working in cafes etc for the same reason.

CandidHedgehog · 15/05/2025 12:51

Welshmonster · 15/05/2025 12:26

If your core hours are 10-4. Why do they want you in at 8am? What are your contracted hours for each day? Are they asking everyone to be in at 8am? So are core hours for all changing to 8-4?

If they want to push it through, it could be because they are looking for people to leave so might be time to start job hunting before redundancies come.

Core hours mean you have to be in for the 6 hours between 10 and 4 but that the rest of the work day can be before or after that.

Therefore, if the OP wants to leave at 4, she has to start at 8.

I think would be equally fine to do 10 until 6 (for example) but they want her physically in the office for her full 8 hours.

Mumofoneandone · 15/05/2025 12:51

How long have you been doing this job?
If this was part of the agreement made during your interview, it should have gone in your contract but was a condition of taking the job I presume....
What has changed that this is no longer allowed?
When my DH had to travel for work, whenever it was by train he was generally working for much of it.... though his hours were a little less fixed than yours.....

PurpleThistle7 · 15/05/2025 12:53

I would never count commuting time as working time. You chose a long commute, I chose a shorter one. We still both start working when we get to work.

i don’t work for a particularly flexible employer though so maybe it’s possible to negotiate somewhere in the middle of the

Gizlotsmum · 15/05/2025 12:54

I suspect a lot of people started to count commute time as working time. I assume ( like at our place) the core hours are the times you need to be working but you can flex around them to get your hours. Commute time is normally not considered in those hours unless driving between sites

Doggymummar · 15/05/2025 13:06

There are exceptions for medical reasons. My OH has Autism along with many other MH conditions which make traveling independently difficult. He has a WFH contract now but until this was formalised he was allowed in at 6am and to leave at 2pm to avoid busy trains. Not customer facing though.

mynameiscalypso · 15/05/2025 13:16

I’d probably be quite annoyed if I were one of your colleagues who also worked 8am-4pm but you were only rocking up to the office at 10am when I was sat there all day (plus had had a commute to get there too).

Kbroughton · 15/05/2025 13:34

Regardless of my own opinion on whether you are being reasonable working in this way, and whether I would like it as an employer: If you have been doing this consistently since you started (and you can prove that), the fact that they didn't put it in writing is less important. They are asking you to change your contractual terms and conditions. To do that, they will need to consult with you and demonstrate why it needs to change. However, how long have you worked there? Because if less than two years, then I may not go down this route, and may put in a flexible working request and get them to demonstrate why it wont work. If you have been working successfully like this with no concerns for a period of time, then that would be difficult for them to argue against. the fact that other people dont do it is neither here nor there if you got in first with a flexiable working request. DO put thought into how difficult you want to be though....

CandidHedgehog · 15/05/2025 13:41

I want to know what train line the OP is on if she can be travelling in rush hour and be guaranteed not only a seat but enough space to work. It sounds blissful!

Kbroughton · 15/05/2025 13:53

CandidHedgehog · 15/05/2025 13:41

I want to know what train line the OP is on if she can be travelling in rush hour and be guaranteed not only a seat but enough space to work. It sounds blissful!

My one does exactly this. St Neots to London Kingscross. Either the 6,27, 7,27 or 8,27 all have seats,often by themselves and has tables to work on. I actually wouldnt agree that travel should be counted as work time, but I frequently work on the train as I can get a seat with just a baggage thing behind easily enough for confidentiality most mornings. This is off my own back though, not for work