STUPIDLY UNREASONABLE MANAGER

[lifesabitchslways]

I’m looking for advice about a work situation as I’m due back in the office today.

My understanding is that working from home and flexibility are at the discretion of my line manager. My current manager only took over the role late last year, and her manager has a reputation for being very controlling. I previously had to raise concerns about his micromanagement.

The general rule he introduced is that everyone must work from the office two days a week, including part‑time staff.

One of my colleagues is part‑time and normally works in the office on Tuesdays. Last week she took half a day’s leave on her office day, worked the morning in the office, then left. She was then told she had to come back the next day to complete the remaining half‑day in the office, which seemed unusual.

Last week, my plan was to work from the office on Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday morning I woke up with a stiff neck, logged in from home, and posted on Teams to say I was working remotely. Within minutes, my manager’s manager asked if I was coming in. I said no, I was working from home. He then emailed asking whether I had discussed not doing two office days with my line manager. I explained that I had only just realised Friday was a bank holiday, and that I could come in if needed. I also asked whether I could take the afternoon off using my flexi hours (I currently have over 14 hours). He replied that I should speak to my line manager this week, said my flex balance was “incorrect”, and refused the afternoon off. He also asked whether I would be working three office days the week after Easter, but I didn’t respond to that part.

My line manager was on annual leave all last week, so he was effectively in charge.

Today is Tuesday. My usual office days are Thursday and Friday, but I prefer not to go in on those days because of the nature of the work. Tuesdays are extremely busy and I also have a health‑related agreement not to attend the office on Tuesdays due to low immunity. I don’t want to go in three days this week, as he suggested, because I “missed” one day last week due to the bank holiday. I also don’t want to lose my flexi hours, as they were accumulated through work and I haven’t had the chance to reduce them.

To summarise:

• My line manager is back from leave today.
• The rule is two office days per week.
• I plan to do my usual two office days this week, not three.
• I don’t agree with being asked to “make up” a day because of a bank holiday.

I’m unsure how to handle this when I go in today. Any advice would be appreciated.

All those saying

leave if you don’t like the manager

it highlights people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. This costs the companies recruitment time, energy and expense. Then retraining the new employee

madness to not put the company’s bank balance first over a day wfh imo

We have a similar rule and would be expected to do two office days whether or not there was a bank holiday, although it would be fine to 'make it up' by doing three days the week after (or in advance). If health or other circumstances mean you can't work your office days, and can't make them up, this needs to be agreed and authorised by your line manager.

I've had a couple of times when I have been well enough to WFH but not to travel to the office, and I've made up the missed days once fully recovered.

It seems pretty obvious that the new manager had had to tighten the rules because people were taking the piss. 2 days a week means 2 days a week.

I've read your OP a few times @lifesabitchslways and I can't work it out.

You say that today is Tuesday. Your normal office days are Thursday and Friday but you prefer not to go in on those days because of the nature of the work, and you don't go in on Tuesday because it's busy and you have low immunity.

Yesterday was a bank holiday, so presumably you only have 4 days that you could go in, and you are saying that Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are out, which leaves only Wednesday, yet you say that you will do two days in the office.

Honestly, if you need to do 3 days and Tuesday is out due to low immunity, then it's Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, isn't it? You can't 'not agree' to make up the time.

What is the rule around using Flexi time? How is the time recorded? Do you have evidence of the 14 hours being accrued? What do you normally do to spend it?

I think Flexi time can be hugely problematic because people are quick to record when they accrue, but are somewhat 'flexible' in their recording of when they've cut their working hours short.

But in the long run if the new employees ar better team workers who work as expected?
that’s better for the company.

I think it’s fairly punitive to make employees “make up” for wfh days where they haven’t been well enough to go into the office. I think if I was in this environment going forward if I wasn’t well I would take the time off sick rather than trying to do what I could from home.

Is there a policy? A trade union?

I wouldn’t expect to do an additional office day if my usual one fell on a BH.

But it's not up to you or OP how this business is run. It is the employer's business and they have decided they need every employee in the office 2 days per week. If the consequence of that is that they can't retain OP's services and have to recruit someone who is willing to follow their rules, that's clearly a consequence they are willing to accept in order to achieve their objectives. In some businesses the benefits of applying policies like this exceed the inconvenience of having to replace staff who refuse to tow the line, and only the employer can judge if this is one such case.

We have WFH rules because people took the piss. I give my team a little flex like in a bank holiday week or when they have something to get done and need focus with no distractions. But that flex is earned. I think the boss who is covering is seeing somebody who is avoiding the office so isnt giving you flexibility. Next step if you don’t show willing will be a disciplinary so go careful.

Not really - it's your decision whether you're well enough to WFH or to go sick. For something like a cold where you feel fundamentally OK but you are coughing and sneezing, you don't want to be making it worse and spreading it everywhere by travelling if you can help it.

Your employer is within their rights to ask you to come in 5 days if they want - and your right to find another job - but if you want your employer to continue what is after all a concession, you have to play the game as well and show willing, in my opinion.

Regarding expecting part time employees to work the same number of days in the office as full time employees could be seem as discriminatory and contravene part time working regulations.
So, if a FT employee has to work 2 days in the office, they spend 3/5ths ie 60% of their working week WFH. A PT employee who works 3 days a week would only be spending 1/3rd ie 33% of their working week WFH. Someone who works 2 days would be spending 0% WFH.
This is just one example as to why contracts should be clear on WFH policies and not just leave the organising of it up to random managers who may not know employment laws very well.

Indeed it’s not

but then these same business will complain about profit etc, if they have money to waste on pettiness then don’t complain about lower profits

Is there a published company policy on wfh/office days and expectations of making up time? If not there really should be. Where I work you wouldn’t have to make up time for a bank holiday, personal holiday or such. Part-timers pro rata their days as well. Some places are a lot more rigid.

But Op has not said she is part time.

Anyway, you are wrong. The business can specify it needs all staff on site a minimum number of days. Business reasons for this can include the need to be client facing, supporting on site business, maintaining office supplies/function, etc.

Basically your office attendance is 40% of your working hours regardless of annual leave and Flexi time.

Unless you agree it in advance you don't really have a choice.

I would match their energy and take sick leave instead. Lack of flexibility goes both ways.

I don't really understand your post regarding the days you do go into the office...you say your office days are Thursday and Friday but you prefer not to go in those days? When do you go in?

And I get why you can't suddenly decide to take flexi on the day. Surely they need notice for that?

In all honesty, your entire post sounds like you are reluctant to go into the office and management get pushback from you over it so are pretty strict with office days

If you are too ill for the office on an office day, call in sick.

Ask for a meeting with management and ask for a clear office/wfh plan, whether office days need making up if you don't do your quota the week before, stick to your office days and get clarification on how and when to use flexi time

OP should have taken sick leave.

She doesn’t just get to decide to WFH when she’s supposed to be in the office.

If she’s too sick to go into work then she needs to take sick leave and potentially take the day unpaid.

You may not have a contract which stipulates to this fine degree. But you may have an office policy about the hours which should be communicated.
I suspect he doesn’t believe you did not realise Friday was a Bank Holiday by the way. When you phoned in because you had a stiff neck. That did not help you at all.

I can honestly say I have never read such a fuss about going to work.

Your line manager should clear it with you all how non office attending days are impacted when one of them falls on a Bank Holiday. Your manager is asking that you make up the time.
You don’t want to work Thursdays and Fridays due to the nature of the work ? Nor Tuesdays because too many people are there.
Which leaves you Monday and Wednesday. Which may well not fit in with how the rest of the team work. And you are part of a team.

Just go to work, clarify how Bank holidays impact on leave for future reference.

And remember those of us who went full time for decades with no working from home. How would you have coped ? Grow up.

There is a lot of space in between "going into the office" and "taking sick leave" though, when people act reasonably and treat one another like grown adults.

I do get to decide, fortunately.

Only being in the office two days a week is showing flexibility especially if you can choose your days. We are in two days a week, now mandated because some people never came in or only came in sporadically once we were back in the office. Suck it up and do an extra day this week, if I’m reading this right he’s your manager’s manager therefore it’s his call to ask you to come in to make it up. There are far less jobs around with this much flex, a lot now have 3 days minimum (in my field) and increasingly it’s not unusual to have 4.

You also said she should take sick leave.

She was expected in the office that day.
She was too sick to make it.

She could have suggested WFH or taking it sick, instead she simply told them she was WFH.

She doesn’t get to decide that because her role is not fully flexible.

Contract says at the discretion of manager

He is not my manager but my managers manger and only had to chat with him as my manager was on annual leave

He is a super duper micromanager that over rules the manager all the time (manager grants you leave he cancels) and he try’s to force to press his agender at senior mangers meetings. He is know to be like that a the organisation is aware but refuse to do anything about it. He is particular about me as I have reported him to HR in the past.

Third and Fri are my essential days which I do like to WFH and go to office other days except Tuesdays. But do go in on Thursdays and Fridays if I haven’t made 2 days for that week yet. Manager says we can do any 2 days of the week we like.

I have been over cooperative as I do have OT report from the organisation’s OT that recommended I WFH except where it is not operationally possible and the job is not like that- it can be done fully from home. But I still go 2 times a week.

Last week, I did say to him that I could make my way to the office but he never replied to that but then I needed him to confirm as it would take me at least 30 to 40 mins to get to the office but I know he wouldn’t as he would want to impose the 3 days this week.

Fuss is the right word. Op just own it, you are hacked off at having to go in so you do what you can to engineer going in as little as possible. This manager can see through it and it’s irked them. But it’s not micromanagement, they are enforcing a policy. They also don’t believe you didn’t realise it was Easter.

Third and Fri are my essential days which I do like to WFH and go to office other days except Tuesdays. But do go in on Thursdays and Fridays if I haven’t made 2 days for that week yet. Manager says we can do any 2 days of the week we like.

If you are required to go in 2 days a week but can’t do Tuesdays and don’t like doing Thursdays or Fridays, then go in every Monday and Wednesday.

You know if you don’t you’ll be expected to go in on the other days.

I don’t understand why you’re making this more difficult than it needs to be.

Sounds like your regular manager is a bit of a push over and you take the piss.
This area manager isn’t falling for it.