Return to Office policy will make it impossible for me to work!

[SamSam786R]

I started my job four years ago under a hybrid policy, although my contract stated it was 9-5, Mon-Fri. In these four years I have managed to work from home and office with a degree of flexibility. After I got pregnant with my third child and returned from mat leave in April 2025 things changed drastically. They tried to remove all flexibilty that I had (rigid 9-5 working hours when I had worked reduced hours in the office and made the time up in the evenings). I've subjected to nasty comments like 'You have baby brain' and 'your performance has suffered since you got pregnant'. Now I must juggle two pick ups (kids and nursery) the school doesnt offer afterschool provision and I cannot move them. My child is settled in nursery but the 9-5 hours wont allow me to pick him up on time - I'm alrrady stressed and sick at the thought of being late to pick up and work. For me to return to the office five days is impossible and extra nursery days and hours plus additonal travel would put me at a loss of ~£600. Going part time would also leave me at a loss because I'd still be paying the same in bills and childcare costs. I feel like I have no choice but to leave once this policy comes into action but there are male colleagues of mine who are: able to work one day a week due to relocations, have manged to negotiate late starts so they can go to the gym, not to mention our HR person (also male) comes into work after me most days and does not even come inot the office regularly himself. I feel like they are pushing me out. Please note my manager is based abroad and I work in comms - similar roles I have done fully remote. This was along the lines of what they emailed us: "Over the past five years the business has operated a discretionary hybrid working trial. This trial was a temporary, non-contractual arrangement and Following a comprehensive review of our operational needs and performance targets, the business has made the strategic decision to formally conclude this trial."

You’re drifting back into anecdotes again. “Everyone I know” and “every business I’ve worked with” may reflect your experience, but they aren’t a representative sample. There is evidence that some employers have tightened office attendance since Covid, but that varies enormously by sector, geography and role. It’s a trend, not a universal rule. Equally, there are plenty of organisations that have embraced hybrid or remote working because it improves recruitment, retention and productivity. The OP’s employer changing its expectations tells us about that employer, not about the labour market as a whole.

As for people “taking the piss”, I’m sure some have, just as some people have always taken advantage of every working arrangement, whether office based or remote. But that’s a leap from isolated examples to explaining a broad shift in workplace policy. Unless there’s evidence that widespread abuse is the primary driver, it’s speculation rather than a conclusion.

I haven’t said it’s a universal rule, it’s a trend.

If you continued reading, you’d see I supplied data to back up my statement.

There has been a 42% decrease in remote positions advertised over the last 12 months. This is the lowest number of remote positions advertised since March 2020.

Other data points from a quick google:

• CIPD says 75% of organisations offered hybrid work from 84% a year previously (2025)
• The amount of people working exclusively from home in the UK has decreased by 17% from 2022 to 2025.

Several large organisations have changed their policies this year - Amazon, Google, PWC, HSBC etc.

Im not really sure that the resistance is to this - remote working, hybrid working and flexible working are on the decrease, and employers are broadly tightening up the structure around how their employees work.

And (and as I’ve already said), the key issue here is OP’s workplace - who are doing just this, saying they are no longer comfortable with unrestricted flexible working, and want more days of office attendance.

Is the resistance to this idea that you fear it will be removed from you? I think a lot of people will be having to resist changes to working patterns over the coming t years - it is hard to go back from some of the perks as a result of Covid.

@MamaToABeautifulBoy and for the idea these things are changing in part because people are taking the piss, yes it is speculation - as I say in my post, that’s my opinion. I have turned a blind eye to many a 2.30 - 3.30pm meeting…

Im not writing an essay for academic analysis, I'm sharing my experiences and opinions based on my experience of working / employing people / discussions with others doing the same. It’s an internet forum, I’m not aiming towards have my comments printed in next week’s economist.

'Baby brain' and 'performance suffered since you got pregnant' as far as I know they are absolutely not allowed to speak to.yiu in terms like this. Sounds like discrimination to me and they are looking to get rid of you. Please tell HR what is going on Op and protect yourself