Returning to the office issues

Headshot

Hi All.

I work in I.T

Been working from home since Covid, manager has been delighted with my productivity and sees no difference between home and office in terms of my work.

It looks like the company wants us to return to 1 day in the office a week and the reason is they supposedly they want that social interactions

I'm completely against it. For years I traveled 3-4 days a week to this office in a 3hr round trip and the driving caused huge issues with my back and was out of commission with it and had to get an MRI and eventually injections in my back. My back has never been the same but it's very much manageable now but as I barely do any driving.

They'll say it's only 1 day a week but I've been down this road but they dont have to live with the day after pain

They also don't have a ergonomic chair in the office where as I have one at home

I'm not really sure how to handle this, I think I could manage 1 day a month at least, any advice?

I was thinking of going to my doctor and getting a letter from them or something

con___manx1

Tell them about the chair. Don't go back until they get one.

I have back issues to. I have heated seats in the car it helps.

Mrs OBumble

What does your employment contract say is your work location?

the_amazing_raisin

You need to contact your manager and request an exemption from the return to office, be sure to mention your back issues

Try to approach it diplomatically, mention that you can come in occasionally as needed but you don't want to make your back worse with repeated commuting

Ideally your manager will be able to quietly okay it without getting the higher ups involved. If it goes to HR then it'll be a whole thing and you'll need doctors certs and the like, and they'll probably try to provide an ergonomic chair for you to get out of any welfare obligations

I really hate this RTO crap that's going on. If employers want people to go to the office then they should ensure there's a reason to be there beyond "socialising". I've been to the office a bunch of times since COVID and there's no social life there at all. Most of the time it's deserted and anyone who is there gets their work done as fast as possible and then bails

I've seen some places to set says in the office for team meetings and such. That's probably a lot better for new hires and grads but it's hardly essential to the company's business

Then there's places like Amazon and Salesforce demanding 5 days onsite. They should just drop the pretences and admit that it's downsizing by other means, giving employees a crap choice so a bunch quit and the rest are too dependent on the company to risk their jobs

Princess Calla

Under health and safety work are obligated to provide a suitable chair.

However the rest is very much a "you" problem.

Attending the office 20% of the time is not an unreasonable request.

You have chosen the company you work for. You have also chosen where you want to live. The fact that they are a big driving distance between them is not the company's concern.

You say you've been doing the commute "for years" as if it's a favour to the company....it's not... regardless of how skilled you are you are still a replaceable number.

You can obviously make the request but the company can also refuse it. Working from home is a privilege not a right.

You don't appear to be singled out, so everyone in the company is in the same boat. I'm not sure if you'll have much choice but to tow the line.

Unless the company updated their handbook at a guess I'd say that they are perfectly within their rights to return to pre-covid conditions so that for you would be a 3 or 4 day week in the office.

I'd be thinking long and hard about if this is the hill you want to die on!

witchgirl26

OP I think you first need to check your contract as if it has your place of work as the office, you'll need to request to change that to be remote fully. I'd also tell them about the need for a proper ergonomic assessment & appropriate chair due to ongoing back issues.

You could discuss an exemption with your manager but I honestly wouldn't at this point. My office went to a 3 days in, 2 days from home structure straight after covid. It hasn't changed so it's not always a slippery slope to 5 days in the office. And yes being in the office can make a difference. Maybe not to individual productivity but for meetings etc. And I say this as someone who works with a team based in a different country. We meet up twice a year for a team meeting & always get more out of it & more done at those than our regular team meetings. If they do start moving to more than the 1 day a week, then you could maybe look for an exemption with your manager to only do the 1 but there has to be a level of give & take. My office allows exemptions & we have a couple of people who are only in 1 or 2 days a week on that basis.

allybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122716952#Comment_122716952

Totally agree with this advice, you knew the terms and conditions of your contract when you joined. If you go down the "medical exemption" road, just be warned this will reflect poorly on you and seriously hamper your career progression within that company. My advice would be to suck it up or else look for alternative employment that is fully remote.

Calahonda52

AS above, with the risk that they will insist on inspecting the home office to make sure it's up to scratch as the back issue is a red flag to them.

HR exists for the company's benefit.

You could also look at the mode of transport, maybe a van higher seats, more visibility…

IMO don't use the back as the negotiation piece

the14thwarrior

the company pay you to do a job. they get to decide if a return to the office is needed.

think this post is a wind up? you work for a company, they make the rule. If you don't like it, move. leave. one day a week? not unreasonable at all.

skallywag

I am also assuming that this is a trolling post by the OP.

Being asked to come in just one day a week, and really finding that unreasonable?

Kimbot

OP you have a couple of choices here:

1: Speak to your manager, get a new chair under H&S and just go in the 1 day a week.

or

2: Get a job with a smaller commute.

purplefields

It's the thin end of the wedge. They want employees on site all time.

I suggest looking for fully remote jobs elsewhere. It is a bad situation in these days of climate change and clogged up roads that these companies can mandate that employees commute. Covid showed us that fully remote is a better solution for a large section of employees.

Havenowt

If you do have to go into the office, request a proper ergonomic chair. You can also look for electric height adjustable table.

I know of a few that have them, so they can work in a standing position to prevent their backs getting sore from sitting over a extended period of time.

AnnieinDundrum

the long commute is your “choice”. Unless the company moved after hiring you? I assume that you have an appropriate car and as best you can back supports etc.

the chair is a small thing. I’d explain about needing a specific chair to avoid issues and tell them that you will try it for a day a week when they get that sorted.

See how that flies. But I’d update my cv and LinkedIn etc if I were you. Just in case like.

Even if you are 100% super productive wfh that might not suit the company for any number of reasons.

I agree that wfh is as productive as office for some people. I’m not happy about my required presence once a week. The company are insisting on it, lots of talk about junior staff etc. Find but my team are all working alone and don’t have juniors to mentor… but company wide policy is just that. We have to show up! PITA but there’s no lock on the door

The White Wolf

I'm sorry you're going through these health issues Headshot.

All you can do is keep attending your health checks and make sure the people looking after you are recording your problems in detail so that if an issue happens, you have the receipts.

anewme

It's an interesting topic.

Speaking to a lot of friends - return to work is a huge issue.

One person I know is hybrid, they have to be in 50% of the time - dependent on office needs, ie you could need to be in 4 days one week and even five the next, but then if theres a project closed, you can do 4 or even a full week remote. His employer has asked that they be flexible and that works for him, even though its very floating.

Another friend has said they are also on a hybrid model 60% in office, 40% on home, but a lot is depending on the managers/departments which is causing a lot of bad feeling - one department is stuck in nearly all the time with managers asking for people to come in for meetings, but then setting meeting on random days, so coming back by stealth, where another department has a person that comes in only once every 2 weeks. It is causing chaos.

I dont think expecting someone in the office 1 day a week is unreasonable at all - if they sort your chair, then its not a huge issue surely.

I do agree with the thinking certainly with the likes of the big players that summoning people back is their way of cutting back on costs without paying redundancy.

The White Wolf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737836#Comment_122737836

On the different rules for different departments, I can understand why there's bad feeling. However I also find there's an entitlement aspect here where people, who are either juniors or who were comfortable performing the same role over a long period of time, think they should have the same perks as someone who has demonstrated their value over a long period of time in a vast number of roles.

A complex mentality is needed here and it can't be all or nothing.

anewme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737945#Comment_122737945

Its more that people doing the same job but in different departments are treated differently. Same job, but different managers.

Funny enough, in our office, it is the younger ones who do not want to come back to the office AT ALL. One person lives within literally walking distances and legs it if they are asked to come in.

caviardreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737976#Comment_122737976

I think that says a lot really. With no significant commute the benefits of WFH are far less if you are putting in a full work day at home. If you are only tipping away doing an hour in the Am and PM, then of course you would not want to come back on site even if you lived next door

Not agreeing to come back a very reasonable one day per week is a sure fire way to get asked to come in 3 days a week imo

John_Rambo

To be honest, most business owners or managers will take the whole back pain thing with a pinch of salt and assume doth protest too much. Most of us of a certain age have had MRI and cortasone injections! One day a week isn't a big ask. They probably don't want you getting too comfortable at home and want some sort of face to face interaction with the rest of the staff to create some familiarity.

One day a week is very reasonable.

Employers should be doing workplace assessments re workstations, monitors, chairs etc so if you have specific requirements, they should accommodate.