Opinion: Started job but can’t afford to travel to office?

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At my previous company they had an "No meetings on Friday's" policy unless it was urgent.

We have that. As well as "summer hours" which was work I think an extra hour (or 30mins?) every day, then you can finish at 1pm on Friday. But the reality of having a boss in the US and being in a fairly reactive role meant it rarely worked.

 

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Well I wasn't going to keep updating the thread for fear the newbie might find it or something, but seen as you bumped it. It is still ongoing with some additional fun that took place just before Christmas. I can't remember all of the details but according to my other half a few people who know what the newbie has been like were just saying to her "oh jeez, here we go again " lol certainly not a good sign for someone only been at the company for a few months.

Newbie's family-member was very ill just before Christmas so they had to take emergency leave. Newbie was already booked off for most of Christmas (obviously!) and as the timing happened myself and my other half were on leave when news of this broke. So the newbie contacted my other half whilst we were on leave, told her the situation and that she was flying home to be with her family-member. Newbie stated she would be taking the full 10 days bereavement leave* and actually cancelling some of her annual leave to carry over into the new year. Newbie didn't state when they'd be back, but did state they wouldn't be taking their laptop. They also stated the they would use the recently announced two free half-days leave for Christmas (i.e. company came out and said "hey guys have two afternoons off in the run up to Christmas!") by carrying them over to the new year as an extra day**. Newbie also (lol, yes it goes on) extended the period they were off by booking some days as the work-from-another-location***. All of this was told to my girlfriend, not requested.

*This doesn't apply to this family-member according to company policy, also needs manager approval
**These half days were to be used in 2023 in the run up to Christmas, they were not supposed to be carried over or joined into a full day
***Again, the work-from-another location is something that is up to manager's discretion and has to be approved well up the chain first

So yeah. Newbie was due back on the Tues 2nd (from what my girlfriend could figure out with all that) and did not contact my girlfriend once. Not even on the Tues when they decided to work from home instead of coming into the office. My girlfriend saw them on Teams.

Safe to say we all know how this is going to end now. The only thing I could say is to make sure my other half has all of this written down in the minutest detail. With a bereavement I guess that could potentially make things complicated and give the newbie an angle to exploit on their way out...

Having said if the employee knew company policy for the most part before starting then they're taking the mickey a bit, it's not like you can give someone special treatment especially when just starting.

Just to be clear, the policy was made absolutely clear. My girlfriend would prefer to WFH so it is very front of mind. However, she is an adult at a large company and accepts the policy.

 

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Post lockdown our place have made lots of tweaks to the rules that seem reasonable individually. But when you look at them collectively we've lost more than we've gained.

Funnily enough my place has now said they will begin enforcing a 3-days-in-the-office rule. I'm biased because I have an easy commute and like coming in, but I think it's a good thing. I think quiet-quitting (not sure I like that term tbh) or at least people doing the bare minimum at home is a massive problem. We have a broad separation of people in our team where it's the usual crowd in 3 days a week, some people in 1 or 2. Then people that you wonder if they'd left, are on holiday, or just watching Netflix at home when they reply with single line answers from their phone

If you think back to 2019, if someone said you only have to come into the office 3 days a week, you'd jump at the chance. Yes, a lot of office roles can technically be done at home in front of a computer, but does it make a good, rounded employee? I like at execs in my company and the best are the sort of people who get on well with everyone, remember names etc. But more importantly at that level your role revolves around working relationships, chewing the fat in meetings, and making decisions. If you're stuck at home it definitely lacks something when you're talking about human relationships. But I digress.

 

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Well there is some of us in here that called this would happen from the start. Not trying to put myself above you or your partner by the way, its just funny how some of us saw this coming.

Pretty sure I had zero time for the newbie from the start. But my partner has managed a fair amount of people in her career, and I have managed zero So I was treading the line somewhat.

Is your OH registering these concerns with her own boss etc? Am sure HR are aware to some extent too but obviously makes the process of getting rid easier the earlier they are made aware. It sounds like it's not her first rodeo in this regard though as you said she's moved people on before so I am likely preaching to the converted.

She is actually travelling to the US to have a SMT (sort-of) week next week. She has kept him up-to-speed but this is nicely timed to go there and explain that the newbie will be going and this is why, and she needs her boss's support on it etc. Agreed about HR. They are most likely going to be the block. It's easier for corporate HR to not get rid of someone, and let the manager lump it afterall..

Funnily enough I had some of the facts wrong in my most recent post. The family member did not pass away for a start... But the newbie is actually taking the full 4 weeks work-from-another-location at the moment and due back beginning of Feb. Her reasoning was that they need to care for the family member. They had a catch-up yesterday and newbie was asking very specifically about what would happen if they didn't come back Fun times.

 

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You lose your job and thus you stop being paid.

Also, how on earth would the employee think that bereavement leave can be taken for a sick relative? The short answer is that it can't.

Apparently they were brought up by this sick relative, but still. Telling my other half in the morning that you’ve already booked flights home that evening to do this is just… yeah.

 

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lol

Sorry I couldn't even remember when I last replied to this thread. The newbie is gone.

Hilariously, my girlfriend had written the 'official' letter saying that they had to meet to discuss the results of her probation period - in which newbie was going to be sacked. She was ready to send it that Monday morning I think it was, with the meeting already arranged for the Thurs where the deed was to be done. But the newbie resigned that day. Said their "circumstances had changed" and it was no longer possible to continue. This was about a month ago. Absolutely massive sigh of relief for my girlfriend. She really thought the newbie would be difficult to get rid of, play the victim etc. (particularly with the death in the family). So yeah, thank the lord. We had some champagne that day, lol