@lugiboss As long as the doctor gets the paperwork in it shouldn’t take months. If HR gives any pushback about WFH not being a reasonable accommodation tell them you have been working from home prior to the pandemic with no issue so you would like them to revisit. WFH absolutely can be accommodated. You should also push for WFH until a determination can be made.
@margoelise It takes them (HR) a month just to acknowledge that you've submitted the paperwork.
I have an exemption right now for other reasons, which gives me some latitude through the end of the year. I just don't want to revisit this constantly.
@lugiboss Were you able to easily get a doctor to sign off on it? I’m trying to do the same thing, but for IBS and medication I take for PCOS, both of which cause severe gastro symptoms which means I need easy access to a bathroom (ideally private). I asked my endocrinologist to fill out the form today and she said no. :/
@ilkhanapit This is infuriating. And speaks a lot to how this company views it's employee. Definitely a smart move to start looking.
I recently left a wfh position for a hybrid job. Throughout the interviews they stressed 4 days a week in office was mandatory and super important, it felt like a lot and I was really worried if I could handle it. When I actually started I realized that my group is really more ike 3 days in office and that feels much more reasonable. I'm so grateful for it.
@ilkhanapit This happened to me. 2 days in the office to 4. Forced 30 min lunch breaks, where before it was optional and could work through lunch. No longer allowed to flex our time for appointments. I’m no longer allowed to WFH when my sick child is sleeping. I don’t know what to say other than get your resume out there again. That’s what I’m doing.
@janam50 Wow, I thought my office was the only one that became super inflexible. We were always in office but had the ability to WFH on occasion.
After I came back to work from maternity leave, we all had desktops instead of laptops so it’s never a possibility anymore. No flextime, strict 8-5. Forced ONE HOUR lunch breaks (previously, we were allowed to do 30 min or work through lunch, if needed).
I’m looking for a new job but in the meantime, I’ve cut back my hours to 35/week which sucks because it’s a pay cut, and I leave early 2 days a week to avoid the 1 hour waste of my life.
@kallis000 That’s awful. It’s so frustrating to not be treated like a professional. I think the most rage inducing part of my situation is that they expect us to flex our time if a meeting runs late or we have a client who wants to meet after hours. All so they don’t have to pay us overtime.
@janam50 Wow, how frustrating! If they expect flex time, it should go both ways.
It’s such a shortsighted way to run a company, too. Employees are typically happy to be flexible for their employers, assuming they’re given the same courtesy.
As soon as that’s taken away, they’re stuck with a bunch of demoralized employees that are preoccupied with finding new employment.
@ilkhanapit I was told by HR in a screening interview that my position would be fully remote or I could come into the office, whichever I preferred. The topic didn’t come up in my second interview, and then during orientation I was shown my cubicle. I was later told by my manager that HR had misinformed me (as well as several other new hires) and I had to be in the office two days a week. It was irritating but I could live with two days a week.
Last week we were told we’d be going to three days a week. My concern is that we’re going to be moved to five days a week, which will not work for me. I’m a single parent; my son’s dad isn’t involved at all and I use my breaks and lunchtimes to clean, cook, do laundry, run errands, etc. without my son around. I will end up finding a new job if we go more than three days in the office.
@preclem This! WFH allows me to do so many things that would otherwise eat into my otherwise already-limited time. And when companies make these mandates, it’s done as if they aren’t totally upending people’s lives. Returning to office is such a burden and is causing me to totally change my work and home routine. And I don’t have a partner to help cover the gaps. So stressful.
@ilkhanapit If the company knew that they might change their policy, they should’ve stated that explicitly when they hired you.
If I ran a company and had brand new data showing that my remote employees were less productive than my in-person, then it seems reasonable to get rid of remote positions and create new in-person positions. However, I would still keep remote people through the end of their contract, and the I would do my best to hire the former remote employees for the new in-person positions.
Info: Do they have dats supporting this move? If so, what is it?
@bettyboo16 It’s all speculation but they did a bunch of surveys, resulting in the majority not wanting to return to office and we’ve had record breaking years since WFH/hybrid- they have the opposite of data supporting return to office fully.
@ilkhanapit I work in this area of data for employees (like employee engagement) and did all upper management wanting to get value out of their office space. And get their money worth.
