working from home contract employer wants me to go in every day
Lexie_M
Posts: 23 Forumite
I am on a working from home contract which states I need to attend the office a reasonable amount of times for meetings. Up until now that has been once a month. Since I handed in my notice they are making me go in every day (2.5 hours commute each way). They are only doing this because they want me to leave without serving my notice as they don't want to pay the salary for my notice period.
Has anyone got any advice on how to approach this? Is it surely not legal.
Has anyone got any advice on how to approach this? Is it surely not legal.
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Comments
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They are not making you come in.
What have they said will happen if you don't go in more regularly.
If your contracted place of work is home have you been claiming expenses for travel to another place of work?0 -
Why is it not legal?
It would take longer to take any action possible, than you have left on your notice anyway0 -
You want to leave, they want you to leave. If both parties are happy why not terminate the relationship early? Ultimately they can if needed hold meetings everyday if the business needs dictate0
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I would suggest that 2 days per week in the office would be a 'reasonable' amount of time to be in the office per week for meetings, especially as you're likely to be handing work over to your successor / colleagues. Unfortunately, the length of time it takes you to get to work is simply not relevant.
Therefore, my first approach would be to suggest that meetings are scheduled for those 2 days - clearly expecting you in every days isn't reasonable, given you have a WFH contract; but by the same token, only coming in one day per month isn't reasonable either, for the same reasons as outlined above.
If you can't agree, then explore finishing earlier by mutual consent, ie you both agree to a shorter notice period - you stop working earlier than your notice period states, they stop paying you earlier than your notice period states. Ultimately, what they're requesting isn't illegal, and if you can't come to a mutually acceptable solution, attempting to force the issue to suit your circumstances is likely to be either counter-productive (leaving on poor terms, risk to reference etc) or more trouble than it's worth for what is probably less than 3 months - suggest you simply grin and bear it for the last few weeks knowing you're soon to be out of there.0 -
If you're on a working from home contract then the travel time to and from the office would be included in your normal working day. And quite possibly travel expenses as well, depending on your contract.
So do they really want you to take 5 hours out of your working day to traipse there and back every day? Or have they not thought of that and are anticipating you do it in your own time in which case you need to double check your contract and possibly point it out to them.All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.0 -
What is the reason for the daily meetings? If it's a case that they need your knowledge passing on to somebody before you leave then it's possibly not unreasonable that they need you to attend the office every day.0
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thank you all for your advice
the exact wording in the contract is:
Your normal place of work will be home based. You may also be required to work at such locations as may reasonably be required, including travel both in the UK and abroad. The company will provide as much notice as is reasonably practicable in the event that you are required to work away from your base site.
before I gave in my notice I only had to attend once a month for a monthly meeting the rest I worked from home. Ever since I gave them my notice they are making me go into work everyday but there are no meetings. There is no reason for me going in. They are doing it to be difficult and make me commute 5 hours a day. I am working on a written handover which can easily be done at home. They gave me no explanation as to why I need to go in every day. Just told me I need to do it
they are paying travel expenses every day0 -
Not a lot you can do really.thank you all for your advice
the exact wording in the contract is:
Your normal place of work will be home based. You may also be required to work at such locations as may reasonably be required, including travel both in the UK and abroad. The company will provide as much notice as is reasonably practicable in the event that you are required to work away from your base site.
before I gave in my notice I only had to attend once a month for a monthly meeting the rest I worked from home. Ever since I gave them my notice they are making me go into work everyday but there are no meetings. There is no reason for me going in. They are doing it to be difficult and make me commute 5 hours a day. I am working on a written handover which can easily be done at home. They gave me no explanation as to why I need to go in every day. Just told me I need to do it
they are paying travel expenses every day0 -
The employer's conduct is clearly unreasonable, if it as you have described it.
I would continue working from home in line with past practice - unless there is a genuine meeting requiring you to come in.
That doesn't give the employer the ability to withhold salary. If they do so, you could issue Employment Tribunal proceedings against them or a small claim for the owed wages.0
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