Working from Home

Not sure if I've posted this is in the right section for a response but here goes. Several staff within the company I work for have laptops. When they cannot get into work for various reason eg. no childminder or no transport they simply say I will be working from home today. This saves them having to take a day unpaid or a days holiday. I will need a day off soon because my car will be in the garage and as I live around 15 miles away from my workplace will not be able to get there and there is nobody close to where I live to offer me a lift. I think it is unfair that some staff can use the working from home wording as an excuse for not attending work, so where do I stand when I am unable to get into work. I do not see why I should have to take the day off either unpaid or as a holiday day when others have not done so.

Unfortunately other people's working arrangements aren't really your business. Between them and their manager there's been a decision that it is possible and acceptable for them to do their job from home occasionally, and to provide equipment to do that.

You have to take it at face value that when they are at home they are working, and assume that their manager is on the case if they are not.

If you feel you can do your job from home and want to make arrangements for occasional homeworking, you need to speak to your manager and see whether he/she is happy with that.

Thank you for the reply, although it does not say what I wanted to hear. In my opinion the staff at our workplace only say they are working from home when it is convenient to them to do so. For instance last week the Payroll Administrator had no baby sitter for one day so said she was working from home. Everyone in the office knew if she had no baby sitter then she most certainly would not working at home. It was just a way of not having to use a days holiday. It's unfair and the rest of us (and particularly me) feel like we're being discriminated against. Surely it's not right.

The thing is it's up to their manager whether or when they can work from home. This person's manager is obviously comfortable with the arrangement and that she is getting her work done. Have you asked whether you can have a laptop and have a 'work from home occasionally' arrangement? What was the response?

I know it's annoying but whether/how other people get their work done isn't really your concern unless it affects you work-wise, and other than annoying you, it isn't affecting you as far as I can tell. You just think it isn't fair and are assuming (rightly or wrongly) that this person isn't working when they 'should' be working.

Forget whether or not other people are working or not when they say they are, unless you are managing them. If you want the same arrangement, put forward an appropriate business case for doing so and see how you get on.

I should point out that there is an important difference between something being 'unfair' and something being 'discrimination'.

If you feel you are not being allowed to work from home because of your gender, age, ethnicity or similar, then that's discrimination.

If it's just not fair, rather than discrimination, there's nothing legal to think about. Instead it's about making a case for a similar arrangement if you want one, which (would involve pointing out how successfully the other arrangement is working, not saying that Ms Payroll doesn't do any work when she's at home).

Alternatively if you don't want or won't get the same arrangement yourself, you could complain about any impact Ms Payroll not being at work on those days has on your work, if in fact it has any negative impact on you.

The only other thing to do is perhaps point out to your own manager that there is a general feeling in the office that it's not fair and is affecting morale and see what his/her comments are.

This story really makes you think...