I’m a bit upset due to a random policy change. Previously, management was pretty relaxed about working from home and allowed staff to do so as needed. NOW all of a sudden it’s an issue and they want us to be visible in the office, because another manager complained. I spoke to my manager about it because as a mom, I need the flexibility to be able to work from home. After speaking to my manager, it does not sound like they’re willing to accommodate at all.

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but parents aren’t entitled to special treatment in the workplace just because they’re parents. If your company isn’t willing to accommodate wfh and that’s important to you, it may be time to look elsewhere.

I’d be grateful just to have a job…..especially in this market. I also question anyone that can actually get work done with young children in the home

You do realize that work from home is a recent phenomenon since COVID and COVID is pretty much a fading memory. Hop down of that entitled high horse you're riding on, take off the jammies and put on the business clothes and go to work.

This happened to me recently and I have a 16 month old. It was completely unworkable to have no flexibility and a commute of multiple hours a day. I just accepted a new job and will be resigning soon!

Our Business Support Manger literally brought her infant in at 2 weeks old until about 5 months old because she couldn't get him into a daycare and she's vital to operations running smoothly. She had a whole nursery set up in her office. I've brought my teens in, left to go to appointments, as have many of my colleagues. Flexibility is a selling point that a lot of companies overlook. People have lives and children and not everything can be scheduled outside of a M-F 9-5.

There's some bitter people who who don't seem to understand how important flexibility is for both parents and non parents. People have lives out side of work. Health to take care of, aging parents, kids, family members, spouses...homes etc. Confining them to an office and commute for 10 hours plus a day is not condusive to a fulfilled workforce.

You may skip eating to go to doctor appointment and neglect your home life but it's not healthy to live in that manner. Flexibility is the future. I say this as a manager with no children who is happy to promote flexibility within my team for both parents and non parents alike.

It's very difficult when our employers change policies like this, but ultimately they are within their right to do so.

I had to find a new job when it happened to me.

My kids aren't that young, 11 and 12. If they are home sick sometimes they just need someone to run and get them a drink, get them lunch, so they can keep lying down. If I need to be by their side or it was a rough night then I take a sick day myself. But the time taken for the kids is probably less than others chit chat with coworkers. For me, working form home allows me to pivot immediately from my work day to getting my special needs kid over to his physical therapy because Im not losing time to a commute. They are in school otherwise. I got a Masters degree remotely, its a new world! I do believe some aspects of a job just work better in person but depends on the job.

This is exactly why companies are discontinuing WFH. They pay you to work, not be distracted babysitting your children. Sorry but this post is comical. You do understand what you just said right? “I need to be home to watch my kids”.

crazy idea-get a different job or start your own company and make the rules?

working from home is a privilege. They may feel productivity is down when people work from home, hence the desire to have people back in the office

I want to work from home so I can watch TV, I mean my kids.

If someone complains they ’need’ to work at home to accommodate their children I question how they are working effectively

Sorry but it’s not a right if you don’t like it get another job

Having the options to work from home is a priviledge and when enough people abuse the priviledge it will and can be taken away. Good luck find in new job in this market.

I understand your frustration. I preferred work from home even before becoming a parent as I have an autoimmune disease that makes walking and driving unbearable at times. On those days it's so much nicer to be able to sit at my more accessible set up at home. My company went to full work from home after covid hit because they found that productivity had gone up. People were actually working longer hours and people missed less work bevause of appointments, sickness, and childcare. I hope you're able to either have the work with you or find a company that prioritizes flexabily.

I'm sorry that as a mom the change is creating problems for you. But thats when you buckle up and find a solution. For too long some politicians allowed bad ideas for the work enviroment with people.Those people are out of power now. And reality sets in, that their ideas don't work long term. As workers we are not entitled to anything but a check.Thats why in todays work enviroment, you always have a back up option. Start looking for work now, so you can find a job that will fit better with your situation! In life we need to be reality based.

Just because you are a parent you are not entitled to different rules. Everyone else has to make it work with their private life. Sadly that means, sometimes you have to finding another job.

It's sad to see many people are still not supporting mothers to wfh these days and keep using their own example or have the mentality of "used to be this or that and they could do it back then". Well the world has changed so much, for a mother like me, we have to live so far from the city now as housing is very expensive, which means commute time is over 1 hour longer than usual 1 way, so thats over 2 hours longer than what it used to be like when commuting was easier. This will impact on picking up children from daycare, having a reasonable bedtime routine for the little ones, making your own dinner and for your family as well and even getting a little bit of downtime will be impossible. There are so little compassion and very little support for mothers in a workplace, but mothers work so much harder than anyone else in the society but get the smallest reward and recognition.

So find another job that meets your needs or accept that company's have ZERO need to give in to your entitlement.