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Change from remote working
Context: I live 1 hour north of Aberdeen, and work for a company (an NDPB) whose head office is in Edinburgh. (A 326 mile round trip, with 7 hours of driving)
I began my job at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown.
I was originally employed (pre-Covid) as field-based staff and required to attend the office once per week and would be paid standard mileage rate to do so.
When we emerged from lockdown, my contract was modified so that I would remain field-based, with my home being my place of work, and would only be required to attend staff training days and specific in-person meetings at the office.
One year ago, my contract changed and I was required to be in the office on average 1.25 days per week. In addition, trips to the office were no longer eligible for mileage.
When I am in the office for two days in one week, I have to pay for a hotel myself or undertake 14hours of driving in two days.
The change in contract has cost me roughly £5,000 - £6,000 per year. And it is highly likely in the near future that I will be required to be in the office two days every week.
My question is, can an employer change your place of work from home-based to office-based with no consideration to the impact it has on travel etc.
I love my job but there's no way I would have applied for it had these been the conditions when I got the job...
I began my job at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown.
I was originally employed (pre-Covid) as field-based staff and required to attend the office once per week and would be paid standard mileage rate to do so.
When we emerged from lockdown, my contract was modified so that I would remain field-based, with my home being my place of work, and would only be required to attend staff training days and specific in-person meetings at the office.
One year ago, my contract changed and I was required to be in the office on average 1.25 days per week. In addition, trips to the office were no longer eligible for mileage.
When I am in the office for two days in one week, I have to pay for a hotel myself or undertake 14hours of driving in two days.
The change in contract has cost me roughly £5,000 - £6,000 per year. And it is highly likely in the near future that I will be required to be in the office two days every week.
My question is, can an employer change your place of work from home-based to office-based with no consideration to the impact it has on travel etc.
I love my job but there's no way I would have applied for it had these been the conditions when I got the job...
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