Less flexibility in new role, what can I do?

[Anonymous]

Started a new role in my company but on a different team, and 2 weeks in it’s apparent that there is much less flexibility and work/life balance than in my past 3 roles (at the same company). I am middle management - senior but not on our executive team, but this role has much more visibility to that team than my previous ones.

I have a long commute (generally over an hour with traffic) and in my last role (which I started during Covid) I arrived at the office between 9-9:30 and left by 5. This was fine with my manager since I always got my work done and often logged in at night after my kids went to bed, which was a trade off I was happy to make in order to get home for dinner and bedtime with my kids.

The challenge now is that I am regularly being invited to meetings that start at 8:30 and 5pm, and everyone else is in person so it would not be great optics for me as the newest team member to join from the car or at home. In addition, our policy is 3 days in the office each week and 2 days WFH, however nearly everyone on the team chooses to come in 4 days. That is so disappointing as I have no desire to come in an extra day that isn’t required, but again feel like it may not look great for me to be the odd man out.

Anyone have a recommendation on how to approach this to get back some flexibility? Not sure if there is really a way to change the culture on this team, but do feel like my days at the company are going to be limited if I can’t find a way to balance this job and my personal life since I have zero desire to go back to the company’s pre-Covid ways of long, grueling hours in the office every day and very limited time with my family.

[Anonymous]

Stop worrying about optics.
Charge ahead and just do a great job the way you normally do.

(I would not usually advise this about being new to cultures in norms in a job/neighborhood/school etc., but in this case they are all clearly conditioned away from work life balance and that is a stupid norm)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop worrying about optics.
Charge ahead and just do a great job the way you normally do.

(I would not usually advise this about being new to cultures in norms in a job/neighborhood/school etc., but in this case they are all clearly conditioned away from work life balance and that is a stupid norm)

This is really the only choice.

[Anonymous]

Suck it up or get a new job.

[Anonymous]

Talk to the people organizing the meetings and share that it's difficult to make meetings before 9am and after 5pm. Maybe they can change them.

Put in your calendar which days you are WFH so people just expect you'll join remote for any meetings planned on those days.

[Anonymous]

You can try to keep your two days at home. It will be noticed if everyone else takes the same WFH day. As for the meetings, there isn’t a lot you can do except accept that this is a requirement. Although your last job allowed you to shorten your work day and get the work done, this one doesn’t. I mean are you planning to go in at noon and leave at 3? Also 8:30 meetings are pretty typical.

This just doesn’t sound like the job for you.

[Anonymous]

Why didn't you find this out before you took the job?

I would WFH as you had planned, and also start looking for a new job. You wanted more visibility to the higher level, which you are going to get, and also more visibility that you aren't willing to be in the office like the others on the team. Not a great look when many (not all) upper management teams are trying to get employees back into the office more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop worrying about optics.
Charge ahead and just do a great job the way you normally do.

(I would not usually advise this about being new to cultures in norms in a job/neighborhood/school etc., but in this case they are all clearly conditioned away from work life balance and that is a stupid norm)

How badly does OP need the job? OP, are you in any kind of probationary period since it's a new department/job?

If OP is just working for "pin money" and to fill the time, then sure-"charge ahead" and phone in those meetings from home while everyone else is in the office.
But I doubt that's the case.
Two weeks isn't enough time to have shown them you are a good worker, even if the work is done at home. All they will see is that just a few weeks into the job and you're already trying to make special exceptions for yourself.

[Anonymous]

You can’t hope to change the team’s work culture being the newest/most junior member. At least not in the short or even medium term. So your options are to suck it up or to look for another job. Or beg for your old position back.

For the future, one of the biggest advantages of moving internally is the intel you can gather on your new team/boss, including in this case WLB. And, for any new position, whether internal or external, if you currently rely on flexibility and can’t afford to give it up, discuss and negotiate that upfront when you get the offer.

[Anonymous]

Oof meetings at 8:30 and 5 are SO RUDE! Honestly I’d look for a new role or see what happens when you take the meeting from your car.

[Anonymous]

I got promoted into a situation exactly like this. I got a stellar review one year in and broached the subject with my boss about flexibility. She iced over and said I could have my old job back if I couldn't put the necessary face time in. So I went back to my old job. My house is cleaner, my kids are happier and my dinners are home-cooked again.

[Anonymous]

Definitely keep your 2 days WFH. One thing you might try is setting a fixed schedule that allows you to make the 8:30 or 5pm meetings every day. So maybe you suck it up and shift a bit earlier to 8:30-5 but are out the door at 5 every day and take the meeting on your phone. I think they must know somewhere deep inside that 5pm meetings are unreasonable. Unless someone has said you cannot do this; just go ahead.

[Anonymous]

Keep your 2 days wfh. 9:30-5 is 7.5 hours. I wouldn’t be happy if my new hire wasn’t working the right number of hours (although we don’t get a free lunch and have to work 8.5 hours not 8). I would shift your schedule earlier.

8:30 meetings seem normal to me and I’m not in a high stress job. Nothing gets scheduled after 5 though.

So my advice is keep your 2 days wfh, work your correct number or hours and push back on meetings that are outside your scheduled hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oof meetings at 8:30 and 5 are SO RUDE! Honestly I’d look for a new role or see what happens when you take the meeting from your car.

No, this is perfectly fine in the real world. A 'senior' member of middle management can certainly be expected to be at work for 9 hours or come into the office 4 days a week.

[Anonymous]

8:30 am meetings are not unusual.