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'My 100% WFH job turned into a 100% office job': Worker hired in remote role finds themself forced to come into an office

Workplaces across the world, but in Corporate America especially, are currently facing an erosion of remote work, which was once something that was discussed as a wishful fantasy but then made into reality through the necessity of the pandemic. Despite record productivity and record profits through the remote working period, the cogs of corporatism have again shifted, fueled, and turned by aging executives and managers who can't handle being in the presence of their families—and can't fathom that anyone else would prefer to be. So, employers turn back again towards demonizing the creature comforts their working peasants had grown to love and again demand their presence at a desk in a cold great room for nine hours a day for eight hours of pay.

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Posted by Brad Dickson
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  • This worker shared their current predicament of being asked to work from a company office despite being hired as a fully remote worker. Some have been calling this a "bait and switch," and while it is arguable that something along those lines is happening, there seems to be more of an erosion of expectations happening here on both sides. There is at least some logical reasoning in this scenario in the line of the fact that the worker's circumstances changed to allow them access to a company office. Still, 30 minutes isn't nearly as close as it sounds and, at the very least, compensation for their new commute is in order.

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  • 1
    "My 100% WFH job turned into a 100% office job. MASMAK III
    Via Pawel Chu

  • Really, the worker's mistake was informing their employer that they were going to be moving house in the first place. They're remote, and since they moved to somewhere in the same, it wouldn't make a difference to the employer unless they were given a reason to think about it. Then, once the worker was asked to come in and help out at the company's location 30 minutes from their new home, their fate was sealed. The worker wouldn't have been able to decline without seeming to be difficult, and the employer now had no reason to doubt the worker's ability to come into an office location. As the proverb famously warns, give them an inch, and they'll take a mile.

  • 2
    Posted by u/bondsman333 3 hours ago My 100% WFH job turned into a 100% in office job, on my dime. I was hired as a remote employee. There was no corporate office anywhere near my home - I would have to fly several states over to get to one. The agreement was once a quarter I would fly into HQ and meet with the team but the rest of the time I would be remote. I even took a small salary cut for this - which was worth it for me.
    Via u/bondsman333
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  • 3
    My fiancée found a job out of state and somewhere we wanted to move to anyways. I told my boss we were moving, and it wasn't an issue because I was still in the same time zone and had easy airport access. I was aware of a new factory coming online in the region I was planning to move to and told my boss if he wanted to pay relocation I could work there. Of course the answer was no, and that I would not have to go in there ever.
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 4
    Cue January 2023 - "Hey could you swing in to new factory this week? There's some new equipment landing and we don't have the staff". Sure. I'll take one for the team - it's only 30 minutes drive. May - "Would be great if you could be onsite occasionally. Lots going on. Still a remote employee, though" August - "We need you on site 2 days a week. Can you do that?"
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 5
    November - "We don't understand why you aren't on site 5 days a week. you live in the area. We all have to go into an office these days." When I asked why the company didn't pay to relocate me when I gave them the chance "Things changed. We didn't know how much we'd need your help."
    Via u/bondsman333
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  • 6
    I complained that I had spent thousands of dollars to move us, plus more than a weeks vacation time, had to now drive 200+ miles a week, had to find somewhere to board my dog during the day AND had to reschedule my twice weekly PT appointments (which were due to an injury suffered AT WORK). He shrugged and said "We all have to make sacrifices." I'd find another job, but the pay to effort ratio is very high so I'll just stick it out a bit more.
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 7
    thatgreenmaid. 2 hr. ago The answer to 'we all have to make sacrifices' is this; I did make a sacrifice. I took less money to WORK FROM HOME. Vote Reply Share PessimiStick 1 hr. ago The correct answer is "No, I don't. I exchange my time for your money. If you want more of my time, I want more of your money." "Sacrifice" is something you do out of benevolence or for the greater good. I give less than about the company zero I work for, I wouldn't sacrifice a nanosecond for them. Vote Reply Share .
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 8
    Cwfchi82 3 hr. ago Actually as remote, I hope you are logging you miles and submitting Vote Reply Share tehmightyengineer 2 hr. ago. edited 46 min. ago Yeah, if your place of work is officially at your home office then they should be reimbursing work travel every time you leave your office. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
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  • 9
    Danymity831. 2 hr. ago Well, if you took a pay cut to WFH, then demand that ….... back! Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 10
    Green_Mix_3412. 2 hr. ago Point out they pay you remote rate and in office now costs x. Don't go in. If they don't pay. Reply Share Vote
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 11
    Wickedthoughts182 · 3 hr. ago That , did you get anything in writing to say that you are a remote employee? If not then its time to find another Job. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
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  • 12
    bondsman333 OP. 2 hr. ago My offer letter says "Remote" and its actually still in our workday system as such. But the real problem is that I, like most of us, are employed at-will. They can change the contract at anytime. I pushed back a bit, laid out all the reasons why I thought this was not an equitable solution and was basically told to go pound sand.
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 13
    But like I mentioned the job is still very easy so while I'm frustrated I'm not about to quit... yet. Next year I'll start looking around for other opportunities. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 14
    PCouture 2 hr. ago I would put an all stop to going in. You have an increase in costs now that your company has a responsibility to compensate you for. They are asking for a change in working structure and they should be expected to pay for it. Reply Share Vote
    Via u/bondsman333
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  • 15
    Range Money2012. 3 hr. ago Tell them one, very difficult word to use sometimes - No. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 16
    Mercdecember 3 hr. ago This happened to me with a Job I took about 2 years ago. I specifically took this job over other jobs because it was a 100% remote. Well 8 months later they say we want you in the office 5 days a week starting in the new year. Because of NYC this would an extra $400 to $500 per month.
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 17
    So between that and the extra cost of health insurance that they made, I had to leave. So really it depends, if you find another job that is remote will the pay difference equal to you going into the office? Or can you find a higher paying job that is 2-3 days in the office Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
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  • 18
    UWMN 3 hr. ago Ah. The old bait and switch Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 19
    thedishonestyfish - 2 hr. ago There is so much of this right now, where it was 100% remote, and then they're trying to drag people back into the office to prop up their real estate holdings. It's a bunch of nonsense. Vote Reply Share ...
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 20
    dapperdave 2 hr. ago If you actually want to pursue this, you'll need to find an employment lawyer. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
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  • 21
    aajniojnoihnoi. 2 hr. ago 1. Tell your boss you are moving to another location as your partner has now taken a job as an oil worker on the North Slope of Alaska. 2. Find a redditor in Alaska to allow you to use their address for a small monthly fee. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 22
    ActualWheel6703 - 1 hr. ago Since your offer letter says remote, I'd stick to that and make them let me go. They said themselves that they need you, so hopefully it'll take a while. ITMT find a new job. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
  • 23
    BeMancini 2 hr. ago All stop, do not go in anymore. Find it in writing your original job, and continually email that to them. Tell them the terms of the contract they signed do not change because they invested in real estate. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333
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  • 24
    dsdvbguutres. 54 min. ago Loose lips sink ships. Never volunteer information. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/bondsman333

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