'My "angry email" to HR made its way all the way up the chain': CEO decides to make all remote workers start coming to the office

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  • 01
    Jauwn @Jauwnio Two months ago, my fully remote job of 3 years began a campaign to bring all employees back to office. This confused me, as I was originally hired to be fully remote. I lost that status because we recently moved into a temporary apartment while we shop for our first home. 1/
  • 02
    Jauwn @Jauwnio My entire team is fully remote, and the nearest office to me is an hour and a half drive. This didn't make sense to me.
  • 03
    Jauwn @Jauwnio Apparently, the company determined which employees were to come back to office based on a circle drawn around each of our 10 offices. My new apartment is right on the edge of one circle, meaning I must now go into the office. Confused, I sent a message to HR.
  • 04
    Jauwn @Jauwnio "Everyone else on my team is located hundreds of miles away from an office, with half of them being located in India. It makes no sense for us to come in, in fact, it would only make me work less as I'd now be commuting during the only overlap I have with my offshore team"
  • 05
    egne Jauwn @Jauwnio The response? Essentially, kick rocks. "This is the new rule. No exceptions." Of course, followed by the typical spread of corporate buzzwords. "We can collaborate and innovate better in office!" Important to note; I love my job.
  • 06
    Jauwn @Jauwnio I've been working with a small team that I've enjoyed leading through some very interesting situations in my time here. We're the underfunded, underpaid, middle children of the corporate conglomerate, but we get our jobs done and our clients are happy.
  • 07
    ogge Jauwn @Jauwnio The entire company has been working remote for years now. We even won an award for "sustainability" thanks to our efforts to take thousands of commuters off the road, and we sold our high rise offices in expensive cities. We're a tech company, why not?
  • 08
    Jauwn @Jauwnio This sudden change is a patchwork fix to an overarching problem with the company. Bad decisions, clueless leadership, and acquisition after acquisition has left us reporting losses quarterly. In turn, the stock price has plummeted.
  • 09
    Jauwn @Jauwnio Of course, this is all the fault of the employees. They aren't working hard enough, they need to be generating us more revenue... somehow? And apparently, being in the office is the solution. "This is the new policy, as dictated by the CEO...
  • 10
    cane Jauwn @Jauwnio ... and failure to comply will result in termination." Fine. I'm not going to drive an hour and a half each way, sit in mind- numbing traffic, contribute to pollution, and pay more in taxes. So like the smart- I am, I responded with a succinct message.
  • 11
    Jauwn @Jauwnio "Please let me know when my last day will be so I can inform my team" That wasn't what they wanted to hear. Within an hour, the message had been passed up the chain. Leadership was not happy. This guy really "What an thinks he's that special?"
  • 12
    Jauwn @Jauwnio HR actually never responded to my original message, and I had only heard about the fallout of my snarky reply through the grapevine. As I would soon learn, I was far from the only person refusing to return (or in my case, begin).
  • 13
    Jauwn @Jauwnio Important note: this requirement only applies to remote workers within the circles. If you currently live outside one of the circles, you are grandfathered in; but you can not move without company approval. Unless, you live in India.
  • 14
    egner Jauwn @Jauwnio Those team members are required to either relocate to one of the two major cities where they have offices, or get fired. Oh, and there will be no pay adjustment. Enjoy!
  • 15
    Jauwn @Jauwnio Under these new rules, all employees must sit at a desk in an open floor plan office, surrounded by noise from 9-5. Performing our job which involves staring at a computer screen and talking to clients all day.
  • 16
    Jauwn @Jauwnio Except now, these clients will be complaining they can't hear you 'cause Chatty Kathy one desk over is on the phone getting a quote for a new roof. This is obviously much better than the current state, where we can work comfortably from our own desk in our own home.
  • 17
    Jauwn @Jauwnio And who doesn't want the added pollution and traffic from adding 15,000 cars back onto the road?
  • 18
    Jauwn @Jauwnio I wake up at 7AM so I can talk to my colleagues in India without forcing them to stay even later than they already do. I don't feel bad taking client calls after 5pm since I have no commute, I'm already home.
  • 19
    Jauwn @Jauwnio Besides, wouldn't you rather be on a meeting with a guy who has an HD webcam and studio microphone? And selfishly, if I had to lose 3 hours a day to commuting, I would have to quit all of my hobbies. I'd have no time; get home, make dinner, work out, then go to sleep.
  • 20
    cane Jauwn @Jauwnio No more YouTube, no more side hustles, nothing. Your life is about working for a company who will eliminate your role the second you start making too much money. that, I've only got one life, and this is NOT how I want to spend it.
  • 21
    2000 Tenger Jauwn @Jauwnio In my story, there is a happy ending, but not for everyone. Millions of remote workers are being forced to return to office for a litany of reasons. None of those reasons are for your benefit, although they may try and convince you otherwise.
  • 22
    Jauwn @Jauwnio Your employer is getting a tax benefit for bringing employees back into the city, and they likely have a vested interest in keeping the building they spent millions of $ on occupied.
  • 23
    Jauwn @Jauwnio My "angry email" to HR made its way all the way up the chain. Others followed suit, independent of my efforts. Entire offices refused to come back to work.
  • 24
    Jauwn @Jauwnio EU-based staff who were contractually obligated to permanently work from home are threatening to sue for breach of contract. Eight weeks have passed since the return to office mandate was made.
  • 25
    Jauwn @Jauwnio No one has been fired. The company silently walked back the return to office policy, and business continued as usual. "Let's pretend this didn't happen."
  • 26
    Jauwn @Jauwnio There is no moral of this story; I simply wanted to share a recent experience and offer a word of encouragement to any other remote workers who are going through a similar situation. Not everyone has the safety cushion I have to be able to push back against these rules.
  • 27
    Jauwn @Jauwnio But for those of us who can push back, I recommend doing so. Employers have been taking advantage of workers forever, but remote work is truly the great equalizer. Employee satisfaction increases, company spending goes down, and clients are happier.
  • 28
    Jauwn @Jauwnio As a final note, obviously this does not apply to everyone. Not every job can be done fully remote, or even partially remote. I get that. I am only talking about the jobs that truly can be done fully remote.
  • 29
    SHOO Jauwn @Jauwnio Roles such as Tech support, QA analysts, software devs, HR, accountants, finance, and their respective managers.
  • 30
    Hoone Jauwn @Jauwnio And besides, if we take all of those people off the road, it makes a safer and more enjoyable commute for those who can't be remote. Moves money to small towns where otherwise nobody would live. Lots of stuff.
  • 31
    Jauwn @Jauwnio It's 2024, this was the future at one point. Let's use all this cool tech we have to make people's lives easier, more fulfilling, and safer.
  • 32
    100000 wallflowerm @WallFlower_. 5h... If one of the conditions of your employment is that you work remotely, then changing it unilaterally results in a change to your compensation, which was computed presumably based on your working arrangement. The EU staff is right to sue for breach of contract. 1 오고 21 ₁2.4K 1 Jauwn @Jauwnio 5h Yeah, no such protections for me though as my state allows employers to fire employees for any reason at any time. Don't see that changing any time soon
  • 33
    N SchMIDGE @EnnnDeee 14h - Not to mention reducing sick time & actual productivity. No one is as productive in open work environment offices. Q 3 (21 97 5.3K 1 Jauwn @Jauwnio 14h Also true. I haven't taken a sick day since I started working at this job, even when I had COVID. No risk of getting others sick = I work more
  • 34
    THE TRAVELP tyler maccall @TylerMacCa. 16h Honestly, whether or not they backed on it I'd find a new job. They obviously don't care about you, or the work that you do. They will try this again in the future at some point. WFH carries some risk, but is entirely more profitable for a company than not. 22 23 ₁3.3K 1 Jauwn @Jauwnio. 16h Absolutely, and in the long run I don't see myself staying here. But the flexibility it offers is perfect for where I am in my life right now, so I'd rather stay her
  • 35
    Tempe Kees van Dieren @keesva. 2h Great story! I see mixing home and office can go well. Work few days per month together in person and remaining days remote. Or companies facilitate this for a few weeks per year to work on one location with full team. Pay for flights and hotels. Do things together, make fun. 91 27 ♡ 2 ₁667 1 Jauwn @Jauwnio. 2h Exactly, it would be cheaper to fly us all to a central location a few times a year than having a full time office.

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