'Stop acting so entitled': Manager asks fresh-out-of-college hire to make 1hr commute 4 times per month, they wonder if that's an unreasonable request

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
May 10, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

Coming of working age at this time in the history of work is an interesting one. The world of employment looks vastly different than it did even 10 years ago. So many of us are working remotely more often, employees are re-drawing boundaries over what they will put up with in the workplace, and priorities are changing. Being a young person coming up in this climate is not always easy. With expectations shifting so much in the world, it's hard to know exactly where you fit into it. 

There are also a lot of stereotypes that come with being Gen Z in the workplace. Supervisors might think that you're entitled or have too firm of boundaries. They might think that you haven't paid your dues yet and thus don't get the same privileges. And whether or not they have the right to think that, you probably have to deal with those pre-assumptions. 

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  • 01

    Manager wants me to have 1+ hour commute

    Hi! I'm based in Philadelphia and I work from home. 4x a month I have to go into the office but there is an office 20 minutes away from me. However my manager wants me to go to the office in NJ that's over an hour commute each way for me once a week. Most of my team is based
    via u/stellagraceless
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10503355136
    via Unsplash+ (Fellipe Ditadi)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • That's why one young worker was unsure whether or not their boss was giving them a reasonable request. After mostly working remotely except for a few quick jaunts into a nearby office, their boss laid out a new expectation. And when they took to the internet for some perspective, they received it back in droves. 

  • 03
    there but all our work can be done remotely and there are no ongoing projects. She only wants me to go so that I can be in person with most of the team. I'm fresh out of college and just hit my six month anniversary on the job. Is this an unreasonable or should I do it?
    via u/stellagraceless
  • 04
    Summary: Once I week I have to go into the office. There is one 20 minutes from me but my manager wants me to go to the one over an hour away so I can work with my team.
    via u/stellagraceless
  • 05
    EDIT: I like my job, I'm not trying to complain or quit, I'm just new to the workforce and I don't know if this is a reasonable demand; I didn't mean for the title to sound misleading, I'm sorry. My main issue is that there is an office close to me rather than one that's over an hour away.
    via u/stellagraceless
  • 06

    Commenters offered their advice about this quandary.

    PrizFinder. 2d ago It depends on how bad you want to keep your job; and how difficult it would be to find a Remote or Low Commute job to replace this one. That's the bottom line.
    via u/PrizFinder
  • 07
    Hot_Most5332. 1d ago I can't believe that someone fresh out of college on the job for 6 months thinks that they can refuse. You can't refuse anything when you're that new and inexperienced, especially right now. Doesn't matter if it's reasonable or not unless it's somehow illegal or against company policy, and even then that assumes HR cares. Like you said, it's not a question of whether it's reasonable, it's a question of whether you want to keep your job.
    via u/Hot_Most5332
  • 08
    Lethal_Hydronium • 2d ago Its fair, 1 hour commute once a week is better than 5x a week. Take the time to chat with the coworkers, maybe go out to lunch as well. Networking and being friendly with coworkers at this early stage of your career is probably more important than your work performance.
    via u/Lethal_Hydronium
  • 09
    rosemaryonpine 2d ago . I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but going into the office just four times a month really isn't that bad, especially for folks who are just starting out in their careers.
    via u/rosemaryonpine
  • 10
    As someone in my mid-30s, I genuinely believe there's value in having a bit of in- person experience early on. I've seen how newer colleagues could benefit from a little more of that traditional, face-to-face management and team interaction.
    via u/rosemaryonpine
  • 11
    I personally enjoy being in the office and honestly never pictured myself working remotely full-time. But here I am, doing just that...and I think I'm pretty effective at it. A big part of that, I believe, is because I spent the first 10 years of my career working on-site, learning how to collaborate, communicate, and grow in a shared environment.
    via u/rosemaryonpine
  • 12
    Just some food for thought! Hope you can find a schedule that works for you and your growth!
    via u/rosemaryonpine
  • 13
    DeltaLimaWhiskey • 2d ago I mean I get it. But . sometimes in traffic I have to drive 1.5 hours each way in the same city. Five days a week. So... maybe count your blessings?
    via u/DeltaLimaWhiskey
  • 14
    Longjumping-Host... 2d ago No. Your manager doesn't "want you have a one plus hour commute". Smh. Don't be such a victim. Rather, you managers want you in the office noted to be around the team (and it happens to be an hour away).
    via u/Longjumping-Host7262
  • 15
    Cheezburger Image 10503355904
    via Unsplash+ (Fellipe Ditadi)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 16
    MichaelOxlong18 · 2d ago So you're being expected to go to the office about once a week already, and the issue you're facing is that currently you go to an office 20 minutes away from your house and you're being asked to instead go to an office that is 1 hour away
    via u/MichaelOxlong18
  • 17
    from your house? Let me know if I've got it wrong there but that's how I understood what you said and is the scenario I'm responding to (hopefully it's right). I'll level with you, as somebody with probably only slightly more
    via u/MichaelOxlong18
  • 18
    experience in the workforce than you (graduated 2023), you have an insanely sweet deal. Hour long commutes are not uncommon for people to have to make every day, and wfh jobs have been getting fewer and fewer every year.
    via u/MichaelOxlong18
  • 19
    I'm not saying you shouldn't try to find a fully remote job (while they are fewer in number than in 2021, they definitely still exist) or one that is much closer to your house if that's something that is important to you, I'm just saying that you may find you have a hard time beating your current arrangement, especially if you lack experience.
    via u/MichaelOxlong18
  • 20
    Another thing: this probably isn't even your managers decision. WFH policies aren't typically decided by low level management on a team-by-team basis, and if she suddenly changed her tune about where you have to work it's likely because she was served some policy
    via u/MichaelOxlong18
  • 21
    update from HR that mandates all employees work from the same building on in-office days. I doubt you'd get much out of arguing with her even if she was sympathetic to your case, which she probably won't be given how relatively good your WFH schedule is.
    via u/MichaelOxlong18
  • 22
    Next-Drummer-92... 1d ago It's once a week. Go to the NJ office. • The consequence of digging your heels in will be the removal of your paycheck. Stop acting so entitled.
    via u/Next-Drummer-9280
  • 23
    Packtex60 · 2d ago You get to choose both where you live and where you work so your commute distance is 100% within your control. The "demand" is simply part of your job.
    via u/Packtex60
  • 24
    Icy-Dependent6908 · 2d ago I commute every day. An hour each way in a bus. I'm glad to have a job that pays my mortgage. Grow up.
    via u/Icy-Dependent6908
  • 25
    malicious_joy42 • 2d ago Manager wants me to have 1+ hour commute No, they don't. They want you in the office once a week. That's not unreasonable, nor is your commute time their problem.
    via u/malicious_joy42
  • 26
    The problem is your entitlement. You're being unreasonable. Welcome to the terrible world of adulting. You trade your life for a paycheck until you can afford not to. The closer office isn't where your team is.
    via u/malicious_joy42
  • 27
    UnabashedHonesty · 1d ago • Normally, just being out of college means you have the freedom to move closer to your job.
    via u/UnabashedHonesty
  • 28
    havok4118 · 2d ago • If you're fresh out of college you should be taking advantage of in office work with teammates and your manager, while remote is great for senior performers it's not great for new hires
    via u/havok4118

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