Employee refuses to continue working in-office on their designated WFH days after their boss scorns them for taking an approved remote work day: ‘[She said] I should think well about my work ethics in the future’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Jun 15, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

You know that feeling when you do your boss a solid, even though you don't have to, and then you're somehow the one who is in the wrong? If you're familiar with this, that's because you broke the number one rule in the workplace: Never do more than what you're told to do. Others might disagree, but you're getting paid to do concrete tasks. You are replaceable to every company, no matter how much you believe you're an asset, so act your wage!

Yes, that includes coming into the office on days you have remote privileges. Some employees think going above and beyond will land them a ticket straight to six-figure territory, but that's only the case sometimes, and even that word is pushing it.

In this next story, an employee switches up their remote work days because of construction that's being done on their residence. Their boss has an issue with this, but fails to remember all of the times this same employee went out of their way to be in the office when it was not necessary. So, as payback, the employee vows to never work from home on non-designated days ever again—but forget about coming in on remote days. Scroll to read. 

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  • "Don't want me to work from home once or twice a month? Watch me do so twice a week."

    A short tale, not too juicy but for a young post-grad who was new in the workforce, it was delicious.
    via strubisach
  • My part-time job (60%) was project based, but after a few months I was able to add another part-time-position (40%) within
    via strubisach
  • the same team but with a different boss. She was a subordinate of my original boss who I had an agreement with,
    via strubisach
  • that I could work from home every Monday and Friday, something that was communicated throughout the department early but as I didn't
    via strubisach
  • have much contact with the team, I still came in most of the Mondays and Fridays, "for the team spirit".
    via strubisach
  • As life is life-ing, I had construction workers over and needed one of my in-office days to be WFH (edit: which was pre- approved and communicated),
    via strubisach
  • which had never presented as a problem before. Apparently, me spending the previous Monday afternoon - one of my WFH-days
    via strubisach
  • - out of office (but still onlline and available) was such a thorn in my second boss' side, that she had to shoot me a message saying I should think well about my work ethics in the future - Boomer vs. GenZ I guess.
    via strubisach
  • Cheezburger Image 10516782592
    via Ian Harber for Unsplash

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

  • So I agreed and never switched a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to a work-from-home-day again - but I also never came in on a Monday or Friday again. As it stood, that was my scheduled WFH day anyways...
    via strubisach
  • edit: thank you for the lovely comments! to those who felt compelled to point out the apparent lack of malicousness: I might not have caused havoc, but
    via strubisach
  • as being in office and an active team member was veeery important to my second boss, not coming in the office twice a week was mildly malicious to me. You
    via strubisach
  • want me to honour my in-office- days? Okay, but you'll be forced to honour my WFH-days, even if that will lead to the exact opposite of what you wanted to
    via strubisach
  • achieve: having me in the office more often. Hope that clears up this terrible terrible confusion I caused/s
    via strubisach
  • cutestalice Funny how bosses love 'team spirit' until it means respecting someone's flexibility. You followed the rules and still got penalized for not kissing the office chair. Gen z wins the round
    via cutestalice
  • Big sLittleD "Team Sprit" almost always means "Do what I tell you"
    via Big*sLittleD
  • PqqMo Same for me. Boss was not happy that I switched a wfh day with am office day, because of better planning when it's static. Alright but I also can't come to the office on my wfh days from now on. What a pitty
    via PqqMo
  • Anastephone People of every generation hate WFH, the perceived lack of control because-|- can't-see-you
    via Anastephone

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boss aita malicious compliance bosses malicious-compliance-reddit reddit story toxic-boss Horrible Bosses reddit thread bad bosses Reddit malicious compliance reddit workplace malicious compliance
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