Boss questions employee's work ethic when they work from home for one day despite working their previously agreed upon WFH days from the office: 'You want me to honor my in-office-days? Okay, but you'll be forced to honor my WFH-days'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jun 12, 2025 8:00 PM EDT

It's pretty ironic that bosses who make workers come into the office under the guise of "team morale" are themselves the reason why morale is low in the first place. Through their unfair and unthought-out polices and general management approach, the reality is that morale probably isn't actually their aim, and when they say "morale," they mean "control," being their control over their staff.

Flexibility begets flexibility, and it's always wisest to consider all factors at play and the concessions someone else is making before criticizing them for one thing they did that you don't like…

This worker, who worked on two separate teams within the same work group, had a standing agreement with their main boss that they could work from home twice a week. But, when they started splitting time with a second team, a team whose manager was also subordinate to their main boss, they began working those days from the office so that they could spend more time with the second team. But, one week they had work scheduled on their house during the week that they needed to be present for, so since they weren't working from home on any other days anyway, they decided to work from home. It seems here that they got their main boss's approval, too.

Still, this triggered a passive-aggressive email from their second team's put-out manager questioning their work ethic. Disappointed and frustrated at this, the worker resolved to play the manager's game and work their office days strictly from the office, but in return, they were going to work all of their agreed-upon days from home. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01

    "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. My part-time job (60%) was project based, but after a few months I was able to add another part-time-position (40%) within the same team but with a different boss. She was a subordinate of my original boss who I had an agreement with, that I could work from home every Monday and Friday, something that was communicated throughout the department early but as I didn't have much contact with the tea
    via strubisach
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10516938752
    via A. C.
  • 03
    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), which had never presented as a problem before. Apparently, me spending the previous Monday afternoon - one of my WFH-days - 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
  • 04
    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... 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 as being in office and an active team member was
    via strubisach
  • 05
    veeery important to my second boss, not coming in the office twice a week was mildly malicious to me. You 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 achieve: having me in the office more often. Hope that clears up this terrible terrible confusion I caused /s
    via strubisach
  • 06
    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 strubisach
  • 07
    ale_Air_5309 I honest to goodness don't understand managers like this. As a manager I do not want to make my life more difficult than it has to be. I literally made two big scheduling mistakes this month, first time since I've worked here. My team knows I've been a bit overwhelmed due to some additional responsibilities added to my plate. They alerted me, and quickly let me know what could be done to correct it if possible.
    via strubisach
  • 08
    My team has fixed my mistakes, one is coming in to help for a few hours on a requested day off as to not screw the team. I told her she didn't have to, she told me, | dropped the ball it's a me problem. She's coming in anyway. I'm going to change a few schedules around for that day, and nobody is going to care because they know when they need something I'm going to do anything and everything in my power to make it happen. They've also stopped me from making dumb mistakes a few times.
    via strubisach
  • 09
    Why anyone would want anything different is just not comprehendable.
    via strubisach
  • 10
    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 strubisach
  • 11
    Lngdnzi Good on you. Not really sure if this is malicious compliance. But if you have wfh days use them.! Doubt you'll be on your death bed wishing" I should have gone to the office 1 more day"
    via strubisach
  • 12
    Free_Four_Floyd Our company recently changed the in-office policy from a "majority of the time" to a strict "3 days per week" minimum. Under the old policy, I came in 4-5 days per week to allow me to "bank" days. If I ever needed or wanted to work remotely for a week, I could & I would still be in the office a majority of the time. My boss was fine with this arrangement. With the policy change, I am in office THREE DAYS PER WEEK only. How's that for fostering face-to-face teamwork?
    via strubisach
  • 13
    Valley-Etienne At my company, people used to come in happily nearly every day of the week, until the company said "No more than 2 WFH days a week! Can't be Wednesdays or Thursdays!" After a couple. months, people realized it wasn't even enforced, and most people stopped coming in altogether (everything is doable remotely). Corporate clowns really need to stop trying to be so controlling for no good reason. For their own good.
    via strubisach
  • 14
    Purple-Week-7273 Work from home turning 'you can't do that' into 'hold my Wi-Fi password.'
    via strubisach
  • 15
    Cheezburger Image 10516939008
    via A. C.

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

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

workplace discussion workplace-stories jobs employee working from home job malicious compliance work rto wfh workplace workplace malicious compliance employment return to in the workplace
Scroll Down For The Next Article