"I told my boss I couldn't come in": Company refuses to allow new HR manager to work hybrid, despite promising him a few work-from-home days in interview, when he questions them, they threaten to "re-evaluate his fit"

Author image for Emma Saven
Emma Saven
Sep 3, 2025 7:00 AM EDT

The last five years have opened up a world of business meetings with no pants on, classes from the couch, and never having to pick up a hairbrush if you didn't want to. And while at the time it was necessary, some could argue that after 5 years, there is a part of us that is still taking advantage of this hybrid lifestyle. Just because some companies may offer a few work-from-home days doesn't mean we're entitled to them just because we want to sleep in an extra hour or stay in our Primark PJs all day…So where does one draw the line? 

This employee is understandably fed up with his workplace, as they have refused to fulfill their initial offer of allowing him to work hybrid…We're aware that he has a heavy workload as the HR manager, constantly cleaning up his school's messes, along with some health issues on the side. So we can acknowledge his disappointment when his promises are avoided…However, just because he feels like a big asset to the company, it does not mean that he can pick and choose to work when and how it suits him. Have people become too comfortable with thinking their demand for flexibility overrides those above them, because last time I checked, intelligence or hard work doesn't automatically grant you access to make your own rules, without earning that title…

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  • While some might view this situation differently, it’s important to consider that this man accepted the job based on a promise of hybrid work, something likely crucial to him given his ongoing health issues. That flexibility may have been a key reason he took the role in the first place. His frustration, then, seems understandable. So the real question becomes: is he being unreasonable and expecting the workplace to revolve around his needs, or is he being taken advantage of by an employer who made promises they never intended to keep?

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    Man working from home
    via and.one2

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    Boss threatening me after asking for hybrid work like he promised in the interview

    I got laid off from my previous job back in April and was unemployed for a few months. Got a new job in the beginning of July at a school. Interview was a bit of a mess but I needed a job and they paid well so I took it. During the interview my boss mentioned that
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    they had a lot of work to catch up on as there was no HR person (my role) for months and they had to hire many teachers before the school year and that once the school year started I could transition to hybrid.
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    When I started the school was still in summer hours so I worked shorten days M-Th and Friday I got to work from home. School started and with no announcement of hours changing I worked a couple days at shortened hours (to which I was scolded
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    despite never being told those hours were ending) I assumed, like most of my summer hour jobs, that changes after labor day. It was an honest mistake by me. When I was reprimanded via e-mail I asked when I could then begin my hybrid work as we discussed because I was told that I could do that when
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    school started - I got no response. The following week I had a meeting with my boss and a few others, talked about some ongoing audits, compliance issues, onboarding, etc. that I was working on and asked again about my hybrid schedule to which they said "Why don't you send us an
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    e-mail with your projects that you have planned and how we can support you and we can talk about hybrid" I said okay, and I did just that. When I sent the e-mail I, again, got no response to it. The next couple days I wasn't feeling well as I
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    deal with a series of chronic issues that leave me overly fatigued, sleep disorders and Gl issues (which is one of the main reasons I want to WFH sometimes) and so I told my boss I couldn't come in and that I would WFH as there was too much to do. The following day my issues persisted and I told
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    him I would WFH again as there was too much to get done. I then got an e-mail saying that "I was expected onsite and that we should meet next week to re-evaluate my fit"
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    I was even onboard me, I still don't have access to | flabbergasted. This place didn't the building I work in, I don't have a monitor to do my work, I wasn't even onboarded properly, I have no training and no one to go to for questions, I am digging them out of compliance h I because they are EASILY 6 figures of fines in compliance h I, and all I
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    am asking for is to work from home 2-3 days a week so I have a better set up to do work, less kids yelling and swearing while I take calls, a place to deal with some of my health issues better, and they are threatening to fire me??????
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    Cheezburger Image 10548522496
    via gettysignature

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    I couldn't believe it when I read it. They are so in the hole and the one guy working to save them they want to get rid of because he asked to work from home a few days a week in his non-employee facing job????? Seriously, outside of onboarding (which I could do remotely) almost everything is by e-mail or chat.
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    It's taking everything in me not to explode right now. Update: As a fun update they just e-mailed me today (Saturday) to tell me that the expectations are I come in 5 days a week and they will consider hybrid come November. What a joke Imao. I am gone first chance I get.
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    OneWayBackwards Give them your expectations and leave it. to them to either accept or expect you to leave.
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    PlatypusStyle hmmm. slow roll a couple of the compliance issue resolutions and once you get a new job quit without notice and they can figure it out. after you are gone.
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    Don't sabotage just leave one or two things undone. Make sure they know that things aren't complete so that they don't think they are caught up and can fire you.
    via PlatypusStyle
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    If you are asked why you left just say they had massive backlog of compliance issues but refused to let you address the issues adequately and professionally. It's truthful from your point of view.
    via PlatypusStyle
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    RYANINLA Let the ship sink but take care of yourself before it's completely plunged into the ocean. These people are delusional and don't realize what they're doing to themselves.
    via RYANINLA
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    Baguetele Isn't there a medical accommodation available for the issues you've described? Because intermittent FMLA is a thing.
    via Baguetele
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    sacksackhandbanana "Why don't you send us an e-mail with your projects that you have planned and how we can support you and we can talk about hybrid" They're going to fire you and this request was the start of the handover.
    via sacksackhandbanana
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    Effective-Several Make sure that you anonymously report them for noncompliance.
    via Effective-Several

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disagreement expectations projects failblog fired hr professional work coworkers quit anti work contract false workplace Horrible Bosses hybrid compliance
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