Remote employee plans to quit for a new job after getting hit with return-to-office mandate, walks away with 7 months’ severance instead: 'I am still laughing'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Oct 18, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

Sometimes the universe hands you the kind of plot twist that makes all the bad Zoom meetings worth it.

Earlier this year, this longtime employee's company was bought out, and everything changed overnight. The new management rolled in with micromanagement, culture shifts, and a looming return-to-office requirement. For this worker, who lived more than two hours from the nearest office, that was a dealbreaker. So, like any sensible person, they started job-hunting.

By last month, they'd landed a new role just minutes from home, with better pay and only two in-office days per week. Their plan was to give two weeks' notice, take a short break, and start the new gig refreshed.

Then fate intervened.

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  • Days before resigning, they were called into a meeting and told that anyone living outside commuting distance could take a seven-month severance package instead of returning to the office.

    They kept their poker face, waited 24 hours, and accepted. Now they’re starting their new job after three weeks off — with seven months’ pay and a bonus on the way.

    Sometimes, the evil corporate world actually works in your favor.

  • Cheezburger Image 10565347072
    via LinkedIn Sales Solutions For Unsplash+

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


     

  • "Got laid off due to an RTO requirement the week I was going to put in my 2 weeks and quit."

    Thought you all would get a kick out of this story. I am still laughing. So earlier this year our company got bought out which brought some big changes.
    via Trolli80
  • Culture changed overnight with more micro managing etc... We were told to expect an RTO requirement some time this year.
    via Trolli80
  • I live over 2 hours away from the office so that was a no go. I started putting out resume's and last month I went through the interview process and got an offer from a great company.
    via Trolli80
  • It is a hybrid instead of full remote but only 2 days in a week and is only a few minutes away from my house.
    via Trolli80
  • My plan was to put in my 2 weeks at the end of this week and offer any assistance to make the transition smooth until I leave.
    via Trolli80
  • Was at the company for a decade plus so wanted to leave the right way. I was going to time it where I would have a week off before the new job started.
    via Trolli80
  • Log in on Tuesday and there is a "business update" meeting on my calendar. I get on an my boss and HR tell me an RTO mandate is in place starting next month.
    via Trolli80
  • Since I live out of the footprint I can choose to come in or accept a severance package as I will not be allowed to work remote.
    via Trolli80
  • They offered me a 7 month severance package plus bonus payout and gave me 24 hours to consider.
    via Trolli80
  • I couldn't believe it. I was days away from giving them my 2 weeks and had another job lined up and now I am being given 7 months pay (before taxes) on my way out the door.
    via Trolli80
  • 100 FEDERAL RES 100 100 FEDERAL RESE 100 FEDERAL E PF 158 TE 100 100 DD PB367196M 92 ONE ONE H
    via Kateryna Hliznitsova For Unsplash+
  • If it had been a few days later I would have quit and they probably just let me walk.
    via Trolli80
  • Now I have 3 weeks off before I start new job with a nice pay raise and a nice check coming next month.
    via Trolli80
  • Embarrassed-Table-26 That worked out great!
    via s
  • Proof-Anxiety-1284 Nice! Sometimes, you win the lottery
    via Proof-Anxiety-1284
  • lucid_green We love to see our bros win here. Amazing!
    via lucid_green
  • andmewithoutmytowel Amazing! My wife worked at a hospital and was going to resign after they paid for grad school to become a Nurse Practitioner, she was waiting until after graduating to give notice, but felt awful and guilty about leaving so early.
    via andmewithoutmytowel
  • The week of graduation they announced layoffs. Anyone that wanted to resign voluntarily would get severance. She got 9 weeks paid, and if they had waited a week, she would have given notice!
    via andmewithoutmytowel

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management boss work from home remote severance employee fired satisfying job work i quit return to office mandate
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