Jenn gives up personal office space after work from home is implemented, she demands it back when mandatory work from office resumes but coworker refuses to adhere to her, HR gets involved

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Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Nov 8, 2025 12:00 PM EST

In 2025, work from home is more common than ever. It's refreshing to have extra time to oneself, but also lacks something concrete about the day to day. It's too easy to get swept into doom scrolling, never showering, and never making social plans when you work from home. Having the inconvenience of going to and from the office can be refreshing in it's own way – a way that takes you out of your home hole. Well, in the story below, the protagonist is a woman whose company implemented work from home a few years ago. Since many people took this opportunity, there were empty offices, desks, and chairs left in the office. 

The protagonist used to work in a cramped cubicle, but since the work from home implementation, there was a whole office up for grabs. The woman approved her moving into the office, but the caveat comes years later when everyone is forced to go back to working in the office. She demands her office back, but the company refuses. 

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  • 01

    AITA for refusing to give my coworker their office back now that WFH has been canceled?

    Woman working in private office
    via Prathan chorruangsak from prathan chorruangsak / Canva

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

  • 02
    Back in 2023, a woman (Jenn) in my building left for maternity leave. After having her child, Jenn took advantage of our company's
    via u/TossAway404040
  • 03
    WFH program, which left her office open. I placed in a request for the space with my manager
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  • 04
    was was given the go, so I got to leave my crappy cubicle for my very own private office.
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  • 05
    My employer has announced that WFH will end on 11/17/25. All employees are to be back in the office by that date. Yeah, that
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  • 06
    sucks, I know. Yesterday, WFH employees came in for tours and desk assignments. When Jenn saw I was in her office, she became
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  • 07
    Office cubicles
    via Capture Crew from Pexels / Canva

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

  • 08
    agitated and asked if I'd be leaving so she could take back over. I told her flatly that I had no intent to give up the office.
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  • 09
    Jenn spoke with a manager about this and management's immediate decision was that I was under no obligation to move out
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  • 10
    of the office. I was approached and asked if I had any interest in returning to a cubicle, I said no,
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  • 11
    and there was no follow up from my manager or HR as they both see the matter as closed.
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  • 12
    Now, just a day later, I'm getting a stink from coworkers who think I'm punishing Jenn for something outside her control. Jenn has also
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  • 13
    emailed me, asking me to consider the position she's in and that she's already being punished by the company by being
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  • 14
    compelled to return to the building, and asking me to consider her feelings. Sincerely, I definitely understand how much
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  • 15
    this sucks for her and everyone else being forced to come back, but I like having my own office. I have a lot of stuff in here that I'd
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  • 16
    otherwise have to carry back home. I'd be giving up the privacy that I've become adjusted to, and,
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  • 17
    if I'm being honest, I enjoy actually having a nice window to look out and none of the noise of the cubicles. AITA on this one?
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  • 18
    Henwen 12h ago Is there a reason Jenny had the office? High position that required privacy for calls or meetings etc? If
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  • 19
    there is no work reason for her to have the office and HR/your boss aren't telling you that you have to move, just stand your ground.
    via u/TossAway404040

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