Boss treats employee like they're on vacation while they're remotely working from Portugal for months: 'Meanwhile, I'm shipping code at 11 PM local time'

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  • A woman remote works from a pace with a lot of plants.
  • My boss thinks I'm on vacation because I moved to another country while working remote...

    I told my manager months ago that I was planning to work from Portugal for a few months since the company allows full remote. Flights were cheap, rent is half of what I paid in Chicago, and I'm still online every day from 9 to 5. Last week he messaged me asking if I was "enjoying the beach" and if I could "focus more on projects
  • once I'm back from vacation." Dude. I've been working the entire time. My VPN logs literally prove I've worked more hours than anyone on the team. Now he's hinting that my "performance slipped" because I'm "too comfortable." Meanwhile, I'm shipping code at 11 PM local time.
  • Do managers think remote means "working from a hammock with a mojito"? I'm this close to sending him a screenshot of my Jira board labeled "vacation mode: off."
  • A woman remote works by a body of water with another woman.
  • Commenters weighed in with their thoughts.

    PearlsRUs • 6h ago Yes, a lot of them do think that. Sounds like your manager is setting the stage to disallow you from working out of the country again.
  • Zom... 5h ago Edited 4h ago. • . Full remote doesn't mean other countries very often. There are work place legalities, insurance, oversight, a whole bunch of things. Did your company approve working in another country?
  • noclue90004h ago By going abroad and putting it in writing Op basically gave them legal reasons to fire him or her
  • Grouchy SpicyPickle 5h ago I wouldn't expect that job to last. Plan accordingly.
  • Cubsfantransplant · 5h ago Did you request to work from Portugal? Is your company authorized to employ people in Portugal? Are you legal to work in Portugal? Full remote does not mean work from wherever you want to.
  • pHgirl 5h ago Just tell him you moved back and continue working remotely with a VPN that spoofs your location in Chicago
  • dysonrules 4h ago . "I'm remote, so I'm working in a different country." cringes in payroll tax My employer fired two employees for moving to different states where they were not set up to collect payroll tax. I'm baffled that people think it's just a matter of connecting to the internet and everything is fine. Dealing with international employment tax is a next level nightmare. Don't be this guy.
  • throwRA094532 5h ago Just email him what you did everyday so he cannt say you arennt doing anything
  • Go_Nadds 5h ago Whilst you may be working very well in Portugal there are real risks around employees working overseas. You're creating all sorts of employer tax and reporting obligations that they and you just won't be aware of.
  • I'm pro remote work where suitable but guardrails like not working overseas for extended periods are an absolute must.
  • azkeel-smart • 5h ago . I think breaching multiple countries taxation legislation may be making your employer uneasy. Do you have right to work in Portugal by any chance? Full remote doesn't usually mean anywhere in the world, especially in Europe. Tax residence is the key consideration here.
  • nneighbour 4h ago • In my agreement it says I have to reside in one of two Canadian provinces. This is for tax reasons. Just because I'm remote doesn't mean I can work from anywhere in the world.
  • hann... 5h ago Edited 5h ago . Do you have 1-2-1s with this manager and annual performance goals or KPIs? | would be sending regular emails to him recognising his negative comments about my performance, and asking him for detailed feedback on the specific activities/goals where I'm not meeting
  • expectations. Either he will give that feedback and then you can work on improving those things, or he won't and you can take your written record of continued requests for feedback to HR or a higher manager - to say you're being targeted and the manager is not providing you sufficient support to improve.
  • flushkill 5h ago • A few months? How long are you staying in Portugal? Dont break the 183 day rule qe have in the EU.
  • TheoNavarro24 • 4h ago Have you looked into the tax implications for both you and your employer? You can't just up and move with no approvals
  • OutsideGap2387 • 2h ago Telling your manager is the not the same as getting actual authorization from your company in writing. Doesn't matter if you're online or "green" from 8 hours, you didn't get actual approval and your company could terminate you without you having any recourse.
  • sevens-on-her-sleeve 2h ago • When your boss starts to suggest you're underperforming, that means you need to start documenting everything about your performance, because they're thinking of canning you. Start sharing performance metrics at the meetings with your manager. Develop metrics that address their specific points.
  • karmassacre • 3h ago People don't realize it but you can't just up and move somewhere while employed without telling your employer. It can get them in serious financial and/or legal trouble.
  • blazinazn007 • 33m ago Worked with a person who was based out of Hawaii. But she was always on during our main business hours. One time she was running late for a meeting and when she jumped on, one of the directors made a comment along the lines of "must be nice to be on vacation right now". She replied "it's not vacation, I was born here in Hawaii and this is my home".
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