UPDATE: Power-tripping bosses insists employee can't work from home, employee refuses to work anywhere but the office: 'Important calculation due? Sorry, no work from home allowed'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Nov 19, 2025 1:00 PM EST

Even though it's good for productivity, and even though employees adore it, some bosses think that working from home is a net negative for their workplace. They have this "out of sight, out of mind" kind of attitude towards the work-from-home lifestyle. If they can't see an employee slouched over at their desk, typing away while sipping lukewarm coffee, how can they know that the worker is actually doing what they're paid to do? 

Well, they're sort of right — apparently, a lot of remote workers do slack off quite a bit. But even if they're working fewer hours, they're often more productive despite that. Just think about it: if you're working remotely, you don't have to get dressed up, which saves you time. You don't have to pack a lunch, or spend precious office minutes going outside to a nearby restaurant to grab a bite to eat. You don't have to chat with coworkers or get pulled into impromptu meetings with higher-ups — nope, you've got hours and hours uninterrupted, and you can do all your work while laying on the couch in your comfiest clothing. It's an awesome way to spend a workday… if your boss allows it, that is. Even if you show them that all of your daily duties have been accounted for, and you're prepared for whatever comes your way, certain managers just can't handle having WFH employees. It's almost like they don't trust them if they can't literally see them, which is a rather silly way of treating your salaried workers. 

This person handled their boss's inflexiblity with grace, by simply declining to work when they're not in the office. It's honestly a fantastic approach — that's basically how things worked until very recently, anyway! People used to work 8 hours per day then leave the office — they really couldn't work at home, so whatever wasn't finished on a Friday just had to wait for Monday morning. It's too bad that these bosses weren't willing to compromise with this employee, but as you can read in the two updates this worker posted, their situation worked out far better than they ever planned. 

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  • 01
    Man in striped shirt holds phone to ear while gesturing, to the right a man in yellow shirt and tan sweater holds laptop while sitting on couch and facing away
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+
  • 02
    I am currently in my malicious compliance phase at work right now. I got ripped a new one last week because I needed to work from home in order to get some urgent stuff
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 03
    done for a conference I needed to attend the following week. I was explicitly told that I could not work from home without approval. And I was told that I signed a
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 04
    policy about it. I responded that my job requires me to work from home all the time, to which they replied, "You signed the policy." So now, after I leave the office, I turn off
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 05
    my work issued cell phone and never look at it on the weekends. I am a salaried employee, but I am not going to beg my employer to allow me to work from home.
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 06
    This weekend I got a call on my personal cell from one of the other managers about approving some billing rates that were due. I told her that I wasn't allowed to work from
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 07
    home, and I will get to it on Monday whenever I have the opportunity. Everything will be late, but I signed the policy.
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 08
    It literally would I have cost them nothing to just let me do my damn job. I already get paid a fixed rate. But if they want to play stupid games, they can win stupid prizes.
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 09
    EDIT: So a number of comments asking about why I would even bother to WFH after hours. Here is my take, my employer is not paying me to sit in an office for 40
    via u/wenrdogred
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    hours a week. They're paying me to do a relatively specialized job. Sometimes I do 30 hours a week. Sometimes 40. Sometimes more. Whatever it takes to
    via u/wenrdogred
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    do the job. It has been extremely flexible for me in the past and has allowed me to balance family, work, and a few volunteer activities.
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 12
    This isn't really an anti work thing, more of an anti-this- particular-person on a power trip.
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 13

    Here's the first of 2 exciting updates!

    UPDATE: Monday came and went and not a peep from anyone about the rates getting out. Fixed a couple of bugs, but I think the other manager edited the PDF
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 14
    reports to get them out the door. Also, the deadline for it was pushed back a week. So everyone survived, but I have made some changes. Change # 1, I am no longer
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 15
    taking my work cell home with me. It is freeing and anxiety- inducing at the same time after doing so for so long. Change # 2, I have informed any staff that may need to contact me
    via u/wenrdogred
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    that I won't be doing anything work related once I walk out of the office. Change #3, I am updating my resume today, it's time to leave. Thanks to everyone for their
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 17
    feedback. Wish you all the best! UPDATE 2: Received a new job offer. Waiting for the official offer letter before putting in my
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 18
    Man with glasses, yellow turtleneck, and tan sweater holds laptop on lap while sitting on gray chair in stylish room, looking to the right
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 19
    notice. Good luck to everyone out there in this struggle economy.
    via u/wenrdogred
  • 20
    kaosrey... Sadly I feel that employers will only enforce the policy when it suits them, and turn a blind eye when it also suits them.
    via u/kaosreyns
  • 21
    [deleted] It's nice of your employer to force you to enforce work/life boundaries. Do it more often, it's freeing.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 22
    CoderJ... That'll learn them
    via u/CoderJoe

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