Boss bombards mostly-remote employee with 5 AM screenshot demanding 5 days/week in the office: 'It's an hour drive from home'

Communication is key, especially when it's bad news.

Everyone has different communication styles. Some people want an open line of communication at all times so they can constantly get updates. Maybe you have a parent or a friend like this. They're the opposite of hands-off. They constantly want to know what you're doing and are always asking follow-up questions for more details. It makes them feel safe to be kept in touch. Other people don't mind a little more independence. You won't hear from them for weeks unless it's necessary. This doesn't bother them or make them feel out of touch. It's just the way they operate. When you have two of these people from opposite ends of the spectrum, and you put them in a room together or in a workplace together, problems are bound to come up. That's what happened in this story.

There is a huge difference, lifestyle-wise, between working one day per week in an office versus working five days per week in an office. It's a whole lot more commute time, especially if you live some distance from your workplace. If you have other commitments in your life, you might rely on the flexibility of remote work to help you accomplish those. If you have kids, you have probably arranged your childcare around your ability to work from home. All that to say, it's a pretty big deal to go from one to the other, especially when you weren't expecting it.

via Vitaly Gariev

_{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}
You can't expect your employees to drop everything at a moment's notice just to cater to the needs of the company. They need time to adjust to changes, especially ones that are going to wholesale change their lives. You also have to lay out expectations when you're hiring someone. Suppose you're hiring them for a remote position, that comes with certain expectations. You can't just switch up on them with no warning. But that's what happened to this employee, who ended up having to make a decision that they weren't ready to. Keep scrolling to read all the details of the story and see what you think about what happened.
Hired as mostly-remote, now told "5 days in-office starting today" via 5am screenshot.

via u/purple_oughter
via u/purple_oughter
via u/purple_oughter
via u/purple_oughter
via Vitaly Gariev

_{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}
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$FIXEDGEARBIKE You're \pretty sure\ you're 1099 and not a W-2 for \last year\?? It's illegal to classify you as a contractor at the end of the year without that agreement in place...you'll owe the government like 25-35% of your entire years income. Also you don't qualify as a 1099 because they're controlling your schedule and you essentially run the place. The IRS LOVES hearing about stuff like this.$

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