Employee with 3 years at company trains new coworker, realizes he's allowed to work from home while he has to stay in the office: 'I feel embarrassingly bitter'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Apr 17, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

Could you stay in a job where a less experienced colleague gets privileges that you don't?

In a just world, people who do a good job would be allowed to dictate their own working arrangements. Happy employees are also more likely to be productive ones, who care about the outcomes of their work and not just clocking in for the paycheck.

Nonetheless, it is often the case that managers and companies do not see the value in giving employees this kind of flexibility. For whatever reason, they want to be the ones in full control. This makes sense until some workers seem to get more preferential treatment than others. This is when things can become complicated.

As a general rule, employees will only have so much patience to stay in a role where they feel like their preferences are not respected. Seeing things go differently for their coworkers simply reinforces that. Although we can't all have our way at work every single time, it is only natural to look for a way out when it seems that job satisfaction is a priority for some, but not for others. It is exactly the kind of thing that makes people bitter at work.

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  • A male employee looks miserable as he works on a laptop in an office
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A male employee looks miserable as he works on a laptop in an office

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

  • An employee was tasked with remotely training the new hire on their team, who would be performing the same role as him. As a model worker, he felt like he was the obvious choice to help out in this case.

    He felt that everything was going well until he found out that this new colleague was working from home full time, as he lived nearly two hours away. The more experienced worker felt crushed, as he had been rejected for a hybrid working arrangement for the past year. His commute was difficult, and he felt that remote work would suit him better. It left him feeling increasingly antagonistic towards his job.

     

  • I had to train the new hire and then found out he got the remote setup I was denied for 2 years

    I've been with my company a little over three years. Same department, good reviews, never late, always the person people come to when something needs to be explained properly. For the past year I've been asking if I could work from home even just two days a week because my commute is awful and
    via GlitchQuiver_1
  • honestly kind of draining. Every single time I got the same answer. "We need consistency." "That arrangement isn't right for your role." "Maybe later."
    via GlitchQuiver_1
  • A month ago my manager asked me to help train a new guy who had just joined our team. Totally fine, I actually like onboarding people. I put together notes for him, walked him through our systems, showed him the weird little workarounds nobody writes down, all of that. He seemed nice, smart, a little overwhelmed, normal first week stuff.
    via GlitchQuiver_1
  • A shoeless man leans back in his chair as he works on a laptop at home
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A shoeless man leans back in his chair as he works on a laptop at home

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

  • Then during lunch he casually mentioned how glad he was that they let him stay fully remote because he lives almost two hours away. I genuinely thought I misheard him. I asked if he meant just for training and he said no, full time remote, plus a flexible start time because of traffic when he does come in once in a while for meetings.
    via GlitchQuiver_1
  • I just sat there smiling like an idiot while my brain was doing cartwheels.
    via GlitchQuiver_1
  • What really got me was that I had basically spent the week helping someone settle into the exact setup I'd been told was impossible for me. Same job. Same team. Less experience with our systems. I don't even blame him, good for him honestly, but it made me realize how much of the "policy" stuff at work is just whatever they feel like doing in the moment.
    via GlitchQuiver_1
  • Now I feel embarrasingly bitter every time I open Teams and see his little green dot pop up from home while I'm standing on a delayed train with coffee leaking through the lid. I haven't said anything yet because once I do, I probably can't pretend I don't know anymore.
    via GlitchQuiver_1
  • A male employee works on a laptop while sitting in an office
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A male employee works on a laptop while sitting in an office

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

  • Limp_Service_6886 Time to polish up your CV.
    via Limp_Service_6886
  • Tiger_Striped_Queen The only way you can get what you want is to leave. Your company already owns you, they don't feel you'll ever leave so why do anything special for you.
    via Tiger_Striped_Queen
  • Sort of like a toxic relationship where one side is unbalanced because the other believes they'll never leave.
    via Tiger_Striped_Queen
  • snowign Start working from home. When it gets brought up, act confused. "I was under the impression that my role had been approved for remote work. Our newest team member just finished training and is also remote. Is that incorrect? Should we still all be in office?"
    via snowign
  • ivegotafastcar I lasted 6 months after they did this to me. I stewed until I just couldn't. It was easier back then to get a new job though.
    via ivegotafastcar
  • jell236 You're the problem solver at your office. The person everyone needs there to help them do their job when they can't. If you were remote, you wouldn't be so accessible. I speak from experience.
    via jell236
  • Odd Welcome 7940 So why have you stayed? Are you actively seeking a new job? Time to leave or start making demands with real teeth and leverage
    via Odd_Welcome7940
  • Top-Campaign4620 I had manager like this and just resigned 2 weeks ago. New guys dont need experience or to come in. Guys who have been here have to be here every minute. Thats not how you keep people. If you leave the nrw guy will have to start coming in rite?) Lol so backwards
    via Top-Campaign4620
  • itmgr2024 They already know you know. Why wouldn't you. What are you going to do about it? Can you leave? Will you? If they don't want to give you the same accomodation they will give you every bulls excuse in the book. Three years is just about a good time to move on anyway.
    via itmgr2024
  • dbatknight Well that was your first mistake of training him. He only give them the bare minimum to get through the day that's it
    via dbatknight
  • Maleficent_Mirror_95 Do you both have the same titles? I'm more curious about new guys pay, wouldn't it be worse if he even gets higher pay? I left my last job because new hires with same titles (non-management) had more pay and I had to train them and be the acting deputy manager and taking on broader responsibilities.
    via Maleficent_Mirror_95
  • Crafty-Guest-2826 You have every right to be upset. Fulfill this training situation, do your best, smile, be helpful. When you are emotionally ready, talk to your manager/director. Unreal.
    via Crafty-Guest-2826

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employee working from home work coworkers workplace training
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