Remote employee asks HR to cover the $190 monthly cost of a mandated return-to-office commute, their response reveals exactly how much they value his time: 'Everyone has to get to work'

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Jul 14, 2026 1:00 PM EDT

Why (and when) does commute stop being personal time and start becoming work?

This story explains perfectly how I feel about RTO policies. A remote worker was asked to return to the office three times a week, which for him is a struggle since he lives 45 minutes away. After carefully doing the math, he asked HR to cover the daily commute he had to endure, with a monthly cost of $190. HR, as we can expect, declined his request and gave him the most vague answer ever.

I'm not against working at the office. On the contrary: I think we can all benefit from face-to-face interactions, and those beloved coffee breaks. The problem appears when the company, which had been working remotely for years now, expects people to shift their routine entirely just to fit the new policy. There's nothing wrong with wanting your employees back there: the issue arises when you cannot accommodate their demands.

Now, in the case of the employee, he requested the company to cover the money it costs him to commute three times a week, since it's an expense he was not considering. Of course, HR denied it and told him that everyone is responsible for the way they manage to get to the office. That's it: no other solution other than a vague and not helpful response.

The remote worker admits by the end that he wasn't expecting a "yes" from the company: he just wanted to test them. As he states at the bottom, he confirmed that all of those years of good work led him to standard replies and no help at all. I think we can learn that sometimes, the best approach when it comes to our place of work is just to accept what they give us and analyze for ourselves if it's worth it or not. 

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  • Employee discusses workplace requirements and commuting expenses following a return-to-office policy change.
    via Unsplash+ (via May Gauthier)

    Employee discusses workplace requirements and commuting expenses following a return-to-office policy change. 

    Image features a model for illustrative purposes.

  • figured i'd try something. we got mandated back three days a week, and my commute is 45 minutes each way, so i went to HR with a straightforward proposal.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • i said, look, you've made a business requirement that i be physically in a location. i'm happy to comply. the travel to satisfy that requirement costs me roughly 90 minutes a day and about $190 a month in gas and parking. so i'd like to discuss either a commuting stipend, or counting the travel as part of the working day, since it's now mandatory work- related travel.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • the response, and i'm paraphrasing only slightly, was that commuting is a personal expense and personal time, and that "everyone has to get to work."
    via Odd_Report6798
  • so let's be precise about what that means. the commute is mandatory when they need me in the building. it's personal when there's a bill attached. the exact same 90 minutes belongs to them when it comes to compliance and belongs to me when it comes to compensation, and the difference is decided entirely by which answer costs them less.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • it's not that i expected them to say yes. i knew they'd say no. i wanted the no on the record, in writing, so i'd stop wondering whether the years of good work had bought me any real standing, and now i know it bought me the standard reply.
    via Odd_Report6798

  • In the comment section, most Redditors agreed that the company was wrong in the answer they gave the employee. Most of them said that sometimes, they care more about policies than their employees. Also, a few of them suggested he should review his contract, because usually it states the expectations for RTO.

  • ABetterGreg This is why all costs and benefits need to be considered when getting a job. You could ask for a raise equivalent to the cost of commuting, including the value you place on your time. Or you could look for another job that better balances the income and benefits with the costs of working. Fortunately, for me, I am on a team that embraces WFH.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • sirsteveb Companies don't care about you. They care about your work. If you di today they will have your position advertised before your funeral notice is done
    via Odd_Report6798
  • Daily commuting costs have become a growing concern for workers facing return-to-office mandates.
    via Unsplash+ (via Paul Hanaoka)

    Daily commuting costs have become a growing concern for workers facing return-to-office mandates. 

    Individual shown is a model.

  • L05TB055 All companies don't give a sh about their employees. You are replaceable. They aren't going to mourn you for more than a few minutes if you di unexpectedly. They will not leave your position open because it "belonged to you". They are always looking at the bottom line and will replace you in a heartbeat
    via Odd_Report6798
  • SeatOpen 1 Unpaid and unnecessary 90 minute commute? Daily paid slack off time was just increased to 90 minutes.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • Much Essay_9151 Someone asked in our RTO meeting if we were going to be compensated and i had to struggle not to laugh. I already knew the answer
    via Odd_Report6798
  • wake4coffee I think paying for parking should be paid by the company. If the building doesn't have a dedicated parking lot for employees that is a business decision.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • Icy_Peace6993 There are actually some super- specific and formal rules about this, because it has to do with allowable mileage reimbursements for tax purposes. Basically, the commute to work is not a work-related expense, but if they required you to be somewhere outside of commuting difference, the travel to that location would be.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • xtnh friend of my son got a remote job, and said on hiring "I am accepting this in part because of the savings on commuting. I see it as a benefit. I want clause in my contract for a guaranteed raise to cover my costs If you decide to change the terms and require a commute." He got it.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • Inevitable-Volume896 I started FT in my office. Then I went to remote bc Co id and then hybrid now. I pay my own expenses. That being said, I pay 0 for my insurance and I am paid milage for company events outside working hours. If you started FT in office and for whatever reason went remote that expense is on you.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • muhkuller I bet you leave notes on things at work that start with "To Whom it May Concern..."
    via Odd_Report6798
  • Remote employee reviews company policies after being ordered back to the office.
    via Unsplash+ (via May Gauthier)

    Remote employee reviews company policies after being ordered back to the office. 

    Person depicted is a model.

  • DG_Templeton_3th I you are hired remote, I absolutely believe this is a valid fight to take up. We should normalize this across the board though. Commute pay would be nice.
    via Odd_Report6798
  • goodknight94 Welcome to power dynamics. There are no rules, only the illusion of rules.
    via Odd_Report6798

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