Fully remote childless boss demands hybrid employee RTO full-time, despite having a child she needs to pick up from school early: 'That’s your problem to figure out. Your child doesn’t work for the company, you do.'

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Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Aug 15, 2026 12:00 PM EDT

Why is working one day remotely such a big deal?

I'm not one of those people who think everyone should be working all the time remotely. I think it works for some people, especially those who are late in their careers and those who live far from their company's location. For a lot of young people, I think it can be kind of damaging to not have to leave their house in the morning for years and years on end. It doesn't help establish great habits unless they are particularly disciplined, which most people in their early and mid-twenties aren't. 

Although working fully remotely isn't always the best, I don't have any problem with a hybrid schedule. I think working a hybrid schedule can optimize productivity because it's easier to get certain things done at home than at the office. You can do your laundry and meet with your boss who works overseas at the same time! You can pick your kid up from school on your lunch break instead of sitting in the office scrolling on Twitter. 

Reddit user u/RunningMan87 recently took to Reddit to share her conundrum. Her boss works entirely from home, but she is expected to forgo her one remote day a week and return to the office full-time. Does her boss really think that this is going to make her a harder worker? If you ask me, I think that he boss is trying to get her to quit by taking away her privileges. Did I mention that she has parenting responsibilities on Fridays? She needs to pick her child up from school on the occasional early dismissal days, but her boss does not care in the slightest. I am grateful that I don't work for this company! They don't seem to care about their employees. 

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  • Stressed-out mom works at the office on Fridays, even though she used to be able to work from home on Fridays.
    via Ahmet Kurt (Unsplash+)

    Stressed-out mom works at the office on Fridays, even though she used to be able to work from home on Fridays. 

    Image shown for illustrative purposes; person depicted is a model.

  • Fully remote boss wants me to return to the office full-time, even though I'm working from the office 4 days a week

    I work hybrid (4-days in the office) for a corporation. My boss is fully remote in another state. Today, he demanded I come in 5- days a week instead. I asked him what changed, he said he needed me full time in office.
    via u/RunningMan87
  • I explained I have a child I need to pick up form school on early dismissal days. He doesn't have a family, and said, "Well, that's your problem to figure out. Your child doesn't work for the company, you do."
    via u/RunningMan87
  • I'm assuming this is just his way to get me to quit so he doesn't need to fire me. God, I hate corporations.
    via u/RunningMan87
  • Subspace1011 Don't quit. Let him fire you. Just keep on doing what you're doing. Family should always be first. Job will replace you anyway if they really want.
    via u/Subspace1011
  • Shivin302 You'll be surprised how long you can get away with saying yes sir then going on 4 days a week anyway
    via u/Shivin302
  • allthenamesaretaken4 My current job went from full wfh to hybrid 2 in / 3 wfh, and then a year in we had a director change, and that director insisted that everyone does 8:30-5 whereas I was doing 7-4 on my in days. I did not change my schedule at all, and have never heard anything about it.
    via u/allthenamesaretaken4
  • MasticatingElephant Because you are already there by the time they get in and they probably never work a full day. They will never notice if you don't give them a reason to check.
    via u/MasticatingElephant
  • RunningMan87 OP They track our badges, and do weekly reports to the department heads (ie. My boss). This place is full dystopia.
    via u/RunningMan87
  • SullyFatCat Just do it anyway. Then agree with your boss, whatever they say. Then do whatever you want.
    via u/SullyFatCat
  • Spoolx21 My company is full of bosses who work from home while the rest of us have to be in the office.
    via u/RunningMan87
  • JoefromOhio My wife is the only person in her team who isn't fully remote and the only reason is because her direct boss was on mat leave when she was promoted to her role and the corporate idiots insisted she go in. Her entire team reports out of Chicago... we live in Long Beach, CA. She would spend an 1.5 hours a day driving to the Irvine office where no one she is connected to ever works to swipe her badge then come right back home. Her boss finally came back and my wife is back to remote.
    via u/JoefromOhio
  • ProblemAlternative55 That's crazy. It's like there's no brain activity in these corporate drones. The same kind of drones are forcing me to go to the office at least 2 days a week for "collaboration" but none of the people I work with are in that office but spread-out in offices through the globe. I just go so I can be on Teams meetings all day and waste time going and coming back from the office.
    via u/ProblemAlternative55
  • vetratten If he's saying 5 days a week... Have you thought of malicious compliance as a compromise? Instead of 9-5 (or whatever hours) you normally would do in office those 4 days, go in at 9....and leave at noon and work from home 4 hours. You said in a comment they were tracking swipes....but are they counting hours or just counting days in office?
    via u/vetratten
  • My previous role at my current company had a director try to pull that sh (and I was the only one on my team in that office) and he tracked swipe in's so instead of three full days in office I would do 5 days a week but literally would wake up, drive to the office swipe in and leave and be home by 9am to log on. If I had an early call I'd take it then leave.
    via u/vetratten
  • RunningMan87 OP They do count hours, but I hear it's only if you do less than 4-hours a day in the office that you get flagged. That may just be a rumor around us worker ants though, and we haven't heard that directly from HR.
    via u/RunningMan87
  • vetratten So test it. Leave every day at lunch one week and see if they say anything. Still log back on at home so they can't argue you stole time. Then one day go in and leave less than 4 hours one day. Again see if anything is said. If at any point something gets said just say "an emergency came up and since you weren't in the office I didn't think to say something to you since I still was at home and logged in and working."
    via u/vetratten
  • nemofbaby2014 If you do anything that's not your responsibility stop doing that immediately
    via u/nemofbaby2014
  • RemarkableSpread1888 That line is so vile. He is in a new state at home all day, no kids, and tells a mum to sort it out. Has no clue how hard it is to hold a job and be there for your kid at the same time.
    via u/RemarkableSpread1888
  • khauska He just doesn't care.
    via u/khauska

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return to office remote school remote work employee work toxic workplace parenting childless workplace hybrid mom children workplace story
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