Working Mom Says She's Being Forced To Take A Pay Cut Due To Her Job's Return To Office Mandate
If she is forced back into the office, a huge chunk of her pay will go toward childcare.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock With countless companies ordering their employees to start returning to the office, many people are having to start rearranging commitments in their personal lives to accommodate the fact that they will no longer be able to work from home.
Such was the case for one working mother in particular, who aired her grievances in a since-deleted TikTok post, sharing how her company's return-to-office mandate meant a huge pay cut thanks to additional expenses incurred with a daily commute.
She's being forced to take a pay cut due to her job's return to office mandate.
The mom explained that she was quite emotional about her company's new mandate after being able to work from home for the last four-and-a-half years. The worst part is that she will, in essence, be taking a pay cut because now she has to shell out way too much money for childcare.
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"If you don't know, I have two kids. One's in daycare — don't have to worry about her. The other one is in elementary school. She's too young to be by herself, so now I have to pay for before and aftercare for her," she explained.
It doesn't take much to imagine how much her new expenses will be, considering that childcare costs in this country are exponential, and even with a job, many working parents simply can't afford it.
She pointed out that her company's return to office mandate is the same as a salary cut because she now has to pay for more childcare.
Many CEOs and other senior business executives seemingly have no idea how unsustainable it is to demand employees come back into the office after getting acclimated to the freedom and flexibility of working from home.
This doesn't take into account that some employees may depend on remote work because it is much easier to care for their children or maybe even an elderly family member. In many instances, return-to-office mandates are forcing women to quit because they can't afford to work.
Most employees forced back to the office end up being unhappier than if they were to stay remote.
According to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh, companies that issued return-to-office mandates to their employees experienced no improvement in financial performance, with 99% seeing a drop in employees’ overall job satisfaction.
When employees are essentially being forced to go back to the office, they don't tend to react positively to the disruption.
While it was necessary during the pandemic, companies that had their employees work remotely proved that it's possible and can be done even when there isn't a pandemic keeping people inside — and studies backed this up.
After that experience, it's no surprise that employees prefer the comforts of home over commuting every day. If they're parents, the benefits are twofold: They take home more money and can be more involved in their children's lives thanks to more flexible schedules.
A majority of working parents have to quit their jobs just to afford childcare.
In a report from the Bank of America Institute, the average household spent more than $700 a month on child care. At the same time, many families paying for child care are having to tap their savings while still being down on spending.
A report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), a philanthropy organization, found that 13% of children aged 5 and younger have had to see their families contend with job changes due to childcare issues. Those job changes, per the report, "include quitting a job, not taking a job or greatly changing a job in the previous year."
Similarly, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Population Survey shows that many working parents have reported dealing with childcare problems and having to miss work.
It's unfair that parents are being asked to choose between their jobs and their children, but it just proves how much of a disconnect there is between company executives and the employees who work for them.
While the upper echelons are given exorbitant salaries that can provide extensive childcare for their children, the employees who work beneath them are not afforded that same luxury because they aren't making nearly the same amount.
On top of that, they aren't receiving any resources or help from their bosses despite being forced to give up a chunk of their paychecks just so they won't get fired for refusing to return to the office.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.