Remote Worker Is Told They’re Required To Come Into The Office 5 Days A Week Despite The Rest Of The Team Working From Home 3 Days
Their boss's request might not have been as unreasonable as it seems.
Elnur / Shutterstock Return-to-office mandates are making news right now. It seems as though each day there's another company forcing its remote workers to return to in-person work.
One worker shared their own experience with being told to return to the office. However, TikTokers wondered if perhaps it was justified in this case.
A remote worker was told they had to return to the office five days a week, even though their colleagues only had to work in-office two days a week.
TikTok creator Ben Sweeny shares real stories of the strange things workers have gone through, in addition to satirizing corporate culture. In one such video, Sweeny is seen on screen acting the part of a boss.
“So, just a heads up, starting next week, I’m going to need you to start coming into the office five days a week,” he said. “No, this isn’t for the whole team,” he clarified. “This is just for you because you’re underperforming.”
He then explained that the company’s standard is to have employees only work in the office two days a week. However, the policy didn't apply to this particular worker.
“Yeah, I know our policy is two days a week, but that is contingent on actually doing good work. Two days a week is a privilege, a privilege that you no longer have unless you get your numbers back up,” he said.
Photo: Startup Stock Photos / Canva Pro
“Okay? So, starting next week, you’re in the office five days a week. Got it?” he finished.
The information Sweeny reenacted was certainly surprising. Just one employee was forced to return to the office every day while their co-workers worked remotely three out of five days.
Most TikTok users who commented on the video were not surprised by what they heard.
“This is totally acceptable,” one said. “Some people can’t self-manage.”
“If there’s actual metrics to show you are underperforming… yeah, this actually sounds reasonable,” another said.
However, not everyone agreed with the manager’s decision. “No, being singled out is not okay,” one person said. “I would involve HR and get it in email as much as possible.”
“Should have a conversation about why their numbers are low first,” said another person. “Then determine next steps.”
Return-to-office mandates are notoriously unpopular.
Some hold the opinion that forcing remote workers to return to the office is a good thing, at least in some cases. However, the practice is very unpopular.
The University of Pittsburgh conducted a study to determine job satisfaction among workers forced to return to the office. They found that companies that forced employees back into the office "experienced no improvement in financial performance [and] 99% of them saw a drop in employees’ overall job satisfaction."
Additionally, the University of Pittsburgh also looked at the reasons behind return-to-office mandates and found evidence that return-to-office mandates are not based on productivity but rather control.
Although return-to-office mandates are often presented as a way to increase productivity, it is not something enjoyed by employees, and it often doesn’t benefit them.
Nevertheless, underperformance has to be taken into account. If an employee truly seems to not be thriving at home, it may be a temporary solution.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.