New Boss Wants People Back In The Office 5 Days A Week, Gets Resignation Letters Instead
Working from home has been a godsend for many companies over the past few years. It has allowed us to save time and money by eliminating commutes, adopt new pets that we were able to spend all day with, and spend more quality time with our families. Perhaps you’re even working from home right now as you browse Bored Panda wearing pajama pants that won’t be seen on your Zoom calls (don’t worry, we won’t tell). The work from home lifestyle has benefitted countless employees, and as one company recently found out, it has even become non-negotiable for some.
Earlier this week, a Twitter user named D shared that his new manager at work decided everyone must begin working in the office five days a week. Apparently, employees weren’t thrilled about that announcement, as a flood of them responded by quitting. Below, you can read D’s tweet, as well as some of the responses, and decide how you feel about this manager’s decision. We’d love to hear how you would react to this situation in the comments, and then if you’re looking for another Bored Panda piece touching on working from home, check out this story next.
One man sparked a discussion on Twitter by sharing that many of his colleagues quit after their new manager eliminated the option to work from home
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Many readers responded calling out the manager and listing the many benefits remote work can yield
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It may sound drastic for employees to choose resignation over working in an office, but it’s actually become quite common for people to value remote work. In fact, a recent survey from Zippia found that only 11% of employees don’t consider having the option to work from home important. The other 89% view having to work in an office every day as a serious downside or a deal breaker. When it comes to those searching for a new job, flexibility is extremely important. It was actually the most desirable benefit for respondents, even slightly surpassing health insurance. Over 50% of workers also said that their ideal work environment would be remote. It’s clear that for many employees, the benefits of working from home have made an impact on them.
A flexible work environment is not only appealing for employees, though. Companies have plenty of reasons to allow remote work, from increased productivity to increased retention rates. Employees also often note the mental health benefits of being able to work from the comfort of their own homes, including a reduction in stress, which in turn increases company morale. Even if an employer only cares about profits, allowing workers to stay home can save companies big bucks too. According to Global Workplace Analytics, the average employer in the US can save around $11,000 per remote worker annually. These savings can be attributed to companies requiring less office space and equipment, employees calling out less often, an increase in productivity, and a reduction in turnover rates.
The discussion about this particular manager may have Twitter divided, but it seems that there’s no harm in allowing the option for remote work. I would venture to say that this company was probably more productive allowing remote work than it will be as it scrambles to hire a herd of new employees. The office can still be there for those who prefer getting out of the house, but some employees know they are much more productive and happier when working from home. How do you feel about remote work vs. commuting to an office? We’d love to hear about your current work situation in the comments!
However, some readers were on the manager’s side, defending their decision to work in the office
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i get so much more done at home and don't feel as burned out as i did when going into the office. i hardly ever take any days off anymore because people aren't trying to micro-manage me and that stressed me out.
Exactly!! I haven't taken a mental health day at all since I've been WFH. I used to have to do it often before this.
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No, they won’t be able to replace everyone by Monday, unless they are paying significantly above market. The hiring market is very tight right now and the prospective employee currently has leverage. Their leverage means they can ask for thing like wfh and more money. The jobs won’t get filled or will be filled by less qualified people. As for the people bleating that wfh is for lazy people, studies show that for office jobs, wfh is more productive. Effective managers can manage wfh if their kpis aren’t just butt in seat, I suspect that many managers and executives fins that if there aren’t people following them around, nodding and saying how great they are, they don’t have a purpose.
Many employers don't care about qualifications. They say they do but they just want low ballers
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To all managers that complain about productivity and laziness when employees do WFH: Don't you have KPIs/deadlines/process controls/whatever? When your only KPI is "sitting at a desk in the office 9-5" then WFH isn't clearly working for you.
Of course WFH isn't working for them (managers). Those managers wouldn't be pushing people back to the office it it were.
Load More Replies... i get so much more done at home and don't feel as burned out as i did when going into the office. i hardly ever take any days off anymore because people aren't trying to micro-manage me and that stressed me out.
Exactly!! I haven't taken a mental health day at all since I've been WFH. I used to have to do it often before this.
Load More Replies... No, they won’t be able to replace everyone by Monday, unless they are paying significantly above market. The hiring market is very tight right now and the prospective employee currently has leverage. Their leverage means they can ask for thing like wfh and more money. The jobs won’t get filled or will be filled by less qualified people. As for the people bleating that wfh is for lazy people, studies show that for office jobs, wfh is more productive. Effective managers can manage wfh if their kpis aren’t just butt in seat, I suspect that many managers and executives fins that if there aren’t people following them around, nodding and saying how great they are, they don’t have a purpose.
Many employers don't care about qualifications. They say they do but they just want low ballers
Load More Replies... To all managers that complain about productivity and laziness when employees do WFH: Don't you have KPIs/deadlines/process controls/whatever? When your only KPI is "sitting at a desk in the office 9-5" then WFH isn't clearly working for you.
Of course WFH isn't working for them (managers). Those managers wouldn't be pushing people back to the office it it were.
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