As companies scrambled to comply with lockdowns and social distancing policies during Covid, many discovered the benefits that come with remote work. But not all of them.
In a post on r/MaliciousCompliance, Reddit user Ball-Realistic explained that even though they could have easily completed their duties from their home office, management insisted on employees being physically present at the workplace.
However, their stubbornness backfired when Ball-Realistic got sick at a particularly busy time and decided to play by the same rules.
This employee had no choice but to take a day off when they got mildly sick because management didn't let them work from home
Image credits: insidecreativehouse/Envato elements (not the actual photo)
However, the company soon regretted their decision
Image credits: Ball-Realistic
There's a myriad of ways employers can damage an otherwise good atmosphere
Most of us spend 81,396 hours of our life working. Since we dedicate that much time to it, we have to at least try and find a professional space that doesn't feel like it's sucking the joy out of us.
Whether it's one day per week, two, or more, some businesses have been recently observed to use remote work opportunities to try and hide other corporate issues. This doesn't necessarily mean that our Redditor's employers are doing it, but some bosses think they can fool their staff this way.
"Just because a company offers remote work, does not guarantee a positive work environment," Toni Frana, Lead Career Expert at FlexJobs told Bored Panda in a statement. "With work-from-home models now a permanent fixture for many organizations, it's critical that today's professionals can recognize the most prevalent pitfalls and warning signs of a toxic workplace."
Image credits: LightFieldStudios/Envato elements (not the actual photo)
According to the team at FlexJobs, here are the ten biggest remote workplace red flags to know in 2024:
Image credits: ckstockphoto/Envato elements (not the actual photo)
"By building awareness of these common red flags, we hope professionals can make more informed decisions about their employment opportunities and prioritize their career goals, healthy work-life balance, and overall well-being," Frana said.
As the story went viral, its author provided more information on the whole ordeal in the comments
Some people shared their own similar experiences
And folks have had a lot of strong reactions to such a blatant display of corporate stubbornness
