Hello bright side,
I am a 100% remote employee. Last week, my boss ordered me to start working from the office. every day.
“But I live 3 hours away!” I tried to explain. “Yes? What do you want me to do, send you a helicopter?” He replied. I just smiled…
The next day, I arrived at the office before him. 7:30 am. I looked like I had just survived a long flight, minus the vacation. I just spent three hours driving, barely woke up, holding two energy drinks…
When he arrived and saw me there, he raised an eyebrow. “I already succeeded” He said. “It’s good to see some dedication.” She smiled weakly “Oh, I’m so loyal.”
Then I handed him the file. He froze when he discovered what it was: my weekly expense report, neatly printed and carefully highlighted: fuel receipts, highway tolls, and mileage reimbursement policy. At the bottom, the total stood out: enough to fund a small vacation.
“What is this?” He blinks. “Company Policy” I said quietly. “You’ve asked me to work from the office full time, so I’ll need to recoup my travel costs. It’s all by the book.”
He didn’t say anything. But HR did so the next day. They called him in for a chat about “reasonable working conditions.” That afternoon, I received an email: “Due to the commuting distance, remote work arrangements will continue as originally agreed upon.”
I’m now back to working from home, at least officially. But since that incident, things have not been the same. No matter how hard I try, he always seems to find a way to make me feel like I’m not giving enough, like my work somehow carries less weight because I’m not sitting under the same fluorescent lights as him.
Every comment and every email seemed like a quiet reminder that in his eyes I was falling short, not in results, but in attendance. Honestly, I’m not sure how to bridge that gap anymore.
– Paula
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