I Quit Taking Job Calls on Weekends—Now HR Has Everyone Furious

Whether you prefer remote or office work, recent trends according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics have shown a push towards remote and hybrid work lifestyles. In this story, Jane wanted to push for a remote work life, but it all backfired later on.

Jane’s struggle at work.

Dear Bright Side,

I’ve been working as an accountant for 2 months. I wanted to work remotely with more flexible hours, but my boss refused. When I got calls on the weekend, I said, “I can’t work outside office hours.” The next day, I received an email from HR saying that I was going to shift to remote work.

My co-workers in the department had a similar email. We would work remote, but with longer weekday hours since weekends would now be off-limits. Suddenly, my coworkers weren’t happy with the change, and I became the scapegoat for forcing the company to go fully remote. Now, there’s talk about returning to the office, and I’m caught in the middle of the backlash.

What should I do?

Sincerely,
Jane G.

It was your personal request, not everyone’s.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Jane. When you asked to work remotely, it was only a request done by you, not the team. HR dragging everyone else to a remote work style is not your problem. You did what you wanted for your comfort. If your co-workers are bothering you about it, you can simply tell them you only requested it for yourself.

It’s likely a company decision and out of your hands.

If the company is refusing to go back to an in-office working environment, then it’s likely not due to your request. They might’ve felt that letting employees work remotely saves up more money on office room rentals. Plus, they could’ve also done their own assessment and found that people are more productive in a remote working space instead.

You can find a more hospitable work place elsewhere.

Fortunately for you, accounting and finance jobs remain in-demand. You’ll find lots of other companies comfortably working remotely. You’ll have a more peaceful work environment and won’t have to worry about any bad blood in the team.

Whether you prefer to work remotely or in the office, everyone’s ideal work environment is different. Some may prefer working with a manager close by, others prefer to be curled up with their laptop next to their pet cat. While the latter sounds amazing, a remote job still requires nerves of steel, just look at these stories proving that.