It never gets any easier letting someone go

[Brons2]

Even when they deserve it, it's hard.

This one definitely didn't deserve it, great worker, very knowledgeable.

But senior management decreed no more remote employees, come heck or high water.

Hopefully we don't get heck from it in the form of, some broken system nobody knows how to fix.

 

[Kira]

Are you referring to an employee who quit or was fired due to his not wanting to return to the office?

 

[cptbarkey]

Did they get severance?

 

[fdcg27]

Well, if the company mandated a return to office and this guy decided not to do so then it is on him.
Shame to have to discharge someone who is productive and valuable, but asking folks to actually come to work doesn't seem too outrageous.
The guy made a choice and the employer called his bluff.

 

[4wd]

Whatever this is - we are definitely heading to a mix of domestic direct hires, many services that can be remote going overseas - but what has surprised me is how easy it has been to scoop up consultants - many of them who took retirement between 55-60. These have become my “A Team” …

 

[4wd]

Well, if the company mandated a return to office and this guy decided not to do so then it is on him.
Shame to have to discharge someone who is productive and valuable, but asking folks to actually come to work doesn't seem too outrageous.
The guy made a choice and the employer called his bluff.

Yep, companies did not build billion dollar campuses to have folks do whatever they want to. Take it or leave it - I can’t - but some in my family do WFH …

 

[fdcg27]

Yep, companies did not build billion dollar campuses to have folks do whatever they want to. Take it or leave it - I can’t - but some in my family do WFH …

As a minor league boss, I could WFH as I pleased.
I can attest that the amount of W was very low FH.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Well, if the company mandated a return to office and this guy decided not to do so then it is on him.
Shame to have to discharge someone who is productive and valuable, but asking folks to actually come to work doesn't seem too outrageous.
The guy made a choice and the employer called his bluff.

Context is important. Imagine CEO tells you it's okay to move because for the future working from home will be the norm. You sell your house and move from California. 18 months later the new CEO says everyone has to come back to California.

 

[Dave Hess]

No company should BEG any employee to return to office.

Don’t follow the rules ?
Bye bye you’re fired !!!!

I fired about 14 employees over the years.
You follow the rules or get fired. Very simple concept.

 

[fdcg27]

Context is important. Imagine CEO tells you it's okay to move because for the future working from home will be the norm. You sell your house and move from California. 18 months later the new CEO says everyone has to come back to California.

Sure, but if you're an at-will employee, as most are you don't have much recourse.
Best course of action might be to find a pied a terre close to the job to live in while you search for another position.

 

[4wd]

As a minor league boss, I could WFH as I pleased.
I can attest that the amount of W was very low FH.

Yep, lots of companies had IT install software to “monitor work”and it was mixed - so like always the honest take the hit …
But perhaps that’s what you want the next gen to be around !

 

[fdcg27]

Yep, lots of companies had IT install software to “monitor work”and it was mixed - so like always the honest take the hit …
But perhaps that’s what you want the next gen to be around !

It is so easy to spoof that sort of software that those who are caught deserve to be.

 

[ecotourist]

I had 2 employees who worked from home. They were good employees but were not part of the team and other employees had to do parts of their work. After some discussion I decreed no more remote work.

One decided to come into the office to work and the other chose to leave. People make choices.

 

[daves87rs]

No company should BEG any employee to return to office.

Don’t follow the rules ?
Bye bye you’re fired !!!!

I fired about 14 employees over the years.
You follow the rules or get fired. Very simple concept.

I think folks tend to forget who is in charge.

Want your own rules? Start your own business! Seen a few of my friends go for just that , and they seem to be doing just fine….

 

[slo town]

Context is important. Imagine CEO tells you it's okay to move because for the future working from home will be the norm. You sell your house and move from California. 18 months later the new CEO says everyone has to come back to California.

People were told they could WFH. Problem is many decided they could move away from corporate headquarters while they WFH, without any consideration that they might have to eventually return to the office. Really foolish of those who packed up and moved.

Scott

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

People were told they could WFH. Problem is many decided they could move away from corporate headquarters while they WFH, without any consideration that they might have to eventually return to the office. Really foolish of those who packed up and moved.

Scott

Not always foolish to move when the CEO says free to move.

 

[Leo99]

People were told they could WFH. Problem is many decided they could move away from corporate headquarters while they WFH, without any consideration that they might have to eventually return to the office. Really foolish of those who packed up and moved.

Scott

My company required approval for employees to move away from HQ. Many moved after they got approval. Kind of hard to now require the ones that didn't move to return to the office. I've been WFH for 7 years and I'm very lucky that it worked out.

 

[Sedin26]

I started WFH in 2020 and never went back to the office. I took a different job in August of 2024, working at an office downtown, but the company closed the office in October 2025 and I have been at home again since then.

WFH greatly increases my quality of life, with no commute, more time at home with family, etc....I am also way more productive not having to deal with office politics, etc...

If I don't do my work, it becomes obvious soon enough. It's never been a problem. If I were to have a new manager who was too intrusive in terms of wanting to know at all times where I was...I would simply get a different job.

 

[slo town]

Not always foolish to move when the CEO says free to move.

I may be a retired Silicon Valley type, but I still have many connections up there. No one I know who was granted WFH privileges was told it was okay to move out of the area. Not one. Also too, WFH was a “privilege” in my company.

Scott

 

[02SE]

If you work for someone else, it's wise to remember that the situation can and often does change.

So keep your options open.