Long post
The context: Our company moved to remote like many companies in 2020. In 2024 we got a new CEO who from the very first day would make quips about how much he liked seeing “so many people in the office” (for a party that they pay people to travel in for btw).
The moment I put in a request for a remote contract (under UK law this is something many workers do to resist RTO) the CTO rushes an announcement that we’re expected to do quarterly meetings in-office, including staff who live so far they commute by plane for social events, including for staff who are full time carers who NEED to be at home.
The whole process stinks of corruption, vile snake oil tactics, and coercion to make me negotiate myself into a shitty position. They Know they told remote staff their hybrid contract was to allow for occasional voluntary office working and the expectation was “never coming”, but when challenged they both played dumb (my manager was in my interview btw he knows the fucking score). They’re hoping people ignore the message and thus implicitly accept the change of conditions.
I’m just so fucking mentally exhausted already. I’m constantly on edge with every meeting, nitpicking every little comment in my mind worried that the company that I was happy working at for 3 years is turning into a toxic and competitive-ridden shithole over some ideologically-driven shareholder bullshit. I TOLD people this was coming and I was discarded. I TOLD people what would happen. I am spoken to like I’m a silly idealistic kid despite being near my 30s. I know how this shit works, fucking LISTEN to me.
I have a union, and my rep has been great (albeit busy because she’s a volunteer wobbly 🌐⚒️) but I hate how corporate snakes play themselves as pragmatic when they’re the ones who change the goalposts and decide you are the one not playing along. Fuck you. I did good work, I do good work. Let me get on in peace.
Yeah same here had a ceo change and my relatively chill job has turned into hell. I sure to love having panic attacks nearly every day and waking up at 6am for my 2 hour commute to the dingiest darkest shittiest office packed shoulder to shoulder with the intent purpose of driving me insane. Pointless KPIs more meetings than ever before while they expect me to churn out more work in an office where I can barely hear myself think because dickhead McGee sitting next to me is yelling down his mic all day at his team that hates his guts.
My theory has always been it’s the managers realising they are fundamentally useless since most teams self manage much better than some megalomaniac weirdo breathing down your neck ever will.
My theory has always been it’s the managers realising they are fundamentally useless since most teams self manage much better than some megalomaniac weirdo breathing down your neck ever will.
i agree to some extent with this assessment. the move to fully remote after covid exposed middle management as a solution without a problem. but also don’t underestimate the fact that the C suite of any company hate us and want us to suffer, so RTO is its own end in one sense
RTO is just another way for layoffs but they don’t have to pay unemployment, this is why they love that shit
This is what I’m thinking too. Though in the UK there is the concept of constructive dismissal (ie. exactly what you describe, but includes stuff like bullying, discrimination etc.) which is often a route to battling this bullshit (or getting a payout after)
