Recently, the biggest of wigs swung by our satellite office for a visit. It was made clear to us that the expectation was for everyone to be on-site. I get it, they don’t want to make the effort of a visit to see a ghost town. Still, I declined to come in.
I made it clear as soon as the meeting was announced that I would work from home that day. I was pressured to come in. Word trickles down from the top from a few folks that we are expected to come in. My supervisor emailed to say we were expected to come in. I got permission to work from home and was later messaged by my supervisor’s boss that I was expected to come in. I again declined and in the end, I was told it was my choice. I expected a warning or reprimand of some sort, but that never came because…
The week after we had a spike of Covid cases. Six that I know of for sure and likely several more. Some team events were postponed due to several new cases.
So, thanks to all the businesses who prioritize safety over company image. The next time I decline to come in, I won’t be as polite.