I'll provide some context. I started a job last November in a subsidiary of very big company. This job offer explicitly offered me to work from home, telling me that at some point down the line it's possible everyone comes back to the office. The offices for this subsidiary are 2h away from my house using public transport (I don't have a car), and in the case of having to go to the office daily I'd go to the main company headquarters building that is just 20 minutes away from my house.
So, the situation is that tomorrow they organised a company wide meeting for the subsidiary. This means that they are asking me to come to the building that is 2 hours away from my house. Now, my schedule normally is 7:30am to 5pm, this meeting would be from 4:30pm to 7pm.
This meeting will be accessible to everyone who doesn't live in this city through online means. On one side I can see value in going to meet face to face with team members, but tbh I don't feel the need to. On the other hand, I not only don't want to spend that much time on transport for a meeting that is probably just some corporate bs stuff (the only attractive aspect of it would be seeing coworkers) but also I don't want to establish the precedent that I am willing to go all the way to the office for events of this kind when my acceptance of this job was conditional to the fact I could always use the offices that are near me.
What should I do? Should I suck it up and go to this meeting to then arrive home at 9pm? Effectively having a work shift of 12+ hours with no extra pay for the extra hours?
Or should I low-key stand my ground and not establish the precedent that I am willing to travel that distance, outside of work hours I might add, for something that doesn't really require my physical presence?
(Low key because I wouldn't be rubbing it in anyone's face or anything of the sort, I don't have to inform anyone I won't be attending, I'll just join online)
What do u guys think?