I have worked for a big company (MA) for a little less than 9 years. The last 6 of which I worked remotely under a policy that left work location up to direct supervisors. The company went fully remote for the pandemic and have been slowly trying to bring employees back into the office for the past year or so.
Two years ago when everyone was still remote, I requested a remote exception allowing me to work remotely from another state where my family and I were relocating to help care for our elderly parents. The remote exception was approved with the caveat that It would need to be renewed every year. It was renewed again last year, but this year they changed the renewal date to the end of August this year.
My managers submitted my exception in June and the process seemed a little more complicated this time and there were rumblings that it would be harder to get an exception this year. I wasn’t too worried about it because I was a top performer in my group and had never had any issues with my performance.
About 3 weeks ago, I was pulled into a meeting with my a manager three levels above me and was told that my exception was not being renewed because the company wanted everyone back into the office permanently for the sake of the business. I was told I would be able to stay 6 months and then I would have to voluntarily leave the company. They said there would be no severance and that I would hear more details by the end of June.
I expected a package of information about the details of the next steps. Last week I received an email that again stated that my exception wasn’t being approved and that I would have to sign a linked statement of intent, that there were no appeals process and that we could send any questions via email to a generic HR dept email account.
The statement of intent link brought me to a survey (of all things!) that gave me two options 1) agree to come back to the office a certain number of days per month starting in September or 2) to agree to voluntarily resign at the end of the year.
I know I probably don’t have any legal claim since they didn’t renew my exception. But to make me voluntarily resign? I’m not agreeing to that!
I know in this day and age we cannot expect employers to act in the employees best interest, but when they tell us over and over that we’re Family and they care about us, and then drop this bomb on me, I feel like a schmuck for believing them. I’m a hard worker, a top performer in my group, I’m well liked, and never had any issues with anyone at the company. It just feels like they stabbed me in the back with this impersonal email and survey with no explanations about anything, and no one to go to for any additional details. I emailed the generic mail box with my concerns and have yet to hear back.
I spoke with my manager who didn’t blame me at all for how I felt, but there’s nothing they can do beyond give me as much time as I need to maintain my mental health. I couldn’t focus as all at work today and left early because of the anxiety I’m experiencing.
I’m the breadwinner in my family, we’re underwater on the house we bought two years ago and still have yet to pay off the 401k loan we took out for a down payment. There’s nothing I can do. I can’t afford to pack up my family and move back to where the office is located and I still need to be around for my aging parents.
Crossposting to r/employmentlaw