I just need to vent, because I was absolutely devastated when I heard this news today. I work for a government agency and we’ve been working from home successfully for the last two years due to the pandemic. Now that things are going back to normal, our union has negotiated a pilot program to allow certain sectors and departments to continue working from home full time or in a hybrid mode if the supervisors are okay with it. The arrangement has to be approved and renewed every three months.
My boss has allowed our sector to remain working from home, however I’ve been forced to commute to the office everyday since March in order to train new employees. I’m STILL here in the office because every new employee we’ve hired has quit to take a better job within 1-2 weeks of starting the job. So I’ve been stuck here in the office while we keep repeating the hiring process over and over again. My boss told us we would likely be back home October 1st, so I’ve been gritting my teeth and trying to get through this Hell until then.
But today my boss announced that our governing entity wants to do away with the work from home program and force EVERYONE back to the offices. Our union is trying to negotiate with them. When I heard this, I was immediately filled with dread. I almost broke down crying right there. I live an hour away from my office. I commute 90 miles a day round trip with gas costing $5 a gallon and along with the the cost of buying lunch at the office everyday. The expenses of commuting and working at the office add up FAST. I’ve almost maxed out my credit card because of it, and the balance keeps growing faster than I can pay it down. I only get to see my son for a couple of hours in the evening after work and I’m EXHAUSTED. I don’t have time to take care of my house or even just enjoy my home, and I don’t have the time or energy to be a good mother. And since I’m a single parent with NO support system, I’m not able to practice ANY self-care. My mental health has really declined this year because of this. When I was working from home, my finances were great, I had plenty of disposable income, I was able to take care of my home, I was able to exercise during the day and FINALLY work on losing weight, I was getting many more hours of sleep at night, and I had more time to be a mother. If we are forced to come back to the office permanently, I will NEVER get that credit card balance down, I will be financially broke for a long time, I will never get to be in good physical shape again, I will have to commute 90 miles everyday when the roads are covered in snow and ice again, I’ll be too exhausted to be a good mother, and my entire life will revolve around driving and living in that fucking office.
I cannot describe the feelings of pure dread and hopelessness I feel knowing I may be stuck in that office for the next 25 years. I can’t do this, I just can’t!!!!