The battle to get employees to return to the office endures, with many companies now mandating remote workers show up in person or face termination.
For one TikToker, the proposition came with a very unusual twist: Her employer told her to return to the office, even though they could not provide a seat for her to work in.
In a viral video that has amassed over 70,000 views, user Britt (@Bflesher) explained that she received a letter from her company detailing its plans for workers to return to the office. Apparently, workers were scheduled to return to work on the day that their assigned buildings would be ready, even if they weren’t outfitted with a place to sit.
“I just got an email saying, ‘If you are getting this email, it’s because you are assigned to this building, and you don’t have an assigned seat because we don’t have enough seats,'” the message allegedly read. “‘You can figure out accommodations with your manager.'”
@bflesher the corporate fuckery literally never ends!!! #corporatelife #corporatetiktok #amazonsucksclub #workfromhomelife #returntooffice ♬ original sound – britt
The TikToker acknowledged she already had every intention of working remotely for as long as possible because she was assigned to a building in Seattle, even though she lives in Portland, but the fact that she wouldn’t have a seat at her job should she return in person perplexed her.
“They are still expecting me to come into work?” she questioned. “To work from the office where I don’t have a seat, and I have to battle having to find a seat. Instead of just letting me work from home like I have been doing for three years.”
Many workers in the comments section shared similar, frustrating experiences.
“We went desk sharing,” one user commented. “So now I have to reserve a desk and conference rooms to be in all day to talk to people on screens which I could do from home.”
“Our CEO sent us an email telling us we must start going into the office 3 days out of the week to build comradery,” another wrote. “Also parking is $45 and not comped.”
However, many others say their companies have embraced remote work as their new normal.
“Got a remote job with a company that specifically does not have an office anywhere in the world and could not easily by one,” user Jas commented.
“I’m on the other end,” one user said. “My company just retired their leases across the country and us 100% remote permanently.”
Though some CEOs and studies have reported that employees working remote has negatively impacted workplace relationships and productivity, many companies have still opted to keep a hybrid structure where workers both work online and in-office. Nonetheless, many have begun to demand employees spend more time in-person, prompting backlash.
One worker, TikToker Amber Kacherian (@amberkacherian), went viral after mulling over what to do with the remainder of her time in-office because she says she finishes her work within two hours at home. In another short clip, user @journeywithrosie shot back at content creators who work from home and complain they don’t have much to do, arguing that’s the reason why employers want people to return to the office.
The Daily Dot reached out to user @bflesher for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
