u/Secret_Tart5864

EDIT TO ADD: I asked for my last day to be on the 10th and she asked for me to please stay until the 15th.

My corporate job was fully remote job for several years and about 9 months ago, they required us to come back in 5 days a week(with no flexibility) I put my 2 week notice in on July 1 at said job. I will officially be working through the 15th and starting new job on the 16th.

Is it reasonable to work from home during this final week and a half? My commute has been hell and I have some personal things at home that are really making the 5 days in brutal. If so, is it expected that I tell my boss I will be working from home? How would you phrase it?

EDIT TO ADD: I asked for my last day to be the 10th, she asked if I could please stay through the 15th.

My corporate job was fully remote job for several years and about 9 months ago, they required us to come back in 5 days a week(with no flexibility) I put my 2 week notice in on July 1 at said job. I will officially be working through the 15th and starting new job on the 16th.

Is it reasonable to work from home during this final week and a half? My commute has been hell and I have some personal things at home that are really making the 5 days in brutal. If so, is it expected that I tell my boss I will be working from home? How would you phrase it?

I work for a very large company headquartered in my city, and I’m looking for advice because I feel so depressed and stuck.

I was originally hired as a contractor. All contractors are remote, and at the time my division was fully remote as well. Leadership told us they were building a dedicated office space because our team didn’t fit in the main corporate headquarters.

A few months into my contract, I was encouraged to apply for a full-time role. I accepted and became a full-time employee. A few months later, the company conducted a massive layoff and on the very same day, announced that our division would be required to return to the office 5 days a week starting in about a month.

Management initially told us the return-to-office plan would be “staggered,” but in reality it was two weeks at 4 days in office and then immediately to 5 days. There is no WFH policy whatsoever. When I asked my manager about occasional remote days, I was essentially told no, except for rare circumstances that come up every few months. We have also been repeatedly reminded that we are not allowed to leave before 4:00 PM, even on Fridays, in order to “protect our flexibility.” I’ve received multiple messages from my manager reminding me not to leave earlier than that.

What makes it worse is that the office itself. Leadership spent years hyping up this new space but there is no coffee, no vending machines, no quiet rooms, no outdoor seating, and the building is poorly maintained. The toilets overflow, the walls are bare, there is no furniture or decor, and there’s not a single place to sit for a second outside. Meanwhile, the corporate headquarters across the street has a gym, multiple cafeterias, a Starbucks, and so much more.

This schedule has become really difficult. My fiancé also works in-office five days a week, travels for work, and often doesn’t get home until 7 or 8 PM. We have two dogs and live in a city with terrible traffic. We need some flexibility in our lives.

I want to leave(I don’t even like my actual job or this company) but I don’t know how. Job searching while working in this environment feels almost impossible. There is zero privacy. We don’t have quiet rooms, and you can hear conversations through the walls. The only semi-private area is an unused floor that other people have started using for the same reason.

I tried taking an introductory interview call during lunch, and two people walked into the room while I was talking. It completely threw me off and i bombed the interview. Given how many interview rounds companies require these days, I genuinely don’t understand how people manage a job search while working this schedule. Most recruiters schedule calls during business hours, not before 9 AM. Taking calls from my car isn’t realistic because it’s extremely hot where I live and my car is loud when running.

I feel trapped. I’m miserable, my mental health is horrible, and I don’t know how to find a new job while working in an environment that makes interviewing so difficult.

Has anyone successfully gotten out of a situation like this?