r/InterviewAssistant

I work in digital marketing, and I'm stuck having to go into the office from Monday to Thursday, from 8:30 to 5:30. A few days ago, I wasn't feeling well, and since my manager was traveling and the assistant manager wasn't there either, I got approval to work from home. The difference in quality of life was honestly unreal. I opened Canva on my laptop, opened the company platform and photo library, checked my email, and that was it. Ready to work.

It was a very smooth workday from home. I was able to put on a load of laundry, go down to Target to get a few things I needed, and make a real lunch without having to inhale it in 10 minutes. I ate at the dining table without phones ringing and people constantly coming in and out for no reason. Now I'm back in the office, surrounded by coworkers who won't stop chatting, random noise, pointless questions, and the constant sound of someone messing around with the microwave. I've been here 40 minutes and my mood has already gotten worse.

So it makes me wonder: why are business owners so determined to drag people into the office every day, when the work can very clearly be done from home? I just can't wrap my head around it at all.

The remote employee is almost never at his desk. He responds to messages hours later, if he responds at all. Calls usually go unanswered. He misses meetings or joins late, and then doesn't follow up afterward. Deadlines are treated as if they're just suggestions, and tasks stay stuck unless someone keeps chasing him several times.

The difficult part is that I only have documentation for 3 missed meetings, 2 clear examples of work that was left undone, and 3 instances where he was unavailable at odd times even though he was supposed to be working. I've only been at the company for 4 months, so I'm still trying to understand the history of the issue as well.

In a one-on-one, I tried to talk to him about the pattern and what needed to change, but instead of hearing me out, he became defensive and argumentative.

Then in the follow-up meeting where I shared the PIP document, he refused to acknowledge it and said he would sue the company. Honestly, I wasn't expecting things to escalate this quickly, and now I'm wondering if I handled something incorrectly.

I'm asking the other managers here - how would you have handled this situation differently?