Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

For years, working from home was seen as a luxury. But after the pandemic forced companies into remote operations, it quickly became a new normal—and a preferred one for many. Now, some businesses are struggling to reconcile their desire to return to pre-pandemic norms with a workforce that’s grown wise to its rights and expectations.

One Reddit user recently shared a cautionary tale about what happens when leadership ignores that shift. In a post picked up by Bored Panda, the former team lead at a major food delivery app explained how a rigid return-to-office policy backfired spectacularly—and cost the company most of its team.


Remote work was working

The story begins with a team that had adapted beautifully to remote life.

"The entire team had been working from home since the start of the pandemic and had a bunch of remote-only people join," they wrote. "They were spread across several time zones, but we made it work because we thought this was how things were going to be going forward."

Operations were running smoothly, morale was high, and many workers had even relocated based on the company’s assurances that remote work was here to stay. But then leadership abruptly shifted course.

Some people can't stand empty seats

"After making several billion dollars from people like us working from home and ordering delivery... the entire C-suite decided that COVID was pretty much over... and that we would all be heading back to the office part-time, gradually increasing to full time."

The kicker? Many employees were hired as fully remote workers and didn’t live near any company offices.

Workers havings an online meeting. Representative Image: The work-from-home tools get the job done, even if you still can't find the mute button. Canva

"Those in cities without an office, even though they were hired as remote workers, were expected to come up with a 1-year plan about how they were going to move without any assistance or compensation."

Things came to a head during a company-wide town hall. One brave employee asked if exceptions would be made for remote hires who had no intention—or ability—to relocate. The CEO’s answer made jaws drop.

"If you want to work from home, go work somewhere else."

— Company CEO

Oh no, the consequences of your actions

That blunt response triggered a slow-motion collapse.

"The company Slack channel conversations ground to a halt and became virtual ghost towns," the former employee wrote. "Attendance at company-wide meetings fell by half and within a month, there was a veritable flurry of resignations, including mine."

"Slack went dead. Meetings got empty. Everyone was done."

— u/OriginalPoster

"By the time I left, the team that started at 8 people was down to just two deciding to stay. And six months later, word is that they are still trying to find people and resorting to making QA people into app developers just to try to keep things going."

Fortunately, the former team lead landed on their feet.

"I got a 50% pay bump for less responsibilities and work just a few hours a day instead of tons of unpaid overtime."

"50% pay bump, less stress. No regrets."

— u/OriginalPoster

Other Redditors jumped in to confirm the story—or share similar experiences.

u/AnotherEmployee chimed in: "I can confirm the CEO said something really similar to this in an all-hands a few months ago. I remember it enraged me. I will also be leaving when they do it, just wanna grab my bonus first."

Not everyone agrees on work from home

Still, some employees supported the policy, blaming declining productivity among remote workers. u/RealistWorker shared: "Some people will do literally nothing unless you directly ask them when working remotely… It is really hard for some people to find initiative."

But even the original poster agreed there were downsides to remote work—just not enough to justify the company’s heavy-handed approach.

"Those are fair points and I definitely saw a lot of people who were just phoning it in... But it should be the worker's choice unless there is a damn good reason, not just because the boss wants to see butts in chairs."

More For You

Mom surprises blind son with a secret braille message he can feel
Generative photo by Canva

Mom surprises blind son with a secret braille message he can feel

When Karissa Livia sat down for her latest manicure, she wasn’t just thinking about a bold new design—she was planning a heartfelt surprise for her 15-year-old son, Shay. Shay, who is visually impaired, had previously enjoyed hearing his mom describe her nail colors. But this time, Karissa wanted to take it a step further.

The result? A manicure featuring a message in braille, spelled out with tiny rhinestones that Shay could feel. And the message? “Love U, Shay.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Sisters thought they were saying goodbye—then their dad made a surprising announcement

Saying goodbye to family is never easy, especially when it involves a father watching his daughters leave home to chase their dreams. One emotional TikTok video perfectly captured this bittersweet moment, showing a dad who couldn’t bear to simply wave goodbye—so he found a beautiful way to be part of the journey instead.

Brittney Swanzer (@brittneyswanzer) shared a touching video of the moment she and her sister prepared to leave Ohio for California. As they stood ready to say their goodbyes, their father stepped outside, already overcome with emotion. But what happened next took everyone by surprise.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man holds his head while sitting on a sofa.

Representative Image: Millennials have one common thought about how they were raised.

Millennials are finally saying what they wish their parents had said to them

Every generation seems to approach parenting with a unique set of tools—and blind spots. For many Millennials, that gap appears in one specific area: emotional support. When Reddit user u/Soup_stew_supremacy asked r/Millennials, “Do any of you struggle to get emotional support from your parents?”—the answers flooded in fast, and they struck a nerve.

In her post, she shared:

Keep ReadingShow less
Manager forbids wage talk—employees hilariously post their salaries on company notice board
Representative image by Canva

Manager forbids wage talk—employees hilariously post their salaries on company notice board

Navigating corporate life isn't easy, especially when managers impose questionable rules on employees. A recent incident at a Planet Fitness in Kentucky highlighted how some managers misunderstand labor rights, particularly regarding salary discussions. Employees brilliantly confronted their manager after he attempted to forbid wage discussions—both at and outside the workplace.


Keep ReadingShow less
85-year-old invites neighbors to epic party—with one hilariously badass condition
Representative photo by Canva

85-year-old invites neighbors to epic party—with one hilariously badass condition

Every moment deserves to be celebrated, and Doug, an 85-year-old from Philadelphia, embodies this sentiment perfectly. His recent neighborhood party invitation went viral after his neighbor, Michelle Larosa (@meeesher on TikTok), shared their delightful interaction online. Doug’s party had one charmingly hilarious catch—it was scheduled to continue until “the cops arrive.”


Keep ReadingShow less