A reader writes:
I work at an organization that’s totally in-office — they actually push “workplace tradition.” I knew that once I began a yr and a half in the past, however working from house isn’t a precedence for me so it hasn’t been a giant deal. It’s a reasonably small group, round 50 workers in my workplace, they usually incessantly tout being a “household firm.”
I observed that my boss was working from house a number of days a month for varied causes – she had a migraine, her children had been out of college, and many others. She’s on the chief stage so I didn’t pay a lot consideration to it, as I do know executives get particular privileges. Then I observed non-executive workers had been being given work-from-home privileges when their children had been sick or when faculty or daycare was cancelled, and I assumed perhaps I had misunderstood the coverage and that work-from-home was an choice in extenuating circumstances however not a daily factor.
Final summer season, I used to be having emergency restore work carried out on my house and, as I stay alone, I requested if I may work at home since I had nobody else to be at my home. My boss instructed me that my firm doesn’t enable working from house, however then she labored from house the next two weeks as a result of her children had been on summer season break and he or she had no youngster care lined up.
Earlier this yr, we had a snowstorm that cancelled faculty for a number of days and plenty of workers labored from house as a result of their children didn’t have faculty or daycare, however workers with out children weren’t given the work-from-home choice.
And this week, three of the 4 workers in my space have labored from house a minimum of in the future attributable to sick kids, appointments for his or her children, or daycare points. I’m coping with a difficulty that impacts my potential to drive however not my potential to work, and I used to be instructed I’ve to both come into the workplace or use my sick depart as a result of working from house isn’t an choice.
I’m one in every of perhaps 5 workers in my workplace who doesn’t have children and I don’t know methods to go about addressing this. Being a “household firm” is nice for folks with households however appears nearly discriminatory towards individuals who don’t. How will you allow folks with kids to work at home however not folks with out kids? Is that this even allowed? HR is absolutely on board with this so I don’t know what I can do, if something.
You’ll be able to learn my reply to this letter at New York Journal right now. Head over there to learn it.