Colleagues ignored WFH advice now stranded in heatwave - karma.

[Loveaghost]

I work in a big office in central London. Everyone lives in lots of different places obviously, but almost everyone is a significant train/ tube ride away.

Due to the heatwave our work told us to WFH where possible. But my most senior manager loves a bit of presenteeism. Hence a number of people (ie all the suck arses) came in. And, then proceeded to post/ message incessantly on internal comms demonstrating that they were in the office. Highly tiresome presenteeism considering ALL our calls were moved to Teams on our clients’ insistence.

Fast forward a few hours and ALL the tubes are fucked. As are almost all the trains. No-one can get home and they’re panicking at facing down 2-3hr bus journeys in 39 degree heat.

Serves them right for travelling against the advice of the health agency, government, TFL and the company. There was a do not travel unless essential instruction.

Of course, senior boss is alright. He got a company cab home…

Well don't you sound nice. Maybe it's not practical for them to work from home.

Some people on here don't know how to have a laugh clearly!

Karma got your colleagues good!

After so many schools were guilt tripped to carry on as normal, I wonder if any poor schoolkids and/ or their teachers/ other staff are also stranded.

I know why you are experiencing schadenfreude but it seems a bit on the nasty side. Presenteeism is certainly a scourge.

Poor buggers. I dont envy them it's hotter than hell today.

Why assume they’re performative and not just that they wanted to work from the office? Could be so many reasons for that. Airconn, no good WFH set up, etc.
And now they are stuck which is rubbish for them. I feel sorry for them in this heat.

This really doesn't show you in a good light, OP.

Op is probably on performance monitoring and this manager basically doesn’t stand for crap work, which obviously won’t go down well with someone like this

If the OP was going for laughs, she should have made it funny.

They should just dive into an air conditioned pub together, have a catch up, and head home a bit later when it cools down and the crowds ease.

It's not 39 degrees in central London, it's 34.

Bit mean OP. They may have reasons for going to office. Using the air con, working better in person, having kids of school so needing to go in to be able to work.

This. You sound unpleasant. I’d rather be in the office for the air conditioning.

You must be that horrible coworker who’s really goady.

it’s really hard to change your ways when you have a boss like that.

Absolutely

Meh I just got sick of all the photos and comments showing/ proving they were in the office. Just to try and make those of us who followed the actual rules not look as good. I can’t stand presenteeism.

Yeah, I wouldn’t have gone in either, but you sound really unpleasant.

What a bitchy colleague you are! Maybe some preferred the idea of working in an air conditioned office?

It's no fun if you're stuck on one of those Tube trains crawling through tunnels. I couldn't take any pleasure in knowing someone might be trapped below ground in one in this heat.

You sound like a nasty piece of work...how sad you have to be to take pleasure in other peoples misfortune, you have no idea why they couldn't WFH...

'the actual rules' 😂

get a grip

I went into work today because my office has AC and my house doesn’t. I’m considering going back in again later as a I need to do some more work this evening and it is far too hot to do it at home.

Luckily I live within walking distance, but you are pretty unpleasant to be gleeful about this.

🤣

It’s not karma. They have a boss who values presenteeism and no doubt makes that clear despite what the official guidance says, effectively giving them no choice but to face the commute or face their disapproval. I think you feel this way towards them as you felt their presence in the office was actively showing you up for staying home, and that’s because your work place culture clearly sucks. Why not focus on what a horrible hypocrite the big boss is rather than gloat at your colleagues’ misfortune?

You sound nice.

Exactly. I don’t hate on most of my colleagues. They’re lovely. But this is reserved for a special breed of suck- ups who deliberately came in to ‘prove’ they were better than the rest of us. To pander to the very senior boss who loves people in the office, even if it’s literally dangerous. And he got a company cab in and home so more fool them.