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Colleagues ignored WFH advice now stranded in heatwave - karma.

394 replies

Loveaghost · 24/06/2026 17:45

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…

Colleagues ignored WFH advice now stranded in heatwave - karma.
OP posts:
ThatCyanCat · 24/06/2026 19:52

kittensinthekitchen · 24/06/2026 19:50

Schadenfreude?

OP "THERE'S A DANGER TO LIFE"

Also OP "Lolz. Suck ups!"

Also OP: SEND ME PIX OF U IN UR UNDERWEAR

AstonUniversityPotholeDepartment · 24/06/2026 19:52

It's rather sweet how many people are giving your colleagues the benefit of the doubt, but every time the UK has any kind of extreme weather, there are always some people who ignore the weather warnings with no justifications. It's probably the same type of people as the ones who decide to climb up Ben Nevis while wearing flip-flops, and then need to be stretchered off by Mountain Rescue.

I'm hot, I have no choice about going to work, and I don't want to fight for a seat on public transport with people who could have worked from home, so I'll be judging them with the utmost severity.

Man being rescued

Tourist in flip-flops rescued from Aonach Mor mountain

A tourist is stretchered off one of Scotland's highest mountains after hurting his ankle while climbing - in flip-flops.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-27954358

Passingthrough123 · 24/06/2026 19:52

Loveaghost · 24/06/2026 19:48

Oh god it’s a phrase people say as a joke. Have I walked into a parish meeting or something?

Off to eat dinner in my spacious air con house. Au revoir!

No, it's a stupid sleazy thing to say to a woman. But off you trot indeed, now the thread hasn't gone at all how you thought it would. Maybe you'll think on that next time something shitty happens to you – that bloody karma, eh!

Anewappa · 24/06/2026 19:58

Loveaghost · 24/06/2026 19:05

Honestly? Probably not as then I’ll just be highlighted as an issue won’t I?

Oh you’ll already be highlighted as “an issue” @Loveaghost !

Anewappa · 24/06/2026 20:00

Loveaghost · 24/06/2026 19:48

Oh god it’s a phrase people say as a joke. Have I walked into a parish meeting or something?

Off to eat dinner in my spacious air con house. Au revoir!

I think if there’s one thing we will come away with from this thread is…. To feel very very blessed we don’t have @Loveaghost as a colleague!

LakieLady · 24/06/2026 20:02

Passingthrough123 · 24/06/2026 18:36

Nah, being gleeful about people being stuck underground in 45 degree heat still makes you bitchy and horrible.

The mere thought of being in that position is bad enough, to be gleeful about the people who are in it for real is deeply unpleasant.

I hated commuting on the tube at peak hours so much that I took a big drop in pay to get something more local.

And I've been struggling with 29 degree heat in my house , wearing just a loose, thin, cotton nightdress. 45 degrees in "proper" clothes doesn't bear thinking about. I hope the poor sods weren't stuck for long.

Normallyinthepool · 24/06/2026 20:04

Anewappa · 24/06/2026 20:00

I think if there’s one thing we will come away with from this thread is…. To feel very very blessed we don’t have @Loveaghost as a colleague!

Grin
chocoluv · 24/06/2026 20:04

ChillingWithMySnowmies · 24/06/2026 19:41

Good grief, people moaning the op is telling porkies, but there's plenty of others here doing a REALLY good job of inventing her colleagues terrible lives of poverty and abuse.

It’s not about inventing things, it’s about suggesting that there are potentially other reasons her colleagues chose to go into the office and none of them revolve around her.

Chlorpool · 24/06/2026 20:08

LakieLady · 24/06/2026 20:02

The mere thought of being in that position is bad enough, to be gleeful about the people who are in it for real is deeply unpleasant.

I hated commuting on the tube at peak hours so much that I took a big drop in pay to get something more local.

And I've been struggling with 29 degree heat in my house , wearing just a loose, thin, cotton nightdress. 45 degrees in "proper" clothes doesn't bear thinking about. I hope the poor sods weren't stuck for long.

The poor sods as you call them should have stayed at home as advised.
You can’t fix stupid.

CloudPop · 24/06/2026 20:09

MandyMotherOfBrian · 24/06/2026 17:50

What a fucking weird thing to be gleeful about

Absolutely. Some managers breed such a toxic atmosphere it can be diffuse to say no. Same as on snow days (long distant memory )

Anewappa · 24/06/2026 20:11

CloudPop · 24/06/2026 20:09

Absolutely. Some managers breed such a toxic atmosphere it can be diffuse to say no. Same as on snow days (long distant memory )

Apparently this op is a manager herself 😆

User3456 · 24/06/2026 20:13

YANBU
I wish my company would tell people to stay at home 😐

CloudPop · 24/06/2026 20:15

Anewappa · 24/06/2026 20:11

Apparently this op is a manager herself 😆

There but for the grace of God …

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 24/06/2026 20:16

Loveaghost · 24/06/2026 19:34

Sure, happy to explain. I meant it’s an industry where we all earn pretty well versus average and hence we tend to have spacious houses/ aircon etc which makes WFH not too much of a problem. Incredibly sorry if I used the phrase ‘affluent industry’ slightly out of place on a casual forum! Although technically it does make sense.

Of course I cannot speak for every one of those colleagues intimate lives and technically it is possible one of them has a home circumstance I don’t know about. But on balance I think it’s unlikely as a. I know them fairly well and b. They have form for suck arsing up. This fits that form.

Affluent is an adjective describing individuals, groups, or locations that are wealthy, prosperous, and have an abundance of money, property, or valuable possessions

I am "affluent" by most people's standards.

Still don't have a home office where I can guarantee I won't be interrupted by someone bursting in shouting MUMMY MUMMY MUMMY

I was at work today in 37°, no air con, because my kids' school closed at 1pm, and at 4pm I had a confidential meeting with a senior stakeholder.

PrettyLittleRose · 24/06/2026 20:17

Loveaghost · 24/06/2026 19:43

I think perhaps a lot of people on here don’t work in big companies and don’t understand the structure. Being a senior director does not make me these people’s line manager nor does it make me a member of the SLT.

I only said it as pp said I was probably on performance management which is far from the truth. I probably shouldn’t have bitten - and now I’m paying for it!

On the contrary, I think a lot of people on the thread DO work for big companies and DO understand the structure......... Wink

You have also (and I suspect deliberately) ignored what I said.

.

PrettyLittleRose · 24/06/2026 20:17

Anewappa · 24/06/2026 20:11

Apparently this op is a manager herself 😆

😆 NO, she is a SENIOR DIRECTOR!!!!!!

.

socks1107 · 24/06/2026 20:18

You’re being spiteful. People come into the office for all sorts of reasons, you don’t really know what home life is like for them.

I’m a manager and encouraged my team to wfh but would help them out should they become stuck. I wouldn’t be feeling gleeful

GingerKombucha · 24/06/2026 20:18

You sound incredibly mean. I had a nice cool lime bike cycle into central London, day of air conditioning and a cool cycle home. So much better than being stuck in the house.

Shortsally42 · 24/06/2026 20:19

Just keep digging that hole, OP.

EarthSight · 24/06/2026 20:19

I think you've touched a nerve with all the people who circumstantially wanted to come into the office (which has nothing to do with sucking up), along with annoying all the actual suck ups. 😄

Anewappa · 24/06/2026 20:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

PrettyLittleRose · 24/06/2026 20:21

.Yep. ^

MeekSqueak · 24/06/2026 20:22

Loveaghost · 24/06/2026 17:45

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…

You sound spiteful and mean

Normallyinthepool · 24/06/2026 20:25

EarthSight · 24/06/2026 20:19

I think you've touched a nerve with all the people who circumstantially wanted to come into the office (which has nothing to do with sucking up), along with annoying all the actual suck ups. 😄

Not in my case, I was blissfully cool at home. I just know from managing a team that people can have all sorts of reasons to wish to /or need to work from an office that have nothing to do with being a suck up

Iwantaircon · 24/06/2026 20:25

Loveaghost · 24/06/2026 17:45

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…

I think I’d get a hotel