Constructive dismissal is apparently only legal if you do it at enormous scale.
Here's the thing: it's not JUST inconvenient. It's a pay cut, full stop. I have to pay to commute, one way or the other, in both time and money. Acting like this only has to do with convenience is some real bootlicker shit
Never mind the ongoing state income tax implications of being forced to work in a physical location, which can greatly impact the amount of take-home pay you have.
Of course, one might argue that employers should "know" that employees will quit, but honestly, are employers supposed gauge the level of WFH cultishness before making a routine business decision? It's ridiculous.
Yes, one can argue that it's a "pay cut, full stop" just as the employer can argue that they are getting less effective employees during WFH, or that one's unearned "raise" during COVID is being rescinded. I'm not a cultist, so these are positions that need to be argued for and earned. No foot-stomping. The employers should get a say.
Using return to office as a way to make people quit is also not a new strategy. Even before Covid, it was an often used tactic to trim headcount. Another common tactic is moving the office to a different location entirely, and that also is not constructive dismissal.
That's not true, constructive dismissal happens when any part of your job significantly changes and you are forced to accept it or quit. Changing a job from WFH to RTO is a very significant change, especially if you were hired directly to WFH and never worked in the office as part of the job. It won't stop them from firing you, but will stop them from blocking your unemployment claims.
Not necessarily. The company itself is moving it's workforce from home back to the office, but lots of people were hired during the WFH phase of these companies operations, so RTO is a new situation for them. We're what, 4 years into WFH now? A lot of companies have probably turned over half their staff in that time. Even the older employees might be 'returning' to a completely different building than they originally were hired to work in, since many companies gave up their leases or sold their buildings during the height of WFH.
The same people tried to tell me I could ignore it. I said, "Dude, both of you couldn't" and found work that works instead.
Happily remote and not wasting another productive second on this.
Source: me. Hired remote, was unfortunate to be within fifty miles of an office and placed in a new bucket. They tried to change the deal, I found new work and a higher salary instead.
I used to go on site to train people. I wasn't unreasonable, the business was. RTO proponents actually pushed me more remote.
It's not literally everyone.
Immunocompromised people who have managed to survive are often still afraid of catching Covid. How little most people care means that those who are worried have a difficult time existing in public spaces. Especially with the constant social pressure to act like Covid is over. You're not going to see people who are worried about Covid as often, because... they are worried about Covid.
This was the case early on, too, though! Covid is _much_ more likely to kill people in marginalized groups. And while marginalized deaths still show up statistically, they are going to be more hidden in the day to day.
New Covid variants still cause severe long-term effects. From what I’ve read, the consensus seems to be “we have no idea what all of the long-term consequences will be, but they’re looking worrisome.” Covid is not reported on as much now, but this information isn't from like, fringe sources or anything. There is less news about Covid now because nobody wants to think or read about Covid anymore.
e.g. a quick search gives me: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/researchers-are-still-untangl...
So, while most people may have moved on, I think the RTO movement is still hostile and coercive. Honestly, imo most people having moved on is also largely due to coercive forces.
Reward the places that do it right with your efforts.
There is no way you can disagree and "expecting to work from the office" doesn't constitute "hostile work conditions" it is just the norm.
For full time employees all laws for remote work is quickly cobbled patchwork that employer can cut right away by saying now they expect RTO and I would be seriously surprised if any employee wins lawsuit.
If an employer is not willing to do that then it's not really a remote/hybrid role.
Once it's in your contract then it won't matter about RTO demands for the workforce, because they don't apply to you.