Yes, an employer can deny a work-from-home (WFH) request, but only if they have reasonable business grounds, must respond in writing within 21 days, and have genuinely discussed alternatives with the employee first. Grounds for refusal often involve cost, impracticality, significant productivity loss, or negative customer service impact, but simply preferring everyone in the office isn't enough, especially if remote work has previously succeeded.
No matter the source of the request or your reasons for refusing it, consider taking these steps when declining a request:
Can a company reject someone's request to remain 100% working from home? Employers can refuse this request provided that they can rely on one of the eight statutory reasons, these are: the burden of additional costs. inability to reorganise work among existing staff.
Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so would cause undue hardship. This means if your mental health condition affects your ability to work in an office setting, you can request accommodations like remote work, flexible scheduling, or modified duties.
You can be fired for declining non-job-description work in many situations, particularly under at-will employment and when the request is reasonable. Refusal is stronger and often protected when tasks are illegal, unsafe, discriminatory, or outside contractual limits.
Examples of quiet firing may include:
Excluding an employee from key meetings and projects. Giving an employee less desirable duties. Having an employee report to an office that is further away. Providing other subtle hints that an employee's presence is no longer valued.
The "3-month rule" in a job refers to the common probationary period where employers assess a new hire's performance, skills, and cultural fit, while the employee learns the role and decides if the job is right for them; it's a crucial time for observation, feedback, and proving value, often with potential limitations on benefits until the period ends. It's also advice for new hires to "hang in there" for three months to get acclimated and evaluate the job before making big decisions.
For example, if an employee's anxiety substantially limits their ability to perform in-office tasks but they can effectively work from home, they may request a work-from-home accommodation for their anxiety under the ADA. This request should be supported by documentation from a healthcare provider.
What are the rules for a 9/80 schedule? Employees in a 9/80 schedule receive an extra day off every two weeks, but must still work a total of 80 hours during that time. To reach that mark, they work eight nine-hour days and one eight-hour day.
Red flags of a toxic boss include poor communication (ignoring ideas, gossip), lack of empathy/support (no advocacy, dismissing concerns), blame-shifting & credit-stealing, micromanagement, unrealistic demands, inconsistency, and using fear/intimidation or demeaning humor, all creating an environment of distrust and poor mental health, often signaled early by disinterest or disrespect during interviews.
If an employer states that the normal place of work is the office, they can ask their employees to return to the office full time. Often, employers won't set out remote working conditions in the employment contract.
Remote work isn't going away, it's evolving. While some companies are pushing for return-to-office policies, the broader trend shows remote and hybrid work are here to stay. The data tells us that: According to SHRM, the share of U.S. employees working remotely has grown from 17.9% in late 2022 to 23.7% in early 2025.
This decision affirms that the right to work from home is ultimately at the discretion of employers. While employers can deny requests to work from home and direct employees to work in the office, it is important to note that any direction must be 'lawful and reasonable'.
What to do when your boss or manager is bullying you? When a boss or manager is bullying you, it's important to document the behavior, report it to HR or a higher authority, seek support from colleagues, and consider consulting with a lawyer if necessary.
The most common reason why companies don't want you to work from home is the loss of control over the workforce. Managers want to see you working, because they don't trust you. Furthermore, co-located working provides rich context information about the work and the workplace that supports efficiency.
Here are four key steps to take:
Ideal shift schedule: Late-morning to evening shifts (9 AM–5 PM or 11 AM–7 PM) work best with their sleep cycle. If rotational shifts are necessary: A structured weekly rotation (rather than daily changes) gives your team time to adjust and minimizes sleep disruptions.
Is there a limit to how much I can work each day? Yes. You should get 11 hours consecutive rest each day. This means your working day should not be more than 13 hours long in each 24-hour period that you are working for your employer.
If you work at least 3.5 hours in a day, you are entitled to one rest break. If you work over 6 hours, you are entitled to a second rest break. If you work over 10 hours, you are entitled to a third rest break. Rest breaks must to the extent possible be in the middle of each work period.
Five key signs of work-related stress include physical symptoms (headaches, fatigue, sleep issues), emotional changes (irritability, anxiety, mood swings), cognitive difficulties (trouble focusing, poor decision-making), behavioral shifts (withdrawal, increased substance use), and performance decline (lower output, errors, procrastination). These signs often manifest as a persistent feeling of being overwhelmed, leading to physical tension, mental fog, and strained relationships at work and home.
Good reasons to work from home could include: Reducing workplace distractions. Being more comfortable, boosting creativity. Eliminating the daily commute.
This is where the 70% rule comes in—a powerful job-search strategy that encourages you to apply for roles where you meet at least 70% of the listed criteria. Here's why it works: Your Skills Are More Transferable Than You Think.
Here's our comprehensive guide to help you spot a potential bad employer before you take a job that could turn into an on-going nightmare.
Most people agree that five years is the max amount of time you want to stay in the same job at your company. Of course, this answer changes depending on your pre-established career arc and the promotions within your company.