While the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the era of remote work, many companies are tired of their staff logging in from home.
In fact, the Federal Reserve reported an "upturn of return-to-office announcements," and Fed data (1) reveals that around 22% of U.S. workers were working from home at least sometimes in 2025, with the number of telecommuters down by just under one percentage point from 2024.
Unfortunately, some people who are being called back into office have found themselves facing ruined plans and potentially serious financial damage because of it.
Let's pretend, for example, that Tanya has been called back to the office for her bookkeeping job. She was planning to work from Paris during a summer vacation in August and already booked non-refundable tickets. But now her company told her to come back in July.
Tanya is facing the prospect of changing her plane tickets, or cancelling the trip altogether, and that means she'll be out at least hundreds of dollars. Now, she's wondering whether her employer should pay her back the money lost.
So, is the company on the hook for the tickets Tanya can no longer use?
While Tanya may be upset with the situation, the reality is that her employer most likely has the right to alter the policy, with some limited exceptions, despite the damage that the change will do to Tanya's travel plans.
"Employers have broad discretion to suddenly change remote-work policies, unless those...
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