A recent attempt by a company to entice remote employees back into the office ended in unexpected chaos, according to a Reddit post shared by an employee. The initiative, branded as an “optional collaboration day,” promised casual meetups, snacks, and an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues.
“Nothing like what they advertised”
“So last month our leadership rolled out this new ‘optional collaboration day’ at the office. The pitch sounded harmless, like a casual meet up with snacks and a chance to ‘reconnect,’” the employee wrote. “Most of us remote folks thought it could be a chill day, maybe even fun, so around half the team signed up. When we showed up, it was nothing like what they advertised. No snacks, no coffee, not even a single chair moved for group work.”
Instead, the office featured a printed agenda taped to the wall with phrases like “rebuilding culture” and “reviving office energy.” Employees were expected to suddenly feel energized by the office environment, but most simply sat in silence working remotely on their laptops.
Mass exodus leaves leadership in shock
“The funniest part is that by lunch everyone dipped. People literally left in waves. My manager bailed first and pretended she had a dentist appointment, then two engineers left to ‘check on a delivery,’ and at some point it was just me and a flickering overhead light,” the Reddit user recalled.
The day’s failure was compounded when a follow-up survey apparently highlighted widespread dissatisfaction. Leadership quietly canceled all future collaboration days without an official announcement, and the event page simply disappeared. Employees say the debacle only reinforced the appeal of remote work.
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