Laid‑off employee’s WFH request denied – internet weighs in

Being laid off is never easy, but the curveball came when the company asked the employee to report back to the office during the notice period. The staff member’s only task was knowledge‑transfer (KT) – essentially training other developers – and all of it was already happening on Google Meet.

In a candid Reddit post titled, “I got laid off, serving notice period, don’t want to go to the office – should I negotiate WFH?” the author recounted the exchange with HR. The HR rep said the employee should come in to make the KT smoother. The employee replied that the sessions were already online, adding, “I’m already doing the KT via Google Meet; I don’t need a desk here.” He then asked if he could continue working from home until his last day.

The reply was a flat “No.” Undeterred, the employee argued, “There’s no operational need for me to be physically present. I’m not using any office equipment, and the KT is fully virtual.” Yet the HR decision stood.

The Reddit thread exploded with opinions. Some users wondered why anyone would serve a notice period after a layoff in the first place. Others suggested the employee could charge a fee for the KT sessions or simply refuse to show up. One comment summed it up: “Never seen anyone serving notice after being laid off.”

Advice ranged from aggressive to conciliatory. A few suggested negotiating a hybrid schedule – two or three days a week in the office – in exchange for the flexibility to hunt for a new job. Others urged the employee to ask for compensation for the extra training work, noting that a three‑month notice wasn’t even granted.

Overall, the discussion highlighted a growing tension between traditional office expectations and the reality of remote‑first workflows. While HR’s “no” may feel harsh, many online voices encouraged the employee to keep the dialogue open, propose compromises, and remember that the job market is still tough.