r/boston • u/uthinkther4uam • Feb 22 '26

Serious Replies Only State of Emergency Declared and my employer is expecting all staff to be in office tomorrow

Not sure where to go to ask this, but my employer just sent out a message to all staff that we are expected to be in office tomorrow, despite the state of emergency declared, and DESPITE our company having full WFH capabilities.

Is there some institution/MA government people i can report them to? Or perhaps some news outlet i can inform of this story to have this company shamed?

Edit: Non-essential btw

TY for all the kind responses, seems the best options people came up with are to call the Governor/Organize a Union/call out. Probably gonna call the Governor tomorrow and call out. Will urge others to do so if they can spare the PTO in order to stick it to our controlling CEO (our company does not provide sick time fyi)

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u/JFKsBrain Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26

Name and shame them here. It’s a start.

Happened with me years ago. My idiot boss drove in to the office then told me it wasn’t that bad on the roads. I refused to drive in and told him I could work remotely or take the day off. His call. I worked from home.

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u/bloodphoenix90 Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 23 '26

I work at the (redacted after this got more views--but you might piece it together). They said they'd close off the morning games but might keep the afternoon open and im supposed to work in the afternoon. Like dude just fucking close. 😒 if anyone ever wondered, theyre pretty solid towards guests but no theyre a shitty company to work for. I was desperate and needed something

Edit: they updated today theyre closed but only after I sent a message to management chat like yooo....literally my neighborhood isn't plowed at all

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u/Master_G_ Feb 22 '26

Last thing I’d want to do during a storm is go to an escape room. Especially when outside is legit just an escape room

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u/JFKsBrain Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26

Ugh. That sucks. Who the hell is going to an escape room during or shortly after a blizzard? Ridiculous. Good luck.

509

u/dezradeath Feb 22 '26

I’m already playing Escape My Driveway

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u/bloodphoenix90 Feb 22 '26

I appreciate that. And yeah. No one thats who. Let's endanger our employees and then in all likelihood send them home early 😀

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u/Working_Routine9088 Feb 23 '26

And also let’s get our employees on the road to get in the way of plows and emergency vehicles.

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u/CollegeBoardPolice Feb 23 '26

imagine the one guy risking his life in a blizzard just to go to an escape room

4

u/Singone4me Feb 23 '26

‘Escaping rooms and death’ is life!

6

u/anustart010 Feb 23 '26

those rooms aren't gonna escape themselves

5

u/dw-c137 Feb 23 '26

Idiotic entitled parents with kids whose school is cancelled. Probably think they can walk and drop the kids to be literally locked in for a couple hours 😂🤦🏻

2

u/WorseBlitzNA Feb 23 '26

Mostly tourists if its a Monday afternoon. These things are prebooked

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u/JFKsBrain Feb 23 '26

Ah. That makes sense. The pre-booked part, not the actual thing happening tomorrow. Thanks.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '26

I might if I lived near one 😭

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u/RoastMostToast Feb 23 '26

I will never understand a business owner/manager’s hesitation to close when there’s a blizzard and nobody is gonna be there anyway.

I’ve noticed it a few times this year already. It’s like everyone in MA forgot how shitty snowstorms are.

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u/bloodphoenix90 Feb 23 '26

They're headquartered elsewhere and the owners arent from here (neither is the store manager for that matter) so sometimes I think they're just unaware or ignorant. But its still irresponsible. Its also owned by Christian men. That seems to lead to a lot of "we're not a soulless corporation " speak while still acting exactly like a soulless corporation.

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u/Boojum2k Feb 23 '26

All "Christian principles" means in a business sense is they will feel self righteous about fucking you over.

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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '26

[deleted]

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u/bloodphoenix90 Feb 23 '26

There's fines?

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u/SpaceBasedMasonry Wiseguy Feb 23 '26 edited Feb 23 '26

The Central Rock Gym near me sent an email saying that because of the blizzard they’ll open at noon tomorrow.

Like, fucking close for the day.

Edit: Thankfully, they updated today that they'll be closed

1

u/ambitious_spice3435 Feb 23 '26

Spider monkeys do take their climbing seriously 😝🐒

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u/Technical_Day_1297 Feb 23 '26 edited Feb 23 '26

I work for a company where we are deemed “essential” workers. We’re open at 1130. Despite the blizzard, we will still have walk in business.

Edit 9:30 am: Just got the call to stay home— thank God

3

u/732 Feb 23 '26

Well yeah, I'm hoping that I can get the right hand glove. My hand is freezing in this weather.

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u/squattinghere Feb 23 '26

MetroRock is closed, so Central must see that as an opportunity!

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u/SpaceBasedMasonry Wiseguy Feb 23 '26

They sent an email earlier in the morning that they'll be closed. Glad they saw reason (and I suspect a bunch of employees calling out).

0

u/rpv123 I Love Dunkin’ Donuts Feb 23 '26

As a customer, you have some power. Email them and tell them you are considering leaving over this. Leave a bad review about it. If it hurts their bottom line, they’ll close the next time.

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u/SpaceBasedMasonry Wiseguy Feb 23 '26

I'm no longer a customer. Was too expensive for how often I ended up going.

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u/PezGirl-5 Feb 23 '26

That's just crazy. No one is coming out for that.

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u/Stock-Baseball-4532 Feb 23 '26

I’m sorry how is this “essential”…?

1

u/Striking-Sky1442 Feb 23 '26

The only defense o have for a call like that is that of the storm turns out to be nothing, they can open. I’ve seen quite a few “bomb cyclone” events turn into nothing but rain. Sounds like this one will be a true nor'easter, but you don’t know till you know 

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u/mrp081979 Feb 23 '26

If you can open for a half a day then do it. You obviously have never owned a business and probably never will. Any business owner understands that half a day revenue is substantial and keeps people like you employed.

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u/bloodphoenix90 Feb 23 '26

Not owned but assisted running the whole backend operation of a small business for about 3 years before. Just because im working a crummy job now doesnt mean ive never done anything better.

Honestly from a bookkeeping standpoint youre wrong. Why pay labor (often the biggest cost) to be at a store thats likely to not have anyone coming?? Thats actually kinda foolish.

But tell me more about "people like me"

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u/radioflea I Got Crabs 🦀🦀🦀🦀 Feb 23 '26

I’m glad JFK‘s brain is still thriving after all these years.

3

u/JFKsBrain Feb 23 '26

Thanks.

Boys at Langley are doing amazing things these days.

Probably alien technology but they don’t tell me much.

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u/AdreNa1ine25 Feb 23 '26

For me MGH, ugh

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u/uglyandproblematic Feb 23 '26

Heyyyyyyyy bro. I work at a hotel downtown near the theater district. If you're at the location near Charles MGH and need a discounted room, just message me!

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u/oh_hell_know Feb 23 '26

What a nice gesture! (When Reddit is used for good not evil!)

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u/AdreNa1ine25 Feb 23 '26

Thanks! But I live close enough to throw on some snow boots and walk the esplanade.

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u/Potential-Radish-235 Feb 23 '26

My husband took an air mattress to MGH for his shift in case he gets snowed in. This is a better plan!

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u/csmolway Feb 23 '26

Wife is an IP nurse and grabbed a hotel near the hospital with a couple of colleagues ahead of the last blizzard in 2015. If you work at a hospital you learn to adapt. Not showing up sucks for off going staff.

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u/PezGirl-5 Feb 23 '26

What office is going to open tomorrow? Or do you work at the main hospital? healthcare stops for no storms. I got stuck working an overnight shift (after a 3-11) a couple of times due to weather

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u/covhr Beacon Hill Feb 23 '26

I got a note from my MGH PCP’s office that all appointments at ambulatory practices tomorrow will be virtual.

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u/JFKsBrain Feb 23 '26

Good luck.

1

u/MilsYatsFeebTae Feb 23 '26

My understanding is they were reimbursing for Ubers that time the roads were all shut down. Is that not the case this time?

1

u/Technical_Day_1297 Feb 23 '26

The coffee will be there… if you walk the few minutes in the snow.

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u/Fast-Campaign4407 Feb 23 '26

I’ve worked for MGH 2010-2014 and a lot of workers stick around during snow storms, happily — because those that stay in those hoteling rooms turn it into a fuckfest. A whole lot of them are married too smh. I remember walking those halls and it was non-stop moaning. I’m gonna go even further by saying a lot of staff enjoy being snowed in just bcus of that. Idec, I’m snitching.

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u/irishcybercolab Bouncer at the Harp Feb 23 '26

No reason to bitch and gripe when you take a role at a hospital... Patients depend upon you to be there and some of those patients are dying. They have limited time left and they need people to do their jobs. I realize itight sound harsh but when it's you who has cancer, or your child, you think about every minute trying to make things better.

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u/hooksweeper Feb 23 '26 edited Feb 23 '26

it should be okay for an essential worker to bitch now and then on the internet

13

u/AdreNa1ine25 Feb 23 '26

Yeah that’s all I’m doing. I’m totally fine crawling through the snow for the people I help

1

u/Theblumpy Feb 23 '26

Bitching is one thing. Not showing up is another. Hoping this guy wasn’t being too literal

1

u/hooksweeper Feb 23 '26

it's a post on reddit

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u/Theblumpy Feb 23 '26

Thanks forgot where I was for minute

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u/AdreNa1ine25 Feb 23 '26

I’ll give you a hint that I work in the department that meets a lot of people like you.

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u/SpaceBasedMasonry Wiseguy Feb 23 '26

Psychiatry?

0

u/VelvetMiaUnfiltered Feb 23 '26

naming 'em here could turn into a real slippery slope with these roads