Hi, a person who decided to jump ship a little less than a year ago here for a few reasons, one of which is WFH. I decided that one day the bank would be pushing for RTO, and after COVID, I couldn’t see myself sitting in a half-walled cube doing something I don’t love. I worked in varying roles at BOA more than 18 years for a paycheck beginning in my 20s.
As someone mentioned, COVID shed light on what is important in life and it’s not working for corporate America driving in 30-45 minutes, working all day, driving home 30-45 minutes eating/making dinner, going to bed and repeat. I am no longer interested in spending the majority of my day in a mediocre job exchanging my free time for money to buy meaningless things that are completely unimportant in the end.
Within the group I worked, we were told from the get go WFH was being pulled mainly at the hands of CB a female exec in Chicago (not sure how true it is) and so after a promotion where I was congratulated with a title change that came with no incentive/cash attached and additional workload, it was the straw that broke the camels back so to speak giving me enough strength to pull the bandaid off.
Fast forward, I’m now in a leadership role at another company, making more of course with the freedom to WFH when I wish but also only working a few miles from my home so it’s a win-win for me. I’m valued. I’m no longer a number. I no longer have to dial into the 800# for support and sit on hold for hours. I no longer have to try and call global HR speaking with someone in another country who hardly speaks English trying to resolve personal issues. I no longer have to work for a company who literally took a bailout during the recession and turned around with our taxpayer money and outsourced jobs to include mass layoffs!!!!
On the down side, for soooo many friggin years I’ve feared a layoff as many have since the recession, because I had a family to care for and the job market was much different than it is now. BOA would lay off annually and the fear was constant year after year When an executive would come into town everyone began speculating. When the person counting cubes came in everyone speculated. So naturally this website became my go to for BOA news on possible layoffs, and I STILL find myself coming here to read because it was part of my abusive routine or habit that I can’t seem to break nearly a year later. I lived in fear so long that I keep coming here to read as if I’m still going to be laid off. Creatures of habit I suppose. That was part of BOA’s thing, lay off from every location enough to stir back up the fear so people would scurry and work harder in fear of a layoff. Hopefully those days are over.
The grass may or may not be greener on the other side but you’ll never know until you leave. Look at the bright side, the bank needs you so leave on good terms and you can probably come back if it’s not greener.