From the front lines of office culture and remote work from TPM Reader ANON …

Your first post about closing the TPM offices prompted me to start putting similar pressure on my own colleagues. The news may be bursting with closings and cancellations, but I fear there are as many businesses like mine — a [xxxxxxxx] agency with ~120 employees and four office locations around the country—who even now are still playing catch-up to the reality of this situation.

Our first communication from our bosses finally came yesterday, in a mass email announcing their plan for a company-wide remote-working “test day” to take place next Wednesday, the 18th. Needless to say, this is way too little and too late, and I’m now in the position of starting underground conversations with my coworkers about when and how we might have to stage a mutiny, if our leadership and HR departments show no sign of budging.

A week ago, this would have been an inconceivable scenario here. We’re trying to gather as much data — expert advice and examples of other businesses of our size & character who have done the responsible thing and sent their people home — as we can. I admire you and TPM for so publicly leading by example.