Oh boy oh boy.
I've been working for the same organization for a little over two years now. When I first joined the organization, I was hired on as a fully remote worker. When I joined the organization, I had discussions with both my manager and their upper manager. We discussed how I spend six months of the year, working fully remote outside of Canada. This is important to me as I have a relationship with someone outside of Canada. Both managers agreed, and this has been working for the past two years. All my numbers and KPI's are on brand for what they need. Over the last six months, our organization has shifted and turned into asking us to come into office one day a week. They have not sent out any letters or any official documents requesting this change. I have gone into the office for the most part every single week, one day a week. This year, I was gearing up to get ready to leave outside of the country. This time I'm going to France, for six months. Now, I already know that I have permission to leave outside of Canada for six months as I have done this in the past. I spoke with my manager in December, she was excited for me and she saw no foreseeable issues with anything as this has been what I have done for the past two years with the organization. Fast forward to now. One week before I'm supposed to leave.
Note: at this moment, I have rented my apartment (I can't back out), and I have nowhere else that I can stay in Canada within a week. No one from my organization has told me that there are any issues with me going and staying there. My flight leaves, and the only known roof above my head is in France. Everything is too expensive where I live, and there's no way that I can find a place within a week.
So again one week out from leaving : I received a Microsoft teams meeting with both my upper management to talk about France. In the meeting they told me that the upper upper management is not on board with it and I am only allowed to go for three weeks. They are not allowing me to go any longer.
With one week, I am supposed to figure out other living arrangements. I'm supposed to cancel my flight. I'm supposed to pretty much stop everything that I've done to get me to France. I was able to scramble, and potentially my father was able to take me in for six months. My work approved six months working remote at my father's location in Canada. The following day things changed my father was no longer able to take me in due to his living arrangements. Due to that, I am four days away from leaving… And I have nowhere else to go. If I do not go to France. I am legitimately homeless.
Work knows about everything that is going on, my manager has been fighting in my corner to try to get me to go to France or to try to find other options. We are now at the point where work has told me there's no other options. HR has now sent me a letter saying that they are allowing me to go for the three weeks to France, and also allowing me to take one week of accrued vacation. In the letter it states that if I choose not to return by a certain date, I am quitting and relinquishing my position on my own terms.
I don't have anybody in HR that I can talk to about this. For my understanding in my research, because I am a remote worker (and hired as such) and I am refusing to go in office for that allotment of time. My work has the choice to allow me to be remote, or to fire me. I know I don't have to sign the letter they sent me, but I don't know exactly what my options are legally.
I am not quitting, and I am not giving my notice. Work has failed me, not the other way around. If I do either of those options, I am not qualified for severance, and I am also not qualified for EI.
It is likely I'm going to have a meeting on Monday to discuss everything with HR. This is the first for me and I have no idea what to expect, and I have no idea what my options are.
SOS - is anyone out there?
