When Work-Life Boundaries Get Tangled: Unpacking the Remote Work Guilt Trip
Introducing Episode 14: Barrels and Buildings: The Debt that Wasn't
Ever felt like you owe your employer something extra? Lisa and I dove headfirst into this sticky territory in our latest episode, sparked by her wrestling with a job opportunity that came with strings attached.
Picture this: you're interviewing for a role that requires five days in the office, but you live far enough away that commuting would eat up 20 hours of your week. The company hints they might make an exception for remote work—if you're impressive enough. Suddenly, what should feel like a reasonable accommodation starts feeling like a debt.
That's exactly where Lisa found herself. Her husband's reaction mirrored mine, and was probably the same as yours right now: "HUH?"
We unpacked why some workplace benefits feel different from others. Why negotiating a higher salary feels empowering, but negotiating work-from-home feels like accepting charity. Spoiler alert: it's all the same compensation package, just dressed up differently by our brains.
The conversation spiraled (in the best way) into bigger questions about loyalty, career trajectories, and what really matters when we're looking back on our lives. Nobody's deathbed regret is "I wish I had commuted more." Yet somehow we get trapped thinking we need to prove we're worthy of basic work-life balance.
Lisa's breakthrough moment? Reframing remote work as negotiated compensation, not special treatment. It's not about earning the right to have a life—it's about exchanging your skills for terms that work for everyone involved.
We also tackled the judgment-versus-curiosity framework (hello, Judgy Jess!), the myth of corporate loyalty, and why having non-negotiables in your career isn't being "too big for your britches"—it's being human and expressing boundaries.
If you've ever felt guilty for wanting flexibility, questioned whether your boundaries are reasonable, or wondered if loyalty still exists in the workplace, this episode is for you. Sometimes the most radical act is refusing to feel grateful for scraps.
Ready to stop apologizing for having needs? Listen to Episode 14 and let us know what resonated with you. Your future self will thank you. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts within 24 hours, or directly on Buzzsprout, here.