Non-essential personnel: Does your job expect you to come in even if the office is closed?

[Anonymous]

Mid-level associate at a botique law firm (In practice area- still has big law expectations) and attorneys are expected to come in even if the office is closed. The specific comment was even if you don’t have power the firm does, so come in.

[Anonymous]

By the office is closed, do you mean the building or the firm? Be specific. You're a lawyer.

[Anonymous]

If the office is closed, how can you get in the door?

[Anonymous]

ummm, hail no.

I work for local government and when the office is closed, nobody is going in except emergency personnel.

I know you guys are lawyers and all but that is f'ing ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

I’m not a lawyer but we are still expected to work from home (private company).

[Anonymous]

Op here. The key card still works to get in the building as well as the suite even if building closed. We are not allowed to telework even though we do often work at night and weekends at home with remote access.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By the office is closed, do you mean the building or the firm? Be specific. You're a lawyer.

Both are closed. The building sent an email to tenants, and the firm sent an email the office is closed. However, attorneys are expected to still come into the office, within the building, using our access card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By the office is closed, do you mean the building or the firm? Be specific. You're a lawyer.

Both are closed. The building sent an email to tenants, and the firm sent an email the office is closed. However, attorneys are expected to still come into the office, within the building, using our access card.

It sounds like they *may* have meant that you can come in, despite what the building said, and that your billable expectations are not being reduced because of inclement weather.
If you're actually unable to choose to take leave, that's messed up, but I don't know if there's anything you can/should do about it besides look for another job. The whole point of a billable hour requirement is that I can take vacation so long as I make my hours and am available to the partner who needs me.

Depending on your confidence in your position there, you could call in sick / car trouble, or point out travel safety issues that prevent your actually going in. But the fact you are posting here suggests you do not have a supportive partner, at least on this issue, and there's not going to be so much snow tomorrow that you can't travel. I guess you could go in and work on your resume.