What do you do if you’re asked to return to the office after a lengthy remote work arrangement?

More and more companies are now requiring employees to return to the office. What can someone do if they’ve arranged their life to accommodate a work-from-home schedule and can’t (or don’t want to) make changes to their child care arrangements, transportation, etc.?

“Almost every day I hear stories about remote work getting reversed,” says career advancement coach Lauren Milligan, founder of ResuMAYDAY. The first thing employees should understand, she adds, is that the law is on the employer’s side.

“They need to know that employers can legally call back — or call in, if they were hired remotely — employees. That is the right of the employer,” Milligan explains. “The only exception is if remote work was previously negotiated into that employee’s employment contract.”

The first step anyone in this position should take is to schedule a meeting with their boss or HR representative and be prepared to take the following steps, career experts say.

Explain why you want to continue working remotely. “They should explain the difficulties in transitioning back to the office and how it affects child care, transportation, or other aspects of their life,” says Laurel Gordon, founder of Money Bucket, a website dedicated to topics related to personal finance.

Have details that showcase your productivity. “Emphasize how their work-fromhome arrangement has been productive and efficient,” Gordon advises. “Provide examples of successful projects or tasks completed during remote work and explain how the current setup benefits both the employee and the company.”

“Also estimate how much productivity will be lost if forced to come into the office five days a week,” adds Damian Birkel, founder and executive director of Professionals In Transition Support Group Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the unemployed and underemployed.

Propose a flexible work arrangement.

Gordon recommends suggesting alternative work arrangements, such as continuing to work remotely, working a hybrid schedule, or adjusting work hours to accommodate their specific needs.

Gather support.

“If there are other employees in a similar situation, consider banding together to address concerns collectively,” Gordon suggests. “Presenting a united front might encourage the employer to reconsider their decision or offer more flexible options.”

Explore alternative employment

.If all else fails and returning to the office is unmanageable, it might be necessary to explore other job opportunities with more accommodating work arrangements that better align with the employee’s needs and preferences.

Birkel agrees:

“Silently prepare for a job search in case your boss does not budge [on the requirement of ] you having to be in the office five days a week.”

(Kathleen Furore is a writer and editor who has covered personal finance and other business-related topics for a variety of trade and consumer publications. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com.)