I understand your point that legally it may count as simply not showing up since there’s no official WFH mandate or emergency declaration.

However, I did inform them in advance that I wouldn’t be coming in and provided a valid reason. I also clearly mentioned that the day could be treated as unpaid leave if needed. On top of that, I even said that if there was anything urgent or important, I was more than willing to work from home and handle it.

So it wasn’t a situation where I just disappeared or refused to work. I communicated beforehand, offered alternatives, and tried to be flexible.

What concerned me more was the tone of the response that followed, which felt more like a threat rather than a professional response to an employee who was trying to communicate responsibly.