'Moving back would destroy my savings': Bengaluru software engineer's rant amid mandatory return-to-office sparks debate

The return-to-office debate is once again making waves across India’s tech industry after a Bengaluru-based software engineer’s Reddit post went viral, highlighting concerns over mandatory five-day office attendance and the rising cost of living in the country’s technology capital.

A major concern highlighted in the post was Bengaluru’s rising cost of living. "I lived in Bengaluru before COVID, so I already know the reality: terrible traffic, expensive rent, long commutes, high living costs, and almost no personal time left after work. Moving back with family would destroy most of my savings despite the salary."

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The developer, who said he has over a decade of experience in the IT sector, revealed that his company recently informed employees that they must return to the office full-time by the end of the year. The announcement, he said, came after several years of successful remote work during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and productivity was never an issue while working remotely.

"Over the years, I built a great WFH setup and genuinely preferred this life. No wasting hours in traffic, no forced office presence, no pointless cafeteria discussions or fake socializing. I don’t need to sit beside coworkers to do my job properly," the engineer wrote. 

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Read the full post here

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The post quickly gained traction, drawing hundreds of comments from fellow professionals. "You have until December to find a new job. Your employer is also hoping for the same. Thats why they asked for 5 days WFO," a user said. 

Another user wrote, "That's the niche technique to get rid off the workforce. They want you to quit in the name of resisting to WFO mandate of 5 days office."

A third user said, "I live in constant fear that someday this will happen to me and I'll have to move back to Bangalore. I hated living there."