As companies in India continue to navigate post-pandemic work-from-home policies, conflicts over office attendance are becoming more common. One employee at SBC recently shared his struggle with management over how often he should come to the office, sparking debate online.
The employee, who lives about 300 km away from the Bangalore office, said his department had an indefinite WFH policy for the past year. He, however, had been going in only once every two months to attend key meetings or leadership sessions.
“I work in SBC and our department had indefinite WFH policy for the past year. The office is in Bangalore, and employees who live nearby usually go in occasionally, maybe once in a while or for specific meetings. I live in a different city, around 300 km away. I’ve been going to the office once every two months for leadership or important meetings,” the user wrote on Reddit.
Further, he said that his manager insisted that he should come to the office once a week for team-building exercises and cultural activities. The employee wrote, “I’ve explained multiple times that it’s not feasible for me to travel this often, but he’s not backing off. It’s starting to create tension between us, and our relationship is getting worse day by day.”
He added, “I’m now considering escalating this to higher management. But I’m worried, could this affect my relationship with the team?”
The post quickly went viral among Redditors, attracting numerous reactions and advice.
One user weighed in, saying, “This could affect your relationship with the team, yes. You should escalate if you don’t want to move closer. Or switch teams. I have worked under Indian, American, Australian, and European managers — many Indian managers feel entitlement with their designation, while Americans see it as a role with responsibilities. Australians are calmer, and Europeans are in a different league altogether.”
Another Redditor shared a generational perspective, writing, “I think it’s a generation issue. When Gen Z becomes managers, these problems won’t exist.”
Redditors also noted that such conflicts are not unique to this company, reflecting a broader struggle as businesses adjust to post-pandemic work norms and try to maintain team cohesion while respecting remote work arrangements.
