‘9 years, ₹35,000 salary’: Bengaluru techie compares work at top IT firm to ‘slavery without chains’

A techie from Bengaluru has compared his nine years at one of India’s largest IT companies to “slavery without chains”, revealing his harrowing experience in a Reddit post. Despite nearly a decade of service, his monthly salary was only ₹35,000 when he left the company.

Today, working for a global IT giant, his earnings have increased by almost 400%, underscoring the glaring pay gap he has suffered.

His story sheds light on the systemic problems affecting the organization. Low annual increases – often between 4-6% – left wages stagnant, while a “progression” system merely shuffled employees through sub-levels without pay rises or expanded roles. “When I left after nine years, my monthly salary was ₹ 35k. Today, I have earned ₹ 1.7 lakh,” he wrote, calling for a change in the corporate culture.

In his Reddit post, the technician criticized policies that ignored market wage adjustments, unlike his current and previous employers, who regularly adjusted pay to match industry standards.

Employees at his former company faced single-digit raises, leaving them underpaid despite years of service. Referrals to their new employer often earned former colleagues a salary increase of 80-100%, underlining the discrepancy.

Beyond the salaries, the technician details other charges. Employees were charged ₹3,200 a month for transportation, while parking fees added further to their expenses. The costs of the coffee shop were high, with a glass of juice priced at ₹40 – double what he now pays at his current workplace.

The company mandated a minimum number of hours of physical work, tracked through ID cards. This has led to employees visiting the office on weekends for trivial reasons, such as completing laundry, just to meet the required hours.

While the company’s leadership projected a philanthropic image, employees often joked that some of that generosity could be directed toward staff welfare and better pay.

The technician urged a systemic reform, advocating a “Minimum Wage Policy” in all sectors in India. Their story is not just a personal narrative, but a rallying cry for fair treatment, better pay structures, and labor policies that prioritize employee dignity.