HRs often promise several things while hiring a candidate, but one employee’s recent experience has highlighted how those promises can sometimes differ from workplace reality after joining.
An employee who recently joined a large services firm has shared concerns in a Reddit post after being hired for a role described as hybrid, but later finding it operated as a full-time office role.
According to the post, the employee moved from Bangalore to Pune for the job after being verbally assured during hiring that the position would follow a hybrid model with two to three days working from home.
“During hiring, HR clearly communicated verbally that the role was hybrid (2–3 days in office),” the caption of the post reads.
However, on the first day, the manager and teammates reportedly told the employee that this specific team works from the office five days a week.
Expectation vs workplace reality:
The working hours were typically from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm, with staff expected to stay longer if evening meetings were scheduled.
The arrangement was described as simply how the team functions rather than as a flexible policy.
The employee later approached HR, who reportedly said she was surprised to learn about the situation and would discuss it with the manager.
“I spoke to HR a week later, she said she is surprised too, knowing this, because people in such teams are actually hybrid or remote only,” the employee adds.
However, no changes followed. The manager even stated that there was no work-from-home option in the team and that employees who were not comfortable with the arrangement could leave.
The employee also described cultural differences within the team, which mainly consists of long-serving staff members who believe physical presence reflects productivity.
Here’s how people reacted to the post:
Reddit users reacted with mixed opinions to the post, with many sympathising with the employee and saying hiring communication should clearly match actual team practices.
One of the users commented, “Same thing happened to me at my first company.”
“On a serious note, though, your only option is to start looking outside and find something suitable and then quit. I believe you have a 1-month notice period during the first 6 months, and so try finding another job ASAP,” another user commented.