India, Oct. 8 -- A mid-level people manager at a foreign financial services firm in Bengaluru has revealed what they say are the real reasons behind return-to-office (RTO) mandates.

Sharing insights on Reddit, the manager (@EuroDollarBond) claimed that WFO rules are not about teamwork or company culture, but a deliberate strategy to force staff to leave.

"Uncomfortable truths about WFO mandates, from a people manager in Bangalore," the caption of the post reads.

According to the manager, during COVID, many companies overhired. Instead of doing mass layoffs, which can damage a company's image and cost severance, firms are now using office mandates to make employees quit on their own.

"It's calculated. It's deliberate. And it's working,...