An Indian employee has declared, “I won’t spend five days in the office,” In View of High London Commute Costs
An Indian employee has declared, "I won't spend five days in the office," In View of High London Commute Costs
An Indian woman recently expressed her thoughts on LinkedIn regarding return to office, the increasing cost of living, and the stagnant salaries faced by Gen Z workers.
A 25-year-old individual from India, currently residing in London, is unwilling to commit to a five-day office work schedule because of stagnant wages and rising living expenses.
As discussions about returning to the office (RTO) become a contentious issue for employees who prefer remote work, one professional has declared that she refuses to waste her earnings on the costly commute in London.
Taruna, serving as a Global Influencer Strategy Manager at the Lego Group, recently expressed her thoughts on LinkedIn regarding RTO, the increasing cost of living, and the stagnant salaries faced by Gen Z workers, just three days ago.
“I’m 25, in a so-called ‘good’ career, living in London, and still clawing my way out of my bills every month. I’ll probably never own a home,” says the girl.
The post has received 6,400 likes since its publication on LinkedIn.
She also expressed that advancing in her career feels like a far-off aspiration, especially when all the senior roles are occupied by individuals who are unwilling to move on until they retire.
“Climbing the corporate ladder? Not exactly a dream when the jobs at the top are held by people who won’t budge until they retire. And for what? Working harder for marginally better pay that still won’t keep up with the cost of living?” she adds.
She believes that Gen Z has been unfairly disadvantaged regarding corporate benefits and compensation.
“We’re expected to survive on salaries from 5 to 10 years ago while paying 5 to 10 times the cost of living. Meanwhile, the older generations have their houses, savings, and vacations—yet we’re the ones being told we need to ‘show up’ more,” she adds in her post.
“Early Millennials, Gen X and boomers at some point in their careers got free lunches, reimbursed travel, travelling to new places for work, bonuses, stock options and actual face-to-face meetings with clients over coffee. Now? A slice of lukewarm pizza and a beer after work if you’re lucky,” says the post.
To address this issue and gain genuine control over her professional life, the strategy manager indicated that she transitioned to freelancing. “Maybe that’s the future: instead of chasing promotions in a system that doesn’t work for us, we can construct careers on our own terms,” Taruna continues further.
In summary, the MBA graduate emphasized that Gen Z workers value flexibility, well-being, and the avoidance of spending a significant portion of their income merely to be present at a desk.
