A full-stack developer in India lost their job. On the same day, they received a new offer from the same employer. The incident was shared on Reddit. It has sparked debate about working conditions in the country’s struggling tech job market.
The developer, who had just 8 months of experience, was laid off on March 31. By the end of the day, the same company offered them a work-from-home role at Rs 25,000 per month, only slightly more than their previous Rs 23,000 salary.
What did the company offer?
According to the Reddit post, the employer admitted there had not been enough work that month and that paying full salaries was not possible. No prior warning was given. Employees were caught off guard.
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Shortly after, the developer was called in separately. The new offer required them to handle the entire team's workload alone, covering both full-stack development and mobile projects. When the developer raised concerns about managing such responsibility at that pay, the employer, referred to as "Lala ji" in the post, reportedly said, "take 25K for now since there are no new projects, and that my salary would increase significantly once a new development project comes in".
Lost job today, now asked to handle everything alone for 25K WFH
byu/Traditional-Night-25 indevelopersIndia
Why did the developer say yes?
The developer accepted the verbal offer, though no written offer letter was provided. As they explained in the Reddit post, "I accepted for now (new offer letter not provided yet) because the tech market is quite tough for someone with 8 months of experience as a full stack developer."
How did Reddit respond?
The post gathered over 700 upvotes. Reactions were mixed. Some users saw the role as a short-term safety net. One commenter advised, "I say, take the offer as a support for now and start preparing for interviews." Others warned that the arrangement might not count as valid work experience in future background checks. A few suggested completing at least one year to avoid being classified as a fresher again.
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One Reddit user also shared a similar experience, writing, "Yeah, I can relate. I worked at a startup for almost 3 years, and during my last 2 months (notice period), I didn't even get paid."
The user further added, "There was barely any proper documentation or paperwork, and the work culture was honestly terrible. Felt like the CEO was more into the 'startup' hype than actually running things properly."
The main concern in the discussion was clear. Verbal promises do not offer real protection. Early-career professionals face the biggest burden in a shrinking job market.
