Bengaluru: A Bengaluru resident has sparked widespread criticism on social media after a post allegedly shared on his residential society’s internal app questioned the wages paid to domestic workers and urged fellow residents to “control the rates” offered to maids.

The man, reportedly a freelance HR consultant, faced backlash after screenshots of the message circulated online, with many users calling the remarks “insensitive”, “derogatory” and disrespectful towards domestic workers.

The authenticity of the viral post has not been independently verified.

Viral post triggers controversy

According to screenshots shared online, the man wrote that he was searching for a maid who could work twice a day once in the morning and again in the evening.

In the post, he reportedly stated that he was willing to pay ₹3,500 for both shifts combined if Sundays were off.

“Looking for a maid who comes twice. I need morning anytime between 7:30 am to 10 am and afternoon at around 4 pm. Salary I will pay ₹3,500 for both times if Sunday is off,” the post allegedly read.

The message further stated that residents should avoid hiring domestic workers demanding ₹3,500 for a single shift.

“The fair rate for one time is ₹2,500,” the man reportedly wrote.

What drew the strongest criticism, however, was the comparison he allegedly made between domestic workers’ earnings and salaries earned by engineering graduates and BPO employees.

Comparison with engineering graduates sparks outrage

In the viral post, the resident reportedly argued that domestic workers earning ₹25,000 by working across multiple homes were making more than “qualified and skilled” employees in some sectors.

“I don’t want to inflate the rates and I strongly urge all residents to control the rates,” the post stated.

The individual also reportedly referred to pricing on “Insta maid apps” while calculating what he considered appropriate compensation for domestic workers.

“If monthly maids come for 25 days, that equates to ₹2,500. If she works for 10 hours or 10 houses, that’s ₹25,000. That’s more than what qualified and skilled people get in BPO and tier 3 engineering graduates get in service companies post tax,” the message allegedly added.

The comments quickly spread across social media platforms after screenshots were reportedly shared on Reddit by a user identified as “litterboxobserver”.

The Reddit post gained significant attention, with many users criticising the tone and reasoning behind the remarks.

Social media users criticise remarks

Several social media users accused the resident of undervaluing domestic work and displaying a lack of empathy towards household workers.

Many users also questioned the comparison between domestic labour and salaried corporate jobs, arguing that domestic workers often perform physically demanding work without benefits, job security or fixed working conditions.

“What’s up with Bangalore boomer crowd lately?” one user reportedly wrote while reacting to the screenshots online.

Another user commented that the remarks reflected a “cartel-like” approach to controlling wages.

“HRs are known to form this cartel-like behaviour for salary control,” a social media user remarked.

Others pointed out the irony of residents living in high-rent gated communities objecting to wages earned by domestic workers.

One user highlighted that residents paying rents upwards of ₹70,000 for luxury apartments were still attempting to negotiate aggressively with household staff over salaries.

The controversy also reignited larger discussions online regarding domestic worker wages, labour dignity and Bengaluru’s rising cost of living.

Debate over domestic worker wages

The incident has prompted renewed conversations around how domestic labour is valued in urban India, particularly in metropolitan cities such as Bengaluru where household support staff play a significant role in daily life.

Domestic workers in major cities often work across multiple homes and handle tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing and childcare, with salaries varying depending on locality, workload and working hours.

Experts note that increasing urban living costs, transport expenses and housing rents have contributed to rising wage expectations among domestic workers in cities.

Social media users also pointed out that comparing wages without considering working conditions, lack of healthcare benefits, paid leave or employment security presents an incomplete picture.

While debates over wage negotiations are common in urban housing societies, the tone of the alleged post became the central point of criticism online.

As the screenshots continue circulating across platforms, the incident has once again highlighted the sensitive and often polarised conversations surrounding domestic labour, salary expectations and social attitudes toward household workers in Indian cities.