"A little bit"?

If someone collects a salary for a job by pretending to work and then when asked to work quits, they're a thief.

Most thieves steal just to live; stealing a whole second salary is obscene.

If you see someone shoplifting baby food, look away. If you see someone stealing a whole expensive salary, turn them in.

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That said, one little detail stuck out - the boss "asked for people's best effort" but also resumed the in-person office.

I wouldn't quit; but I wouldn't come back into the office under any circumstances. When I was younger, I might have quit.

I am easily 20% more productive working at home, and yet I have in practice more free time. I'm not going to slash my productivity and my spare time just because of some arbitrary edict, even if it's someone who's treated me well.

It'd be interesting to hear the other side.

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Still, I don't find the story particularly unbelievable. Some humans are really decent; many aren't; many people turn to programming because they don't really like their fellow humans.