Work-life balance in India’s technology and services sector is again under scrutiny as major IT firms revise workplace policies, causing concern among employees.
Infosys has begun tracking the working hours of remote employees as part of an initiative to support work-life balance.
Work-Life Balance Under Strain as Infosys and Other IT Firms Tighten Workplace Policies
Employees at Infosys receive automated emails if they exceed designated work hours, detailing their total workdays, logged hours, and average daily working time.
According to company policy, employees are expected to work 9 hours and 15 minutes per day, five days a week.
Hours beyond this, particularly during remote work, are flagged by the system.
Infosys’ move is part of a broader push to enforce its return-to-office policy, introduced in November 2023.
Under this mandate, employees must work from the office for at least 10 days each month.
Infosys’ Code of Conduct encourages employees to file complaints if they face discrimination, harassment, or lack of equal opportunity.
Genpact, TCS Face Backlash For Extending Workdays to 10 Hours
Genpact is facing backlash for extending workdays to 10 hours, which has raised concerns among both employees and HR professionals about its impact on workplace culture.
An employee at Genpact’s Hyderabad office said, “I used to log in at noon and wrap up by 9 p.m., and even that was exhausting. Now, with the new policy, I’ll have to start at 11 a.m.”
Genpact assesses employee productivity via an internal portal that tracks active work hours daily.
Employees meeting the daily work hour target can earn up to 500 points monthly, equivalent to ₹3,000.
An extra 5% incentive is provided for hours worked beyond the standard, translating to around ₹150 in some cases.
In June, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) implemented a new policy requiring employees to log a minimum of 225 billed business days annually.
This change reduces allowable bench time to just 35 days per year, according to an Economic Times report.
TCS’s new policy aims to boost workforce utilisation and align employee output with company objectives.
TCS employees are also expected to spend 4–6 hours daily on learning platforms such as iEvolve, Fresco Play, and LinkedIn Learning.
The company has removed flexible work options, making physical office presence mandatory.
The All India IT and ITeS Employees’ Union (AIITEU) has criticized the policy, calling it “anti-worker” and accusing TCS of using it to increase pressure and reduce workforce size.
These policy changes contrast with global trends where many companies are exploring four-day workweeks and greater flexibility to enhance work-life integration.
A March 2025 survey by New York-based Vertex Group, conducted across five Indian states, found that 52% of employees reported burnout due to poor work-life balance.
