Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has decided to delay the onboarding process for lateral hires with 1.8 to 15 years of experience by three months due to project commencement delays, according to sources familiar with the matter.
This delay comes at a challenging time for the Indian IT sector, which is already facing difficulties due to macroeconomic headwinds and project deferrals caused by clients reducing their technology budgets.
TCS Delays Onboarding of 200 Recruits
Over 200 lateral recruits across various cities in India, including Bangalore, Pune, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, Delhi NCR, and Indore, are affected by these delays. These individuals were hired between January and April, initially experiencing a one-month delay in onboarding.
However, many of them received multiple subsequent joining dates. On July 10, they received emails stating that their joining dates were further postponed to October.
Interestingly, TCS did not proactively communicate the deferment of onboarding dates to the affected individuals, as reported by multiple sources.
Onboarding Date Deferred Without Any Explanation
One employee with over 10 years of experience, who was recruited for a specific project, mentioned that TCS had been in regular contact with him during his notice period to ensure his joining. However, he received no information regarding his onboarding formalities the previous week.
He stated, “It’s when I started following up with them that I got to know that my onboarding date has been deferred. When I asked them what the reason was, they said they were informed by the management last week that onboarding will be done in phases. But they aren’t confirming any date.”
As per this grieved individual, the current job market, especially for someone with his level of experience, is extremely challenging, causing financial strain as he has a family to support, children to take care of, and loans to repay.
NITES Files Complain
IT Employee Union NITES (Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate) has filed a formal complaint with the IT Ministry over this issue.
Harpreet Singh Saluja, President, Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES said,
“After receiving complaints from employees Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES has registered a complaint with Ministry of Labour and Employment Government of India regarding the delayed onboarding of over 200 lateral recruits by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). TCS has postponed the onboarding of lateral hires by a period of three months. This unexpected delay has caused immense hardship to the affected employees, who had already resigned from their previous jobs in good faith after receiving employment offers from TCS. These employees, who possess varying levels of experience ranging from 1.8 to up to 15 years, are now left jobless and without any source of income. These employees were already working in other companies when they received offer letters from TCS.
The consequences of this delayed onboarding are particularly distressing considering the financial obligations and family responsibilities that the affected employees bear. They trusted the offer letters provided by TCS, which assured them of a smooth transition into their new roles. However, upon reaching the TCS office on the designated joining dates, they were informed about the unfortunate delay, leaving them in a state of uncertainty and vulnerability.
We believe that TCS has a responsibility towards these lateral recruits who have placed their trust in the organization. The abrupt delay in onboarding has not only jeopardized their livelihoods but has also caused significant mental and emotional distress. We have urged the Ministry of Labour and Employment Government of India to take appropriate action and intervene in this matter. We have also requested for below directions for TCS to:
- Pay the affected employees their full salaries for the three months that their onboarding has been delayed.
- Provide the affected employees with access to TCS’s employee assistance program.
- Work with the affected employees to find alternative employment opportunities within TCS.
We believe that these measures are essential to ensure that the affected employees are not unfairly penalized for TCS’s decision to delay their onboarding.”
TCS Hiring Scam
According to TCS’ LinkedIn page, the company currently has approximately 5,296 open positions to fill.
In addition to the onboarding delays, TCS is also dealing with a major hiring scam that recently surfaced. The company discovered that several staffing firms were bribing senior TCS executives in the Resource Management Group (RMG) to gain preferential business opportunities. TCS has taken action by terminating six employees and banning six staffing firms, while three employees are under investigation.
