May lead to termination: Cognizant warns staff for not returning to office

IT major Cognizant workforce reduced by 3,300 to 344,400 employees at the end of March 2024, compared to December 2023

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Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp has warned employees who have not adhered to the company's return-to-office rules after reminders. In a letter sent mid-April, the information technology (IT) giant said non-compliance could lead to serious actions, including termination, according to a report by Mint.

Cognizant return-to-office policy

Earlier this year, Cognizant asked employees in India to attend the office thrice a week. The company has since implemented a system to track employees' office hours and manage seat allocation. This initiative followed a directive from chief executive S Ravi Kumar in February, who asked employees to work in the office for an average of three days a week.

Cognizant has been tracking the attendance of employees, particularly those on the bench (those not currently assigned to a project), and sharing this information with top executives. Until recently, the company did not have a standardised return-to-office policy, allowing project teams to set their own schedules.

Cognizant's warning to employees

The letter, seen by Mint, states, “Please note that failure to adhere to the directions will amount to serious misconduct as per company policies and accordingly, appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated against you, which may lead up to termination.”

The communication was sent to employees who had previously received multiple reminders from their project managers, HR teams, and team managers regarding in-office expectations.

Return-to-office industry trends

Cognizant's move aligns with broader trends in the IT industry, where companies are increasingly enforcing return-to-office policies. For instance, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has linked office attendance to performance bonuses, with employees working less than three days a week in the office not receiving performance bonuses. HCL Technologies, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra also mandated a three-day office work week in November 2023, while Infosys requires its employees to work from the office at least 10 days a month.

Cognizant ended the March 2024 quarter with 344,400 employees, a reduction of 3,300 from the December 2023 quarter. This workforce adjustment reflects the company's January-December financial year cycle.

As the debate over remote work continues, Cognizant's strict enforcement of return-to-office policies highlights the challenges companies face in balancing operational efficiency with employee flexibility after the pandemic.