IT employees' union says TCS bench policy 'coercive' and 'punishing'

35-day bench rule pressures employees and promotes a culture of fear, says NITES

A group representing India’s IT workers has sent a letter to the labour and employment ministry, accusing Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) of “coercive” and “punishing” practices under its new bench policy. 

 

The policy, enforced by India's largest IT services provider last month, stipulates that employees can be without any project allocation for a maximum 35 days a year, after which they risk career de-growth or even termination.

 

"While on the surface it presents itself as a resource optimisation and engagement strategy, a closer and humane reading reveals that it institutionalises a culture of fear, pressure, and psychological burden on employees who are between projects,” said Harpreet Singh Saluja, president of Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), in the letter.

 

“These are not non-performing employees, but skilled professionals who find themselves temporarily without allocation, often due to shifting business priorities, client project changes, or internal inefficiencies that are beyond their control. Instead of support, they are met with suspicion, coercion, and threats," he said.

 

The bench policy “enforces an environment of constant surveillance and control,” thus treating employees as liabilities. “Their availability is expected around the clock, with zero flexibility. Even a short period of unavailability is met with veiled threats, warnings, or HR inquiries," it said.

 

TCS, which had a workforce of around 613,000 as of June 30, has said that employees must be in projects for at least 225 days a year, otherwise management action will be taken.

 

"If they fail to find an allocation, the burden is again placed on them, not the organisation. There is no accountability for the failure of internal systems, only punishment for employees," Saluja said.

 

TCS chief executive K Krithivasan defended the policy last week, saying employees are expected to take responsibility for their careers. "While HR supports project placement, we also expect associates to proactively seek new assignments after completing existing ones. What you are seeing now is simply a more structured version of what has long been in practice. We aim to minimise bench time."