TCS under fire for new bench policy; NITES alleges forced exits, salary refund demands
According to NITES, while the policy may appear to be a resource optimization and engagement strategy on the surface, it effectively institutionalizes "a culture of fear, pressure, psychological burden"
ADVERTISEMENT
The IT-union body, Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), has filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Labour and Employment against Tata Consultancy Services' newly implemented 'Bench Policy'. NITES said it received complaints from around 78 employees, and alleged that the policy threatens the job security, dignity, and well-being of thousands of IT professionals across India.
Last month, software service firm TCS rolled out a new associate deployment policy that mandates a minimum of 225 billed business days annually for each employee, limiting bench time to a maximum of 35 business days per year. The policy, which came into effect on June 12, aims to cut employee "idle time" and align workforce deployment with organisational and individual performance goals.
The company emphasized that it is the associate's responsibility to proactively engage with the unit/regional Resource Management Group to seek suitable opportunities if no project is assigned to them.
According to NITES, while the policy may appear to be a resource optimization and engagement strategy on the surface, it effectively institutionalizes "a culture of fear, pressure, psychological burden on employees who are between projects".
The union further alleged that if associates failed to secure a project within 35 days, they would face termination or be pressured to resign.
NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja told Storyboard18 that the policy is not about performance or productivity, but about control. "It reflects an organizational culture that prioritizes billability over empathy, metrics over morale," Saluja added.
NITES pointed out that the affected employees are not underperformers, but skilled professionals who are temporarily without allocation, often due to shifting business priorities, client project changes, or internal inefficiencies.
The IT union body underscored that when the company itself struggles to find projects, it cannot hold employees responsible for bench time.
"The company’s refusal to acknowledge project shortages is even more shocking given that their own quarterly press conferences highlight significant delays in pipeline projects and the project losses to other vendors," NITES mentioned in its complaint to the Labour Ministry.
The union has also accused TCS managers and HR managers of demanding salary repayments from benched employees.
"We have received multiple reports of TCS managers and HR personnel asking employees on the bench, who were attending calls and contributing remotely, to repay the salary paid during that period. This is not only unlawful but also unprecedented in India’s labour history. No employer has the right to demand a refund of wages from an employee who has remained available and cooperative," the union said.
NITES has urged the Ministry of Labour and Employment to direct TCS to suspend the 35-day bench termination practice, stopping forced resignations and threats, ensuring variable pay is released as per commitment, and prohibiting any attempt to recover salaries from employees.
