TCS sets ‘Conditions' for Employees; Hikes and Promotions Depends on Return to Office Policy

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced a new policy linking salary hikes and variable payouts for employees to their adherence to the return-to-office (RTO) mandate.

According to reports from The Times of India (TOI), unit heads have communicated this policy shift to their teams. Under the new rule, promotions for certain grades will be contingent on employees' track records of working from the office.

TCS has mandated a full return to the office for employees on all five working days, marking the end of the work-from-home option for specific teams. The directive specifies that employees must work from their designated offices and refrain from choosing locations closer to their residences. Some employees are reportedly open to forgoing city allowances in exchange for increased flexibility. The HR department is said to be considering limited work-from-home opportunities on a case-by-case basis, as mentioned in the report.

The company has explicitly stated that its recently implemented return-to-office policy is not limited to existing employees but also extends to new hires. This policy applies to freshers who have completed their designated courses and are now eligible for compensation exceeding the standard annual amount of Rs 3 lakh. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company allowed employees to work from home, resulting in a minimal number of employees choosing to work from the office. Despite repeated requests for employees to return to the office, compliance was limited. Consequently, TCS has revised its policy, now mandating that employees attend the office for five days a week. This signifies a complete cessation of TCS's work-from-home policy.