A complaint has been filed against IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) at the Ministry of Labour and Employment regarding its new bench policy, which has been termed “coercive” and “punishing.” Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), a group that claims to represent IT workers in the country, has sent a letter to the ministry, criticising the new bench policy of the company.
What is the bench policy?
TCS introduced an associate deployment policy that requires a minimum of 225 billed business days each year for every employee, effectively capping bench time at 35 business days annually. The policy, effective from 12 June, aims to minimise idle time and optimise workforce utilisation, according to a report by the Times of India on Tuesday, 17 June 2025.
“At any given point in time, associates must be allocated for a minimum period of 225 business days in the last 12 months,” the report said, citing official policy documents from TCS.
In case an employee does not work for at least 225 business days within the past 12 months and has longer unallocated periods or exceeds 35 business days per year, it will affect their compensation, career advancement, opportunities for overseas deployment, and employment prospects at TCS, as per the documents reviewed by the news portal.
What are the concerns of the IT union?
NITES, in an official release on its website, stated that the TCS employees have raised “serious concerns” regarding the company’s new bench policy, which has “created an atmosphere of fear, coercion, and immense psychological pressure within the organisation.”
The union has alleged that employees between projects, commonly referred to as being on the bench, are pushed to find new projects continuously, with little to no support from the company’s internal systems.
NITES further said, “Many employees are being asked to resign if they fail to find a project within thirty-five days of being on the bench. Employees are being pressurised to take up roles outside their domain or core expertise, and if they refuse, they are told their employment will be terminated.”