The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has written to the ministry of labour and employment, raising concerns about Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) new bench policy. The industry body said it had received 78 complaints from employees, alleging coercive practices under the policy.
In a letter dated July 16, NITES described the policy as “exploitative,” alleging that it creates a culture of fear among employees between projects — known as being “on the bench.”
It said TCS employees were being pressured to resign if they failed to secure a new project within 35 days of completing an assignment, with some allegedly threatened with denial of experience letters.
NITES claimed that project shortages within the company were not acknowledged, even as internal reshuffles and client-side delays affected staffing. Employees on the bench were expected to be constantly available, log daily timesheets, complete mandatory learning hours and chase new projects, it said.
The letter also alleged that some employees were asked to repay salaries earned while on the bench, despite being available and participating in calls — a move NITES called unlawful.
As per the policy, in effect from June 16, employees must have a minimum of 225 billable days in a rolling 12-month period and can spend no more than 35 days on the bench. Failing to meet these conditions could affect compensation, career progression, and opportunities for overseas deployment.
The policy also states that benched employees must report to office daily, continue upskilling through structured learning modules and be readily available for deployment. Flexi-working or work-from-home is not permitted during this period, except under rare circumstances.
NITES has urged the ministry to intervene and called for a wider review of such policies across the IT sector to ensure fairness, support, and dignity for employees.