A TCS employee began living outside the IT company’s Pune office in protest, demanding that his pending salary be credited. A photo of the employee, Saurabh More, sleeping on the footpath has now gone viral on social media.
The now-viral picture shows More sleeping on the footpath using his bag as a pillow. The picture also shows a handwritten letter placed beside him.
What does the TCS employee’s letter say?
“I have reported back to TCS Sahyadri Park Pune Office on July 29, and still my ID is not active on Ultimatix and TCS systems, and I haven’t received my salary, which was confirmed at the 30th July 2025 meeting,” a part of his letter read.
He added that he was informed during the meeting that he would receive his salary the next day, which was July 31. “I’ve informed HR that I don’t have money and will be forced to sleep and live outside TCS on the footpath,” the letter further stated, before adding, “HR has not responded to that and kept quiet. Hence, I have been living on the footpath since July 29 in front of TCS.”
‘In solidarity with TCS employee’: FITE
Forum For IT Employees (FITE), in a statement, said, “We stand in solidarity with the TCS employee protesting outside their Pune office for his pending salary. His courage to raise his voice in such dire conditions is commendable.”
It added, “However, salary delays and job-related issues should also be formally reported to the Labour Office. Protesting is a strong visual message, but combining it with a legal complaint strengthens the fight and compels accountability.”
The forum ended its statement by reminding the techies that they shouldn’t hesitate to take legal help as their rights are “protected under Indian labour laws.”
#TCS pune employee protest outside TCS office in #hinjawadi
— Forum For IT Employees – FITE (@FITEMaharashtra) August 3, 2025
Summary of the Letter (by Saurabh More):
The employee reported back to the TCS Sahyadri Park, Pune office on 29th July 2025, but his ID is still inactive in TCS systems and he has not received his salary. In a meeting… pic.twitter.com/QQqK6v1jPS
TCS responds
The IT firm has acknowledged the incident, stating that More’s salary was withheld due to an unauthorised absence from work. “This is a case of unauthorised absence where the employee has been absent from the office. In accordance with standard procedure, payroll was suspended during this period,” TCS said in a statement to FinancialExpress.com.
The company further said that he has reported to work and requested reinstatement.
“We have currently provided him with accommodation and are working to support him in resolving the matter in a fair and constructive manner,” the statement added.
‘TCS appears to have abandoned…’: Social media reactions
“Very unfortunate. TCS appears to have abandoned the very values the Tata Group once stood for,” said one social media user.
Another added, “Was the employee on Loss of pay and reported back to work only after payroll cut off? This is pretty normal. Salaries are not processed individually but in batches….”
“After Ratan Tata, the TCS management has gone berserk. No ethics…,” commented a third.
A fourth said, “Shameful,” while a fifth wrote, “More tech layoffs will continue as AI progresses and is adopted by business, releasing human manpower.”
TCS recently announced a global workforce realignment as part of its broader restructuring strategy. The move is expected to affect approximately 2 per cent of its global workforce, around 12,000 employees.