'I have no money': TCS employee sleeps on pavement outside as salary dispute goes public; Company responds
Saurabh More
, an employee of
Tata Consultancy Services
(
TCS
), lying on the pavement outside the company's Sahyadri Park office in
Pune
has gone viral. More, with a bag for a pillow and a handwritten letter beside him, said he had no option but to live on the footpath after not being paid.
The image, first posted by an Instagram account called beingpunekarofficial on 2 August, has since gathered over 15,000 reactions. It has also fuelled heated discussions on social media about
employee treatment
, unpaid dues, and internal company processes.
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What the TCS employee's letter said
In a handwritten letter placed beside him, More wrote, "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."
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He said that HR had informed him he would be paid the following day. That did not happen.
— dipunair (@dipunair)
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"I've informed HR that I don't have money and will be forced to sleep and live outside TCS on the footpath," he wrote.
"HR has not responded to that and kept quiet. Hence, I have been living on the footpath since July 29 in front of TCS."
The letter claims he returned from a short leave, but his access to internal systems remained blocked and his salary was withheld, leaving him stranded.
How TCS responded
TCS addressed the matter in a statement shared with multiple media outlets, including Hindustan Times and FinancialExpress.com. The company said, "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."
They added that More has now returned 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 company confirmed that he is no longer living outside the office.
Employee forum voices support
The
Forum for IT Employees
(FITE) came out in support of More's protest, saying his action had highlighted a serious concern.
In its public statement, FITE 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."
— FITEMaharashtra (@FITEMaharashtra)
However, the forum also encouraged formal reporting alongside protest.
"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."
FITE concluded its statement by reminding tech workers that their rights are protected under
Indian labour laws
.
Story goes viral on social media
The incident has triggered a wave of online commentary. Some criticised TCS, accusing it of abandoning long-held values. "Very unfortunate. TCS appears to have abandoned the very values the Tata Group once stood for," one user posted.
Another pointed to process and timing, writing, "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…"
Others took a harsher tone.
"After Ratan Tata, the TCS management has gone berserk. No ethics…"
"Shameful," said another.
The discussion also drew in wider concerns about automation.
"More tech layoffs will continue as AI progresses and is adopted by business, releasing human manpower."
What is happening at TCS: Restructuring and layoffs
The protest follows a larger shake-up at India's biggest IT services firm. TCS recently confirmed plans to cut around 12,000 jobs — roughly 2 percent of its global workforce — as part of a realignment towards an AI-focused strategy.
The company has also implemented a stricter policy on benching, limiting non-billable time to 35 days per year and requiring all employees to log at least 225 billable days annually.
These internal changes have led to growing concerns among employees about job stability, communication, and handling of grievances.
While the issue with More may be resolved in part, the broader conversation is far from over. His protest has struck a nerve among workers in the tech sector, where uncertainty is rising. Whether the issue was a procedural lapse or a deeper management failure, the response to it suggests employees are beginning to speak up more publicly and visibly when systems break down.
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