TCS Staff Fear Layoffs, Career Hit As First 35-Day Bench Policy Cycle Ends
TCS Bench Policy: TCS employees worry about the new 35-day bench policy, needing 225 billed days yearly. Concerns on Reddit include career impacts and project mismatches.
TCS Bench Policy: Employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) stare at an uncertain future after the end of the first 35-day cycle of new bench policy. Several employees took social media like Reddit to express their anxiety and concern over a looming threat of career degrowth or even termination.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had introduced a revised associate deployment policy that restricts bench time to a maximum of 35 business days per year, requiring employees to be deployed for at least 225 billed days annually.
Effective June 12, the new rule aimed at enhancing workforce utilisation and aligning individual contributions with organisational goals.
The update, communicated by Chandrasekaran Ramkumar, global head of TCS's Resource Management Group (RMG), stresses that prolonged unallocated periods could negatively affect compensation, career growth, international postings, and even continued employment with the company.
Some employees say they're struggling to find suitable projects, while others claim they're being assigned to roles that don't align with their skills. According to several posts on Reddit, as per ET report, some are facing rejections in client interviews, and many are finding it difficult to get projects in their preferred locations.
In a letter to the minister, the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) claimed that the IT giant is pressuring employees on the bench with repeated threats of termination and refusing to provide experience letters if they fail to meet unrealistic deployment timelines.
TCS 35-Days Bench Policy: More Info
To facilitate faster deployment, physical office presence is now mandatory. Work-from-home or flexible arrangements are generally discouraged, except under exceptional circumstances with prior RMG approval.
Earlier in January, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) revised its work-from-office (WFO) policy, introducing stricter norms for requesting exceptions. According to a company communication cited by The Times of India, employees in India can now cite personal emergencies for a maximum of six WFO exceptions per quarter. However, unused exception days cannot be carried forward to the next quarter.
Associates not currently assigned to projects are expected to proactively engage with RMG to find new opportunities. While on the bench, they must dedicate 4 to 6 hours daily to upskilling through platforms such as iEvolve, Fresco Play, VLS, and LinkedIn, complete mandatory training, and use the company's Gen AI interview coach to improve readiness.
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July 17, 2025, 08:48 IST
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