Latest news with #ChandrasekaranRamkumar
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘Anti-worker move to downsize...': TCS policy to cap bench time, 225 mandatory billing days slammed; here's what All India IT employees' union said
TCS has implemented a revised associate deployment policy that requires staff members to be billable for 225 days per year. (AI image) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)'s latest move to mandate 225 billing days for employees and cap their bench time to 35 days has been slammed by the All India IT & ITeS Employees' Union (AIITEU). The union has called TCS moves as a ploy to 'downsize' teams and has also termed it as an 'anti-worker' policy. The policy, effective June 12, was introduced by Chandrasekaran Ramkumar, who leads the Global Resource Management Group (RMG). AIITEU, representing technology workers, has labelled this directive as unfavourable to employees, suggesting it aims to reduce workforce numbers. AIITEU has reportedly issued a statement: "The RMG of TCS is known to be responsible for ensuring adequate billability of the employees. While it is true that long period of inactivity has an adverse effect on employees' compensation, individual growth and overseas deployment prospect, the policy also has an ulterior motive of transferring the responsibility to ensure adequate billability from the RMG to the employees. " Also Read | Tata Electronics builds India's 1st semiconductor fabrication unit: Gujarat enables 1,500 residential units; mainly for Tata Group staff, suppliers The union further stated: "It is an attempt by TCS Management to justify the organisation's anti-worker policy of Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) that the management often resorts to, during downsizing." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo What is the TCS updated deployment policy? Earlier this week TOI reported that TCS has implemented a revised associate deployment policy that requires staff members to be billable for 225 days per year, with bench duration limited to 35 business days annually. This directive seeks to enhance efficient resource allocation whilst ensuring alignment between company and employee objectives. According to the document examined by TOI, "At any given point in time, associates must be allocated for a minimum period of 225 business days in the last 12 months," adding that "Long periods of remaining unallocated shall adversely impact associate compensation, career growth, avenues of overseas deployment in future, and continuity of employment with the organisation." The Resource Management Group at TCS is responsible for employee deployment and allocation. This division ensures appropriate talent placement across projects whilst maintaining optimal utilisation levels throughout the organisation. "In the event an associate is unallocated, it is the primary responsibility of the associate to proactively engage with the Unit / Regional RMG for seeking allocation and take initiative towards pursuing suitable opportunities provided by the organisation," states the policy. Unallocated resources comprise associates who have been released to RMG, are available for their next assignment, and report directly to RMG. TCS offers various developmental platforms including iEvolve, Fresco Play, VLS, and LinkedIn. Associates without current assignments are required to dedicate 4-6 hours daily to relevant learning through iEvolve, fulfil all mandatory and priority training requirements, participate in RMG-recommended in-person sessions, and continuously enhance their skills to maintain interview readiness. Also Read | Big win! China companies now exporting 'Made in India' smartphones & electronics to US, West Asia; notable shift for Chinese brands Additionally, they need to utilise the Gen AI interview coach, analyse and implement feedback received from previous interviews, and ensure timely completion of all training programmes with complete attendance. TCS has mandated compulsory office attendance to ensure rapid deployment, and consequently, work-from-office exemptions and flexible working options are not available. "However, associates may request short-term flexible work options for personal emergencies in exceptional circumstances, subject to organisational policies and prior approval from the RMG." The company has indicated that allocating employees to multiple projects for brief periods is not encouraged and could trigger HR inquiries and subsequent disciplinary action. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
News18
3 days ago
- Business
- News18
TCS New Bench Policy Caps Annual Bench Period To 35 Days: What It Means for Employees
Last Updated: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has introduced a revised associate deployment policy that restricts bench time to a maximum of 35 business days Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has 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 aims to enhance workforce utilisation and align individual contributions with organisational goals, according to an internal document reviewed by The Times of India. 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. 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. 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. To address logistical challenges like space constraints, TCS has also allowed employees to submit up to 30 exception days in a single request, offering greater flexibility in planning short-term remote work. Additionally, TCS has warned against frequent short-term project allocations, noting that such patterns could lead to HR investigations and disciplinary action. First Published: June 17, 2025, 12:27 IST
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
TCS' new deployment policy: Minimum billing days set, bench period slashed to 35 days — how will it impact employees?
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest IT company, has launched a new associate deployment policy. The policy comes with an updated mandate that employees work for a minimum of 225 business days in the last one-year period with a reduced bench period, reported 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. The report also mentioned that TCS' Global Head, Chandrasekaran Ramkumar, laid out the new policy, which became effective on 12 June 2025. According to the report, TCS seeks to monitor and evaluate employee performance through the new deployment policy. The company is restricting the time that each individual employee gets to foster a proactive approach to people allocation. Through this policy, the company also aims to ensure that both the organisational and the individual goals are met, as per the news report. The documents reviewed by the news portal showed that if an employee fails to work for a minimum period of 225 business days in the last 12 months and has longer unallocated periods, or more than 35 business days a year, this will impact the individual's compensation, career growth, avenues of overseas deployment in future, and employment in TCS. 'Long periods of remaining unallocated shall adversely impact associate compensation, career growth, avenues of overseas deployment in future, and continuity of employment with the organisation,' reported the news portal, citing the company documents. If an employee is 'unallocated' to a task, the company mandates that the individual participate in upskilling programmes through platforms such as iEvolve, Fresco Play, VLS, and LinkedIn. These employees also have a 'primary responsibility' of engaging with their units to seek allocation and taking initiative to pursue opportunities provided by TCS. 'In the event an associate is unallocated, it is the primary responsibility of the associate to proactively engage with the Unit/Regional RMG for seeking allocation and take initiative towards pursuing suitable opportunities provided by the organisation,' as per the documents, cited in the report. The IT major has also mandated the employees' physical presence in the office premises or work-from-office (WFO), which makes WFO exceptions and flexible work arrangements inapplicable. 'However, associates may request short-term flexible work options for personal emergencies in exceptional circumstances, subject to organisational policies and prior approval from the RMG,' the company was quoted as saying in the report.
India.com
4 days ago
- Business
- India.com
BIG changes in Ratan Tata's this company policy, mandates employees to…, bench time restricted at…
(File) TCS has updated its associate deployment policy that mandates employees to be billed for 225 days annually, restricting their bench time to a maximum of 35 business days each year. The policy brings changes towards associate allocation and try to meet both organisational and individual goals. 'At any given point in time, associates must be allocated for a minimum period of 225 business days in the last 12 months,' claimed the TOI report on the basis of the document reviewed by them. 'Long periods of remaining unallocated shall adversely impact associate compensation, career growth, avenues of overseas deployment in future, and continuity of employment with the organisation,' it added. The new policy will come into effect on June 12, was released by Chandrasekaran Ramkumar, global head of The Resource Management Group (RMG). RMG handles workforce deployment at TCS. His team focuses on maximising organisational utilisation of human resources. It tries to optimally engage every associate and allocate projects to them at all times. 'In the event an associate is unallocated, it is the primary responsibility of the associate to proactively engage with the Unit / Regional RMG for seeking allocation and take initiative towards pursuing suitable opportunities provided by the organisation,' the policy said. TCS Policy Changes All associates who are released to RMG, available for the next assignment, and reporting to RMG are unallocated resources. TCS gives learning opportunities through platforms like iEvolve, Fresco Play, VLS, and LinkedIn. Associates from the unallocated pool are expected to dedicate 4-6 hours daily to relevant learning on iEvolve and complete all mandatory training, attend in-person sessions recommended by RMG, and actively focus on upskilling to always be interview-ready. They should also utilize the Gen AI interview coach, review and address feedback from previous interviews, and ensure timely completion of all training programs with full attendance. TCS has made physical presence in the office mandatory. WFO exceptions and flexible work arrangements are not applicable. 'However, associates may request short-term flexible work options for personal emergencies in exceptional circumstances, subject to organisational policies and prior approval from the RMG.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
TCS New Bench Policy: A new rule limits the bench period to 35 days per year. Here is what it means
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has rolled out a new associate deployment policy that mandates a minimum of 225 billed business days annually for each employee, effectively limiting bench time to a maximum of 35 business days per year. The policy, effective June 12, aims to reduce idle time and ensure better workforce utilisation in line with the company's organisational and individual performance goals. TCS New Bench Policy to Impact Compensation and Career Growth "At any given point in time, associates must be allocated for a minimum period of 225 business days in the last 12 months," a company document reviewed by TOI stated. "Long periods of remaining unallocated shall adversely impact associate compensation, career growth, avenues of overseas deployment in future, and continuity of employment with the organisation," it added. The updated policy was outlined by Chandrasekaran Ramkumar, global head of TCS's Resource Management Group (RMG), which handles talent deployment across the company. The RMG is responsible for ensuring that associates are continuously engaged in client projects. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched Seeking Alpha Read Now Undo Responsibility lies with associates during unallocated periods According to the document, associates not assigned to any project must take the initiative to find work. "In the event an associate is unallocated, it is the primary responsibility of the associate to proactively engage with the Unit / Regional RMG for seeking allocation and take initiative towards pursuing suitable opportunities provided by the organisation." Unallocated resources are defined as those who are released to RMG, available for new assignments, and currently reporting to RMG. Live Events Upskilling mandatory for those on bench While on the bench, associates are expected to dedicate 4 to 6 hours daily for learning through internal platforms such as iEvolve, Fresco Play, and VLS, along with external platforms like LinkedIn. They must complete all required training, attend recommended in-person sessions, and regularly update their skills. Associates are also expected to use TCS's Gen AI interview coach, address interview feedback, and complete training programmes with full attendance. Work-from-office becomes the default mode To enable faster project deployment, TCS has made physical office presence compulsory. Work-from-home or flexible work arrangements are not generally permitted. "However, associates may request short-term flexible work options for personal emergencies in exceptional circumstances, subject to organisational policies and prior approval from the RMG." Multiple short-term project assignments discouraged TCS has also cautioned against frequent short-term allocations across various projects. The policy notes that such patterns may trigger HR investigations and lead to disciplinary action. An email sent to TCS seeking comments on the new policy did not receive a response till the time of going to press.
