Indian tech giant Infosys Ltd. is making headlines by defying the global trend and asking some of its employees to return to the office for a minimum of 10 days a month. This decision comes in stark contrast to many of its global peers who are moving towards greater remote work flexibility.
A Departure from Pandemic-Era Remote Work
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This change follows a controversial statement by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who suggested that young Indians should work 70 hours a week, a stance that is at odds with Infosys’s official position on providing complete flexibility to its employees.
Infosys is not the only Indian IT services provider to ask employees to return to the office. Its larger Indian rival, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., had already requested many of its employees to return to the office for five days a week, starting from October 1. This shift is driven by the desire to enhance efficiency as demand for their services faces challenges amidst a global technology spending slowdown.
On the global stage, major tech companies are also opting for office-centric approaches. Amazon.com Inc. in the United States has been taking measures to ensure that employees adhere to its mandate, requiring them to work in the office for three days a week. Alphabet Inc.’s Google faced backlash for its similar office return policy.
Infosys CEO's Perspective
Infosys’s Chief Executive Officer, Salil Parekh, emphasized during an earnings call that the company is witnessing an increase in employees returning to the office, despite maintaining a flexible work policy. He explained, “There are some instances, for example, with specific client work or specific types of engagement where we feel it’s better that everyone is working together. But in general, our view is we want to support this flexible approach. It’s something that we believe is appropriate given how we’ve set up the work-from-home infrastructure.”
As Infosys deviates from the prevailing global trend toward remote work, it remains to be seen how this move will impact its workforce and whether it will influence the wider Indian IT services industry’s approach to office work in the post-pandemic era.
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