TCS introduces new associate deployment policy: How it affects employees?
What's the story
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest IT services provider, has introduced a new associate deployment policy.
The revised guidelines mandate employees to work for at least 225 business days in a year and limit the bench period to a maximum of 35 business days annually.
The changes were announced by Chandrasekaran Ramkumar, Global Head of TCS's Resource Management Group (RMG), and are now in effect.
Result
Long unallocated periods may affect employment
The new deployment policy is aimed at improving workforce utilization and ensuring individual contributions align with organizational goals.
It also highlights that long unallocated periods could adversely affect an employee's compensation, career growth, postings abroad, and even continued employment with TCS.
The firm expects associates not currently assigned to projects to proactively engage with the RMG for new opportunities.
Skill enhancement
What associates on the bench have to do now
While on the bench, unallocated associates are required to spend four to six hours a day on upskilling through platforms like iEvolve, Fresco Play, VLS, as well as LinkedIn.
They also have to finish mandatory training and use TCS's Gen AI interview coach for better preparedness.
To speed up deployment, physical office presence is mandatory now with work-from-home or flexible arrangements generally discouraged unless approved by RMG in exceptional cases.
Policy revision
TCS's revised work-from-office policy
Earlier this year, TCS had tweaked its work-from-office (WFO) policy, making it stricter to seek exceptions.
Workers in India can now cite personal emergencies for a maximum of six WFO exceptions per quarter.
However, such exception days cannot be carried forward to the next quarter.
To tackle any logistical challenge like space constraints, TCS has permitted employees to submit up to 30 exception days in one request, for more flexibility in planning short-term remote work.