Infosys has implemented stricter work-from-home regulations which limit employees to five days of remote work during each quarter while matching the practices of its industry competitors Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro.
The Bengaluru-based IT major has introduced stricter conditions for employees seeking additional WFH days beyond the existing hybrid policy. Requests exceeding the five-day quarterly cap will be permitted only in cases involving critical medical conditions of employees or their dependents, and must be supported by medical documents, including a doctor’s verification.
New Approval Rules for WFH Requests
Employees at job level 5 and below are currently required to work from the office at least 10 days a month. The new cap applies specifically to requests for extra remote work days beyond this requirement.
The company has experienced a significant increase in requests for work-from-home approvals according to the internal communication which managers shared. Employees must now use the official system to obtain prior approval instead of sending email requests because they must plan their requests ahead of time to prevent last-minute rejections.
The internal message explained that “managers have very limited options when a request does not receive approval according to established policy”.
Infosys did not respond to queries seeking official comment on the revised policy. However, sources familiar with the matter said the company may allow up to 30 additional remote work days in exceptional cases involving serious medical issues.
Shift Despite Earlier Assurance
The policy update comes shortly after Infosys had indicated it would maintain flexibility in its hybrid working model. CEO Salil Parekh announced during the post-earnings press conference that the company would maintain flexible employee-client and employee-organisation interaction methods.
Infosys which employs over 300000 workers introduced its return-to-office policy in November 2023 which required employees to work at least 10 days from the office each month. While announced earlier, strict enforcement began only in March last year. Employees are required to spend a minimum of three hours per office day on campus.
Industry-Wide Trend
The smaller competitor Wipro has established stricter office attendance requirements for its workforce. From January 1 Wipro requires its employees to work at the office three days per week for a minimum of six hours each day while reducing their remote work entitlement from 15 days to 12 days.
TCS, which operates as India’s largest IT services company, established a five-day work-from-office system during the previous year while tying employee pay to their presence in the office. However, it allows up to two WFH days per month in case of health-related issues.
Why IT Firms Are Tightening Policies
Industry experts attribute the shift to changing project dynamics and the need for stronger collaboration as revenue growth remains subdued across the IT sector.
“With project timelines becoming shorter and delivery models evolving rapidly, companies need greater agility and collaboration,” said Aditya Narayan Mishra, Managing Director at staffing firm CIEL HR. “2026 could see more companies pushing for full-time office presence, at least on designated workdays.”
The $283-billion Indian IT industry continues to face pressure as artificial intelligence reshapes traditional, people-led delivery models—forcing firms to rethink productivity, teamwork and workplace structure.
