After Wipro and TCS tighten WFH regulations, Infosys caps the WFO exemption at five days per quarter
Infosys Tightens Work-From-Home Policy, Caps Extra Remote Days at Five Per Quarter
Infosys has tightened its work-from-home (WFH) policy, introducing stricter conditions for employees seeking additional remote workdays, in line with similar moves by rivals Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Wipro.
The Bengaluru-headquartered IT services firm has capped extra WFH days—granted as exceptions to its work-from-office (WFO) policy—at five days per quarter. Requests beyond this limit will be permitted only in cases involving critical medical conditions of employees or their dependents, and must be supported by documentary proof, including doctor verification.
Currently, employees at job level 5 and below are required to work from the office at least 10 days a month. The newly introduced cap applies specifically to requests for additional WFH days beyond this mandate.
According to internal communication from managers, the decision follows a sharp rise in emails seeking approval for extra WFH days. Employees have been instructed to seek pre-approval for WFH through the official system rather than email, and to plan requests well in advance to avoid last-minute rejections. Managers cautioned that requests not aligned with policy would be difficult to approve.
Infosys did not respond to queries seeking official comment. However, sources familiar with the matter said the company continues to allow up to 30 additional remote working days in cases of critical medical emergencies.
The move comes despite Infosys stating earlier this month that it was not planning changes to its hybrid work model. “We will remain flexible in the way we are today and the way our employees are interacting with the company and with our clients,” CEO Salil Parekh had said during a post-earnings press conference.
Infosys, India’s second-largest IT services company with over 300,000 employees, introduced its return-to-office policy on November 20, 2023, mandating at least 10 in-office days per month. While the policy formally came into effect then, strict enforcement began on March 10 last year. Employees are required to remain in office for a minimum of three hours on office days.
Peer firms have also tightened attendance norms. Wipro revised its work-from-office policy effective January 1, requiring employees to spend at least six hours in office for three days a week, replacing earlier flexible-hour norms. It also reduced permissible remote workdays to 12 per quarter from 15 earlier. TCS, India’s largest software exporter, implemented a five-day work-from-office policy last year and linked variable pay to office attendance, though it allows up to two WFH days per month for health-related reasons.
The policy changes come amid muted growth in the $283-billion Indian IT services sector, as artificial intelligence increasingly disrupts traditional people-led delivery models. Industry experts say the need for closer collaboration and agility amid rapidly changing project timelines is driving companies to reassess remote work flexibility.
“As projects are no longer long-term and companies need to be agile in manpower deployment, 2026 could be a year when many firms push for employees to return to office full-time, at least on designated office days,” said Aditya Narayan Mishra, Managing Director at staffing services firm CIEL HR.
