Kamal Ghorui
Infosys has reportedly asked more employees to work at least four days every week from the office. In an email to employees, the company noted that “it is imperative for us to lead by example” and that it would extend its existing four-day office mandate to employees at job level 6A and above in specific units. The policy previously applied to employees at job level 7 and above, including delivery managers, senior managers, and programme directors. The recent HR communication broadens that requirement to a lower job band, pointing to a phased rollout of stricter in-office expectations across the organisation.In the letter (seen by the Economic Times), Infosys wrote, “Please note, as per our unit guidelines, JL6+ have to be in office four days a week,” adding that some employees had fallen short of the mandatory 10-day-a-month office attendance requirement. “We continue to follow a hybrid model of work that enables self-development, collaboration, innovation, and business deliverables, and as managers, it is imperative for us to lead by example and ensure our teams adhere to the hybrid working guidelines,” the email added. The email also noted that HR managers would be reviewing monthly return-to-office data for employees.]
How Infosys has been changing its hybrid work policies
The email follows a series of steps Infosys has taken to increase employee presence in the office. In January, the company added new conditions for employees seeking extra work-from-home days.At Infosys, each job level has two sublevels: B and A, with employees in band A moving to the next level upon promotion. A senior employee, who asked not to be named, told ET that while staff could previously choose any 10 days in a month to visit the office, recent emails have directed them to spread those visits across all four weeks.A second employee told ET “We haven’t been told to come to the office four days a week yet, but we are being asked to tell junior employees that they must come to the office regularly.”“My bosses come in only once a week, and it’s hard for me to convince my reportees to come in,” a third employee added.During the January earnings call, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh said there was no change to the company’s approach to the hybrid work model.
What Infosys rivals are handling hybrid working and what experts said
Like its competitors, Infosys has now done the same. In 2026, Wipro implemented a new policy requiring workers to report to work three days a week and spend at least 6 hours there. In a similar vein, TCS implemented a new policy at the start of the year mandating that its workers report to work five days a week, with their variable pay based on attendance.According to Anil Ethanur, co-founder of specialist staffing firm Xphen, “Productivity did improve for organisations that started allowing flexible working. However, the challenge for organisations is to maintain that over the long term.”“As market conditions tighten and margins come under pressure, organisations are focusing more on operational efficiency and output. Enterprises are integrating AI and automation into their processes, which requires tighter coordination and quicker iteration between teams… particularly for senior and critical talent, to maintain productivity and drive high-value outcomes,” Ethanur told ET.
