TCS Women Employees Quitting Due to Work from Office Policy

TCS, India's largest IT firm, has recently faced a surge in resignations among its women employees after it ended its work-from-home (WFH) policy. The company has denied any discrimination and said that it would continue to promote gender diversity in its workforce.

What is the work from office policy?

TCS had announced in April 2023 that it would bring back 75 percent of its employees to the office by December 2023, as the COVID-19 situation improved in India. The company said that it would adopt a hybrid model of work, where employees would spend 25 percent of their time working from home and 75 percent working from the office.

The company said that the work from office policy was necessary to maintain its productivity, quality and innovation. It also said that it would provide flexibility and support to its employees to balance their personal and professional lives.

Why are women quitting TCS?

According to the company's annual report, TCS witnessed a higher attrition rate among its women employees than its men employees in FY 2023. The company did not disclose the exact number of women who quit, but said that it was "unusual" and "a setback" to its efforts to promote gender diversity.

Milind Lakkad, the chief human resources officer at TCS, suggested that one of the possible reasons for the higher attrition among women was the work from office policy. He said that some women might have preferred to work from home due to their domestic arrangements or personal preferences.

"Historically, women’s attrition at TCS has been similar or lower than men’s attrition, so this is unusual. There might be other reasons but intuitively, I would think working from home during the pandemic reset the domestic arrangements for some women, keeping them from returning to office even after everything normalized,” he said.

How is TCS promoting gender diversity?

TCS has been one of the largest employers of women in India's private sector. Women constitute over 35 percent of its 6.14 lakh-plus workforce. The company has also been recognized for its efforts to empower and develop its women employees.

Lakkad said that TCS would continue to hire more people, both men and women, and provide them with equal opportunities and growth prospects. He also said that the company had focused leadership development programs for women, such as iExcel, which aimed to increase their representation in senior positions.

"Of all the leadership positions fulfilled with internal candidates in FY 2023, women made up 23% of the selected candidates, even though they account for only 14% of the applicant pool," he said¹.

Conclusion

TCS is facing a challenge in retaining its women employees after it ended its work-from-home policy. The company has denied any discrimination and said that it would continue to promote gender diversity in its workforce. However, it remains to be seen how the company will balance its business needs with its employees' preferences and expectations in the post-pandemic era.

Source:

(1) Are women quitting TCS because of return-to-office policy? What the HR .... https://bing.com/search?q=TCS+Women+employees+quitting+due+to+work+from+office+policy.

(2) Many TCS women employees quitting due to work from office policy, company reveals. https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/many-tcs-women-employees-quitting-due-to-work-from-office-policy-company-reveals/ar-AA1ctxca.

(3) Are women quitting TCS because of return-to-office policy? What the HR .... https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/are-women-quitting-tcs-because-of-return-to-office-policy-what-the-hr-head-said-10790301.html.

(4) TCS Sees Mass Resignation Among Female Employees As Company Ends Work From Home. https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/news/tcs-sees-mass-resignation-among-female-employees-as-company-ends-work-from-home/ar-AA1cthuc.

(5) Many TCS women employees quitting due to work from office policy .... https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/many-tcs-women-employees-quitting-due-to-work-from-office-policy-company-reveals-2392500-2023-06-13.