Wipro has implemented a six-hour WFO requirement for hybrid work
Wipro Tightens Work-from-Office Policy, Mandates Six Hours a Day for Three Days a Week
Software exporter Wipro has tightened its hybrid work policy, mandating employees to spend at least six hours in the office for three days a week, marking a shift from its earlier flexible-hours framework, according to people familiar with the development.
While the requirement to attend office three days a week has been in place for some time, the minimum six-hour stay between “in” and “out” punches is a new addition to the policy. The Bengaluru-headquartered company, which employs about 234,000 people, implemented the revised rules from January 1.
Under the new system, employees who fail to meet the weekly attendance requirement will see corresponding deductions from their leave balance, several employees told ET. If an employee spends less than six hours in the office on a mandated day, half a day’s leave will be deducted.
Wipro has retained its temporary remote work provision but reduced the allowable days to 12 from 15 per calendar year. These days can be used for self-care, illness, or caregiving needs.
In a recent email to employees announcing the changes, Wipro said hybrid working remains central to its future-of-work strategy. “We trust all associates will follow the policy in both letter and spirit as it supports collaboration across teams while providing flexibility,” the company said.
The company clarified that the six-hour requirement refers only to minimum in-office time, not total daily working hours, which remain 9.5 hours. Employees are expected to complete the remaining hours from home on the same day and ensure timely delivery of assigned work.
Wipro did not respond to ET’s queries until press time.
The policy revision comes amid a challenging phase for India’s $283-billion IT services sector, which is grappling with muted revenue growth as artificial intelligence increasingly automates people-intensive delivery models. Industry experts say tighter work-from-office mandates are being driven by the need for faster collaboration as project timelines compress.
“Earlier, applications were rolled out every two or three years. Now, software is being developed and deployed in as little as eight weeks,” said Guruprasad Srinivasan, executive director at staffing firm Quess Corp. “With faster upgrades, teams need to collaborate much more closely, making prolonged remote working less efficient.”
He added that while transactional tasks such as accounting and data processing can still be done remotely, transformational work—including product development and complex project execution—benefits from in-person collaboration to improve speed and quality.
Wipro’s move mirrors a broader trend among large IT firms. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) introduced a five-day work-from-office policy last year, allowing only two work-from-home days per month for health reasons. TCS has also linked variable pay to attendance, offering full variable compensation for attendance above 85%, with payouts tapering off below that level. Employees with attendance below 60% receive no variable pay.
TCS currently requires employees to stay in office for nine hours, though system alerts are triggered only if an employee stays less than four hours. The company employs 593,314 people, after reporting its largest quarterly headcount decline in the second quarter of the current fiscal year.
Infosys, India’s second-largest IT firm with over 300,000 employees, implemented its return-to-office policy from November 20, 2023, requiring employees at job level 5 and below to work from office for at least 10 days a month. Enforcement began in March last year through system-based interventions, with a minimum three-hour in-office requirement.