Today, we’re discussing a major update coming from TCS that is making headlines across platforms like Mint, Economic Times, new bench policy New Indian Express, and NDTV. TCS has announced a new bench policy, limiting the bench period for employees to a maximum of 35 days per year. If an employee remains unallocated beyond this period, they may face no salary hikes or even disciplinary action.
What is the Bench Period?: New bench policy
Let’s first understand what a bench period means. When an employee is hired by TCS, they undergo certain trainings (e.g., Java, Python). After training, before being assigned to a project, the employee is on what is called the bench — a period where they are not actively working on any billable project.
Similarly, if a project ends and the employee is awaiting allocation to another one, they are again considered to be on the bench. Previously, this bench period was unlimited, and employees could remain unassigned for months while still receiving salaries. That is now changing.
New Policy Highlights: new bench policy
Here are the key updates under the new deployment policy effective from June 12, 2025:
- Bench period capped at 35 days per year.
- Mandatory 225 billing days per year (business days only) – excluding weekends.
- No pay hikes for employees on bench beyond the 35-day limit.
- Disciplinary actions or termination may occur for prolonged bench time.
- Work from office is now mandatory, with exceptions allowed only in emergencies.
- Short-term allocations (1-3 months) are discouraged.
- Mandatory upskilling during the bench period through platforms like:
- Fresco Play
- iEvolve
- LinkedIn Learning
- Geni (TCS’s Interview Coach tool)
What Does “Billing Days” Mean?: new bench policy
Billing days refer to the days an employee is actively involved in a client project, and their effort is billed to the client (e.g., Google). For instance, if TCS assigns you to a Google project, Google should be paying for your services for at least 225 business days in a year.
What If You Remain on Bench for More Than 35 Days?: new bench policy
- You might not receive salary hikes.
- You could be asked to leave or go without pay if you’re unallocated for too long.
- TCS will attempt to reallocate you to other projects based on your skills.
- Long unallocated periods will affect your compensation, overseas opportunities, and career growth.
TCS has clearly stated that “long periods of remaining unallocated shall adversely impact associate compensation, growth, and continuity of employment.”
Why Is TCS Doing This?: new bench policy
TCS is not aiming for mass layoffs. In fact, they have a history of avoiding widespread terminations. Instead, this policy is designed to:
- Increase employee utilization.
- Avoid bench misuse.
- Encourage internal deployments based on skill and performance.
- Avoid formal job cuts by implementing performance filtering.
The company wants to ensure employees remain project-ready, skilled, and productive.
Conclusion: New bench policy
This move by TCS is not intended to hurt employees but to encourage learning, growth, and responsibility. If you’re proactive, upskill during your bench period, and stay project-ready, you have nothing to worry about.
TCS is known for its employee trust and stability, and this step reinforces that they’re trying to manage resources smartly without resorting to layoffs. It’s time to take this change positively, adapt, and continue growing.
Thank you. Take care and all the very best. We’ll keep you posted if there are further updates.