Cognizant, the US-based IT firm, stated in a memo that it anticipates its India employees to be present in the office at least three days a week, marking a shift away from remote work prompted by the pandemic. 

While employers highlight improved collaboration and reinforcement of company culture as motivations, some employees have expressed concerns on social media about the impact on flexibility and work-life balance. 

In a recent memo, seen by Reuters, Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S stated that all India associates are required to spend an average of three days per week in the office, or as specified by their team leader. 

However, the memo did not specify the effective date of this directive. Kumar encouraged staff to utilise their in-person time for activities such as collaborative projects, training, and team building, emphasising their value in fostering teamwork.

Cognizant's largest employee base, approximately 254,000 out of 347,700 employees, is located in India, as per its annual report. In 2023, Indian peers like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, and Wipro mandated employees to return to the office, with TCS enforcing a five-days-a-week schedule. 

Additionally, Cognizant, listed on Nasdaq, plans to introduce a new hybrid-work scheduling app for its India operations to assist managers in coordinating schedules and reserving office space for their teams, as indicated in the memo. 

According to a spokesperson who spoke to Reuters, the firm believes that the hybrid model "will define the future of work" and remains committed to further expanding into Tier-2 cities across India, where many of its associates reside.