Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) issued a final ultimatum to employees currently working remotely, instructing them to return to the office by March. Although the IT giant has extended the deadline to the next month, non-compliance is warned to result in severe consequences. 

According to India Today, NG Subramaniam, TCS's chief operating officer, affirmed the development, highlighting work culture and security concerns as among the issues associated with remote work. 

"We are exercising patience but have taken a principled stand that employees have to get back to offices. We have sent employees the final communication on this and if they do not, there will be consequences to face," said Subramaniam. 

He emphasised the threat of cyberattacks, suggesting that employees working from home are at a higher risk compared to those working in-office. "It's challenging to enforce the same level of controls at home, exposing businesses to security risks," he remarked. 

TCS is striving to revert to its pre-pandemic work culture and transition away from the hybrid model it adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially, the company had planned for a quarter of its workforce to operate remotely by 2025. 

However, it now aims to bring all employees back to the office. "We are very clear that we have to get our original culture back. Around 40,000 employees joined us online and quit online without any offline interaction during the pandemic and that kind of situation cannot be helpful to an organisation," Subramaniam said. 

In September, TCS issued a directive requiring its employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days per week, while senior-level executives were mandated to be present five days a week. 

The company communicated this policy shift via internal email, stating, "Senior leaders of TCS have been working from TCS offices for a while now and our customers are also visiting TCS offices. Your respective managers will now roster you to work from the TCS office for at least three days in a week." 

Furthermore, the email stressed the importance of adhering to the roster, indicating that compliance is mandatory and will be closely monitored. Noncompliance was underscored as a serious matter, with potential administrative measures to address any violations.

TCS has witnessed a decline in its employee count over recent quarters, accompanied by fluctuating attrition rates. As part of its strategy to restore normal operations by the end of the current fiscal year, the return of employees to the office stands as a pivotal element.