Bengaluru: When several IT firms are tightening restrictions on employee bench time, Wipro has eased its policy, allowing junior- to mid-level employees in Band 2 and below to remain on the bench for up to six months (180 calendar days), effective Oct 1.The revised policy starts from the day an employee is released from a billable project or returns to India from an onsite assignment without being allocated to another billable project.The move comes as other large IT companies have tightened bench-time norms from 45-60 days. TCS’ updated associate deployment policy mandates employees to be billed for 225 days annually, effectively limiting bench time to a maximum of 35 business days a year. The policy is aimed at encouraging a proactive approach to associate allocation while aligning organisational and individual goals.About six years ago, Cognizant reduced bench time for employees without a billable project from 60 days to 35 days.On the other hand, Wipro employees in B2 and below who do not secure an allocation within 180 days will be separated from the company, in accordance with their employment contracts, according to the policy document reviewed by TOI.Though Wipro declined to comment on TOI’s questions, industry experts said the longer bench period could give the company more time to redeploy unbilled employees, particularly as it has not hired freshers in the past few quarters. Employees on the bench could be upskilled and deployed on available projects, reducing the need to hire and train new talent.Wipro president and CHRO Saurabh Govil said the company did not hire freshers during the June quarter. Last year, Wipro onboarded about 7,500 graduates, taking its headcount to 2.4 lakh employees. “We will reassess hiring depending on the demand environment, but we are not providing any hiring guidance at this point,” Govil said during an earnings call.The revised policy formally incorporates the capability development plan (CDP) into compliance requirements and consequence management. Under the CDP provisions, Wipro may place bench employees on a CDP when persistent competency gaps are identified through structured interview evaluations, including failure to clear role-specific assessments conducted by Wipro or its clients.However, CDP is not triggered by a single interview rejection. The policy says it can be initiated after three successive interview rejections, provided the roles require comparable competencies and the identified gaps are consistent, evidence-based and formally documented.Wipro’s revised policy does not include its Extended Bench Leave Programme (EBLP) for B2 and below. For employees in Band 3 and above, the standard bench period under EBLP remains 45 calendar days. Employees with disabilities get a 75-day bench period, according to the policy.++++COUNTING DAYS* IT companies have effectively cut down bench time norms to about 45 days* TCS mandates billable 225 days annually; bench time 35 business days* Around 2000, Cognizant cut bench time from 60 days to 35 days* Wipro 180-day relief doesn’t apply to Band 3 and above, who have 45 days; employees with disabilities get a 75-day bench
