Wipro's new bench policy: IT company extends bench time for junior- to mid-level employees; what is the new rule, when does it start and what it means

Wipro will be easing 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 October 1, reported TOI, amid several IT firms tightening restrictions on employee bench time.

What is Wipro's new bench policy?

As per the TOI report, the bench time for junior- to mid-level employees in Band 2 will be revised to six months. 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.

Wipro employees in B2 and below who do not secure a project allocation within 180 days could be separated from the company, in line with the terms of their employment contracts, according to a policy document reviewed by TOI.


Industry experts said the longer bench period could give the company additional time to redeploy employees without billable projects, particularly as it has not hired freshers in recent quarters.

Employees on the bench could be upskilled and moved to available projects, potentially reducing the company’s need to hire and train fresh talent.

What are other IT companies doing?

The move comes as other large IT companies have tightened bench-time norms from 45-60 days.

TCS’s 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 the bench time for employees without a billable project from 60 days to 35 days.

Ex-Wipro employees knock on labour commissioner's door

Some Wipro employees have approached the labour commissioner, contesting the company’s Extended Bench Leave Programme (EBLP), reported TOI.

According to a former affected staffer, employees whose projects end without an immediate new assignment are placed on a 45-day paid bench, during which they continue to receive their salary. If no project is found during this period, employees can either resign or opt for the EBLP, which initially runs for 90 days and can be extended by another 30 days.

The EBLP is effectively an unpaid bench period, the former employee said, during which salary and PF contributions stop. If a project is identified during the EBLP, the employee can be allocated to it and payroll resumes.

The former employee said the arrangement means employees can move between paid project assignments and unpaid bench periods depending on the availability of billable work. He questioned whether such a structure resembles a contracting arrangement, where an employee’s salary is effectively linked to being deployed on a billable project.

“If no suitable project is identified during the EBLP period, the company initiates the resignation process, requiring the employee to submit a resignation,” the former employee said.

TOI reviewed Wipro’s EBLP policy document, which stated: “EBLP shall be revoked only if the employee secures an immediate, confirmed billable or support opportunity, which is duly tagged in the system, for a minimum assignment duration of 30 days which is checked manually. Employees who fail to get allocated prior to the end of the EBLP will be separated from Wipro in accordance with the terms of their employment contract.”