Infosys has extended its mandatory four-day office work week to employees at job level 6 and above in specific units, expanding it from previously higher levels. This is part of a broader push to increase office attendance, with HR reviewing monthly data and enforcing a requirement of 10 office days per month.
The move aligns with similar policy tightenings by peers like Wipro and TCS, as companies seek greater operational efficiency and collaboration. While Infosys maintains it follows a hybrid model, the stricter mandate has created some internal challenges, with managers noting difficulty enforcing the rules.
The main topics covered are Infosys's new return-to-office policy, the expansion to more employee levels, the company's justification for the hybrid model, and the industry-wide trend of enforcing stricter in-office work requirements.
Software major Infosys has mandated four days a week in office for employees placed at job level 6 plus (JL 6A) at specific units, likely signalling its phased extension into lower bands.
While the four-day work from office (WFH) has been applicable to employees at JL 7 and above, which covers delivery managers, senior managers, and programme directors, among others, the recent emails from HR have extended this to JL 6 plus and above. âPlease note, as per our unit guidelines, JL6+ have to be in office four days a week,â the mail noted, adding that some sections of employees have fallen short of the mandatory 10-day a month office attendance requirement.
It also talked about the HR managers reviewing the monthly return to office (RTO) data of employees.
The email is the latest in a series of steps the Bengaluru-headquartered software major has taken to increase employee footfall in the office. The company had added new conditions to claim extra work-from-home days in January.
âWe continue to follow a hybrid model of work that enables self-development, collaboration, innovation, and business deliverables, and as managers, it is imperative for us to lead by example and ensure our teams adhere to the hybrid working guidelines,â the emails, seen by ET, said.
At Infosys, each job level has two sublevels -- B & A. On promotion, those in band A jump to the next level. A senior employee, not willing to be identified, said that while employees could visit the office for any 10 days as per their choice, recent emails have mandated them to visit across the four weeks in a month.
Infosys did not respond to an email request for comment.
âWe havenât been told to come to the office four days a week yet, but we are being asked to tell junior employees that they must come to the office regularly,â said at least two managers on condition of anonymity. âMy bosses come in only once a week, and itâs hard for me to convince my reportees to come in,â one of them added.
Chief executive Salil Parekh, during the earnings call in January, however, said there was no change in their approach to the hybrid work model.
The move follows similar actions from peers. Wipro, for instance, tightened its work-from-office policy at the start of 2026, mandating a three-day office week with a six-hour minimum stay. TCS also enforced a five-day office week, linking variable pay directly to their attendance.
While remote work initially delivered a short-term spike in productivity, many companies observed that these gains were difficult to sustain over the long term, said Anil Ethanur, co-founder of specialist staffing firm Xpheno.
âAs market conditions tighten and margins come under pressure, organisations are focusing more on operational efficiency and output. Enterprises are integrating AI and automation into their processes, which requires tighter coordination and quicker iteration between teams⦠particularly for senior and critical talent, to maintain productivity and drive high-value outcomes,â Ethanur added.
While the four-day work from office (WFH) has been applicable to employees at JL 7 and above, which covers delivery managers, senior managers, and programme directors, among others, the recent emails from HR have extended this to JL 6 plus and above. âPlease note, as per our unit guidelines, JL6+ have to be in office four days a week,â the mail noted, adding that some sections of employees have fallen short of the mandatory 10-day a month office attendance requirement.
It also talked about the HR managers reviewing the monthly return to office (RTO) data of employees.
The email is the latest in a series of steps the Bengaluru-headquartered software major has taken to increase employee footfall in the office. The company had added new conditions to claim extra work-from-home days in January.
âWe continue to follow a hybrid model of work that enables self-development, collaboration, innovation, and business deliverables, and as managers, it is imperative for us to lead by example and ensure our teams adhere to the hybrid working guidelines,â the emails, seen by ET, said.
At Infosys, each job level has two sublevels -- B & A. On promotion, those in band A jump to the next level. A senior employee, not willing to be identified, said that while employees could visit the office for any 10 days as per their choice, recent emails have mandated them to visit across the four weeks in a month.
Infosys did not respond to an email request for comment.
âWe havenât been told to come to the office four days a week yet, but we are being asked to tell junior employees that they must come to the office regularly,â said at least two managers on condition of anonymity. âMy bosses come in only once a week, and itâs hard for me to convince my reportees to come in,â one of them added.
Chief executive Salil Parekh, during the earnings call in January, however, said there was no change in their approach to the hybrid work model.
The move follows similar actions from peers. Wipro, for instance, tightened its work-from-office policy at the start of 2026, mandating a three-day office week with a six-hour minimum stay. TCS also enforced a five-day office week, linking variable pay directly to their attendance.
While remote work initially delivered a short-term spike in productivity, many companies observed that these gains were difficult to sustain over the long term, said Anil Ethanur, co-founder of specialist staffing firm Xpheno.
âAs market conditions tighten and margins come under pressure, organisations are focusing more on operational efficiency and output. Enterprises are integrating AI and automation into their processes, which requires tighter coordination and quicker iteration between teams⦠particularly for senior and critical talent, to maintain productivity and drive high-value outcomes,â Ethanur added.
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