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Infosys, an IT major, has reportedly sent around 700 campus recruits packing with the batch of freshers, who joined in October 2024, having been accused of failing internal assessments. These sackings, which have been met with huge shock, had sparked a series of heated discussions over the handling of freshers by the IT company.
The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), an employee welfare organization fighting for the IT and ITES workers, strictly condemned the mass layoffs. “It is really shocking and unethical,” said NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja as he expressed grave distress among those employees who are being laid off. These are employees who joined the company not more than six months ago and were already finding it challenging with the added pressures of meeting up to the expectations of the companies after long wait periods.
The Controversy Over Assessment Criteria
Infosys, in its defense, stated that the terminated employees had failed to meet minimum requirements after three attempts at clearing internal assessments. According to Infosys, all fresh recruits are given three opportunities to pass these tests, with the company emphasizing that this policy has been in place for over two decades and was made clear in the recruits’ contracts.
However, NITES has raised concerns about the fairness of the assessment process, alleging that the company modified the assessment criteria midway through the testing phase. The union also claims that the syllabus was altered, further complicating the situation for the employees. Many of the affected employees belong to the 2022 engineering batch who were already subjected to a long waiting period before they were onboarded in October 2023. These recruits were promised annual packages ranging from Rs 3.2 to 3.7 lakh for system engineer roles.
NITES Accusations
NITES has accused Infosys of using intimidation tactics during the termination process. According to the union, security personnel and bouncers were deployed to prevent the affected employees from carrying mobile phones during their termination meetings. This, NITES claims, was done to ensure that the employees could not document the incident or seek help, leaving them vulnerable and unable to share their experiences.
Saluja described the move as an attempt to suppress information about the layoffs by making the employees sign **confidentiality agreements** before their termination, a step that NITES believes is part of a larger strategy to hide the unethical nature of the layoffs.
Infosys Responds
In response to these allegations, Infosys defended its decision to lay off the freshers, stressing that the terminations followed the company’s **long-established policy**. A company spokesperson stated, “All freshers are given three attempts to clear the assessment. If they fail to meet the criteria after three attempts, they will not be able to continue with the organization, as clearly mentioned in their contract.” The company reiterated that these procedures were designed to ensure that only those meeting the company’s required standards were retained.
Infosys further emphasized that the policy was not new and had been in place for decades as part of its standard onboarding process. The company argued that it was necessary to maintain high standards in its workforce and that these actions were a reflection of its commitment to excellence.
NITES has announced that it is preparing to file an official complaint with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, seeking government intervention in the matter. The union is calling for immediate action against Infosys, alleging that the company’s actions violate workers’ rights and have subjected the employees to unnecessary exploitation.
NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja strongly criticized Infosys, stating that this kind of corporate behavior is “blatant exploitation” of young professionals and should not be allowed to continue. The organization is urging the government to take swift action to uphold the rights and dignity of IT workers, particularly those who are new to the industry and vulnerable to such practices.
This incident highlights a larger issue of job insecurity in the Indian IT sector, particularly among fresh recruits. As more companies tighten their recruitment policies and streamline their workforces, new employees are facing increased pressure to perform at an exceptionally high level, often without adequate support or fair opportunities to meet expectations. The case has sparked wider conversations about employee welfare, workplace transparency, and corporate ethics within the IT sector.
