Is TCS forcing employees to transfer to different base locations? Here’s what the NITES complaint says

The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), a rights organization for IT sector employees, has lodged a complaint with the labor ministry against Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). According to an ET report, NITES has alleged that TCS is forcefully transferring more than 2,000 employees without their consent.
The affected employees are being given only 14 days to relocate to the new base location, or face salary deductions.A copy of the complaint, reviewed by ET, states that TCS has not provided a valid reason for the transfers and has not given employees an opportunity to offer alternative solutions.
The complaint comes at a time when TCS and other IT services companies are urging employees to return to office on all working days. TCS response on the allegations is awaited.
NITES has said that TCS has been sending emails to employees informing them about their transfer to locations including Mumbai. The emails mention that the transfers are necessary due to business requirements, but fail to provide specific details, the report said. Employees are expected to report to the new location within two weeks, with reimbursement promised at a later date. NITES argues that these requirements have placed financial and emotional stress on the affected employees.

NITES has requested the labor ministry to investigate TCS’ transfer practices to determine if they violate labor laws, and take appropriate action. A senior executive, who did not wish to be quoted, labeled these transfers as routine, primarily affecting junior employees based on present and future business needs. TCS has a workforce of over 600,000 employees.
During the pandemic, many employees had returned to their hometowns when work from home arrangements were implemented. However, companies are now struggling to get these employees to return to their base locations and offices. It was previously reported that after TCS, other major firms like Infosys and Wipro have also mandated employees to work from the office for a few days each week.

Harpreet Saluja, President of NITES was quoted as saying that they have received complaints from employees stating that they have been transferred without any client projects at hand. “Normally company-initiated transfers are an outcome of a specific business requirement from clients. However, we have received complaints from employees stating that they have been transferred without any client project at hand,” Saluja said.
Saluja added that a majority of the affected employees were already working from offices in their base locations. Most of them have 1-2 years of experience, with a significant number coming from Hyderabad.