In a move that has ignited widespread discontent among employees and human resource professionals alike, global technology and services firm Genpact has quietly rolled out a policy extending daily work hours to ten. The decision, implemented mid-June following an internal announcement nearly three weeks prior, has been met with sharp criticism over its impact on employee wellbeing and corporate transparency.
Tensions have been particularly high at Genpact’s Hyderabad offices, where employees report a “tense” atmosphere since the policy’s rollout. Many have voiced concerns about mounting work pressure, a spike in attrition rates, and what they describe as a breakdown in communication and transparency from upper management.
The new policy includes the use of an internal productivity portal that monitors active working hours, further fuelling anxiety about surveillance and performance scrutiny.
“If I clock the allotted time, I earn 500 points per month, which is worth ₹3,000. We have been told that 5% of it, which is ₹150 in my case, will be paid for the additional time. It hardly feels like an incentive,” said one employee, highlighting the perceived imbalance between workload and compensation.
A senior staff member involved in recruitment, speaking on condition of anonymity, described rising attrition and noted a worrying pattern of senior employees resigning in droves, only to be quietly replaced. According to the source, the policy has not been formally issued company-wide but is instead being enforced through departmental managers and agents.
“If you question it, you’re branded with ‘behavioural issues’ and let go,” the employee added. They also pointed out that recruitment data, once openly shared by HR, is now tightly guarded by senior management.
Ink Dive: 70-Hour or 90-Hour: Does More Time Mean More Productivity?
Social media platforms have become a sounding board for dissent. One Reddit user wrote: “This is absolutely pathetic and the company increased working hours to 10, without increasing salary.” Another post revealed that the company tracks keystrokes via a system called WAM: “You have to maintain 9 hrs of those out of 10 now, or you get warning mails. 3-4 of such emails and they deduct your bonus and kill appraisals (sic).”
A veteran of the IT-enabled services sector, who began his career at Genpact more than 20 years ago, lamented the departure from the company’s founding ethos. He warned the policy could set a troubling precedent for the broader industry, particularly among domestic firms, and criticised HR’s silence on the matter.
Executive search consultant Achyut Menon linked the move to a post-pandemic recalibration across corporates. “After giving big salary hikes during the pandemic, companies now think they overpaid,” he said. “They’re introducing stringent office mandates and longer work hours not just to cut costs, but to push existing employees out and quietly hire cheaper replacements.”
Many within Genpact had hoped the company might reconsider after a 15-day evaluation period. However, no revisions to the policy have been announced, leaving employees disheartened and industry observers concerned about the message it sends regarding workplace values in the post-pandemic era.
Insights from agencies
