HR Talk
’10 days a month work from office’, Infosys’ new mandate to employees
Starting on March 10, 2025, employees at Infosys will be required to work from the office for a minimum of ten days each month. The company is updating its attendance software to ensure compliance with this new policy. Last year, Infosys allowed employees to work from home for up to 11 days while still requiring 10 days in the office as part of its hybrid model. However, the introduction of technology will now enforce this requirement. If employees do not adhere to the new on-site work demand, the mobile app they use to log their attendance will deny their work-from-home requests. Previously, those requests were automatically accepted, as reported by ET. Department heads have been notified of this mandate, which will apply to approximately 323,000 employees at job level 5 (JL5) and below. ...
IIT Madras Hosts Industry-Academia Conclave on Evolving Talent Landscape
The Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE), IIT Madras, invites HR leaders and industry experts to an insightful Industry-Academia Conclave, fostering collaboration between academia and business leaders. Panel Discussion: “The Talent Equation: Balancing Experience, Upskilling & Innovation” This exclusive event will feature thought-provoking discussions on navigating the dynamic talent ecosystem, addressing key challenges, and exploring strategies for workforce transformation. 📍 Venue: IIT Madras, Chennai📅 Date: March 25, 2025⏰ Time: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM Join us for a power-packed session with industry stalwarts and academic experts as we shape the future of talent development. 📢 Register Now & Be Part of the Conversation! https://forms.gle/4dsTgYfQCji7uZfx5 #IITM...
Hewlett Packard Enterprise to lay off 2000 employees to cut costs
Hewlett-Packard (HP), the American multinational company that manufactures computers and printers, is reducing its global workforce by approximately 2,000 employees. By October this year, the company’s workforce, which currently stands at 58,000, will be significantly downsized in an effort to save $300 million. While specific departments affected by the layoffs have not yet been announced, the cuts are expected to be strategically planned and will impact employees across various segments of the company. These workforce reductions will reportedly be carried out in consultation with local labor associations and will comply with the regulations and laws of the respective countries. In addition to the job cuts, HP is also undergoing a rebalancing initiative and exploring other areas for...
Apple will invest $500 billion in the US over four years, creating 20,000 R&D jobs
Apple is planning to create 20,000 new jobs across the United States. This initiative will involve expanding teams focused on research and development (R&D), software development, custom silicon, hardware engineering, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The company is set to invest $500 billion in supplier partnerships, direct job creation, technological infrastructure, office spaces, data centers, and production over the next four years. In the past five years, Apple has nearly doubled its spending on advanced R&D and aims to accelerate this growth further. Since 2020, Apple has reportedly contributed over $75 billion to the U.S. economy in taxes, with $19 billion paid just in the year 2024. To bolster the manufacturing sector, Apple will double its Advanced Manufacturi...
Ola Electric undergoes internal restructuring and cuts around 1000 jobs
It hasn’t been long since Ola Electric laid off around 500 employees in November 2024. Now, the electric vehicle manufacturer, led by Bhavish Aggarwal, is again reducing its workforce to cut losses. These job cuts will affect various departments, including the charging infrastructure division, fulfillment, procurement, and customer relations. In this second round of layoffs, more than one-fourth of the workforce, excluding contract workers, will be affected. The company has reportedly restructured its operations and embraced automation to control costs, improve customer experience, and increase profit margins. In this process, it has eliminated redundant roles to maintain productivity. In the December quarter, Ola incurred a 50 percent increase in losses, rising from Rs 376 crore dur...
JioStar announces 600 job cuts as part of its post-merger restructuring
JioStar, the newly formed media giant resulting from the Reliance-Disney merger, is set to lay off approximately 600 employees across India. This decision is part of a significant restructuring effort aimed at optimizing resources and eliminating duplicate roles following the consolidation. The layoffs will impact employees from both Reliance and Star, as the company reorganizes its workforce. With JioStar now positioned as the country’s largest media and entertainment entity, the merger has created overlapping functions, making job cuts unavoidable. To facilitate the transition, JioStar is collaborating with an outplacement agency to help affected employees find new opportunities. The company has assured that existing health insurance and hospitalization benefits will continue until their...
Meta announces 41 jobs in Bengaluru as part of India expansion
Meta is planning to expand its operations in India and is currently seeking talent for its enterprise engineering team at its Bengaluru center. This team will manage Meta’s internal tools, according to a report by Tech Crunch. The fact that Meta is beginning to view India as an engineering hub is a positive development, indicating growing opportunities for the country’s youth. Recently, Meta laid off five percent of its workforce due to underperformance, making the new hiring initiatives in India particularly encouraging for engineering talent in the region. While the company’s other offices in Mumbai, Gurugram, New Delhi, and Hyderabad have limited openings for tech positions, the Bengaluru center is looking to fill 41 engineering roles, which include opportunities in machine learni...
Starbucks to lay off 1100 corporate staff to increase efficiency
Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees worldwide as part of a restructuring under Brian Niccol, the new chairman and CEO. This decision aims to streamline operations and enhance efficiency throughout the company. Employees were informed in a letter that the layoffs will be announced by midday on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. In addition to these layoffs, several hundred open and unfilled positions will also be eliminated. The company is focused on reducing complexity, increasing accountability, and improving integration within its operations. In January, Starbucks already conducted another round of layoffs, targeting corporate-level positions. The primary goal was to streamline operations by removing redundant roles and addressing internal inefficiencies that were believed to h...
Google announces layoffs in its HR and cloud operations as part of continuous cost reductions
Google has begun implementing job cuts within its cloud division and human resources department as part of a larger internal restructuring effort. These layoffs are part of the company’s ongoing initiative to streamline operations and redirect resources towards artificial intelligence and business expansion. To optimize resources for AI investments and business growth, Google has informed full-time employees in its people operations division in the US about a voluntary exit program set to begin in early March. Reports indicate that mid-to-senior level employees who choose to participate in this buyout could receive severance packages that include 14 weeks of salary plus an additional week for each year of service. Several teams within Google’s cloud division, including sales operatio...
Chinese firm’s strict two-minute restroom rule sparks controversy
A manufacturing company in China has recently implemented a strict policy limiting restroom use to just two minutes, which has garnered widespread criticism. The Three Brothers Machine Manufacturing Company, based in Foshan, Guangdong, now regulates its employees’ bathroom breaks by designating specific time slots and imposing penalties for exceeding the limit. The company claims that the policy is inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, citing the ancient text, “Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon,” as justification. Under the new rules, employees are allowed to use restrooms at specific times: before 8 a.m., from 10:30 to 10:40 a.m., between 12 noon and 1:30 p.m., from 3:30 to 3:40 p.m., and between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Those working overtime are granted additional access after 9 p.m. ...
TCS ex-employee accuses ‘visa fraud’, claims ‘gaming system’ to dodge H-1B regulations and US labour laws
A former employee of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has accused the company of engaging in visa fraud to circumvent U.S. labor laws and H-1B visa regulations. Anil Kini, the whistleblower who worked as an IT manager at TCS’s Denver office, claims he was instructed to alter internal organizational charts and misclassify employees as managers to evade scrutiny regarding visa applications, as reported by Bloomberg. Kini’s current allegations are part of an appeal following the dismissal of his earlier lawsuit. He asserts that these fraudulent practices began during the first term of former U.S. President Donald Trump, when stricter regulations on employment visas were introduced. The accusations involve TCS’s use of L-1A visas, which are intended for transferring managers w...
Infosys Delays Trainee Assessments Following Massive Layoffs
Infosys, an Indian IT services company, has postponed a crucial internal assessment originally scheduled for February 18 at its Mysore campus. The delay comes in response to significant backlash following the termination of hundreds of trainees, which has sparked criticism from employee unions and prompted government intervention. The assessment was set to involve around 800 employees, with results expected by February 19, 2025, and potential terminations by February 21. After pressure from the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) and other unions, Infosys has rescheduled the assessment for February 24, 2025. A formal announcement was communicated to trainees via email, which has since circulated online. This postponement provides temporary relief to the affected trainee...