TCS defers anniversary appraisals for employees over work-from-office violations: report
The company links annual performance reviews to physical attendance, positioning itself as the first major IT firm to reset workforce strategies
In a move to tighten the link between attendance and performance outcomes, information technology (IT) services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has deferred the final anniversary appraisals for some of its employees on the grounds of not conforming to the work-from-office requirements in earlier quarters, the Times of India reported.
The decision impacts employees whose annual performance evaluations were finalised but not executed due to what the company referred to as "WFO non-compliance," an internal email seen by the Times said.
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"Please note your anniversary appraisal process is completed but not processed further by corporate since you are WFO non-compliant till Q2 FY26 (July 2025 to September 2025). If your anniversary is not committed in January 2025 due to WFO non-compliance in Q3, as a consequence, you will be excluded from the FY26 branding cycle, and no performance band will be released," the email said, the Times report said.
The IT giant's final anniversary appraisal occurs annually, following the conclusion of an employee's work anniversary.
An anniversary email is sent to those freshers who are eligible, and the company's intranet shows the updates. In 2022, TCS stopped final anniversary appraisals for lateral hires.
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The decision highlights the company's firm position on office attendance.
Employees need to report in office 5 days a week
Employees are required to work from the office five days a week, and the latest move makes TCS the first among India's leading IT services companies to implement formal appraisal-related measures for non-compliance.
In contrast, most competitors require office attendance for only two or three days each week.
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The suspension of appraisals occurs during a period when Indian IT firms are adjusting their workforce strategies in response to slower growth, margin constraints, and increasing scrutiny regarding productivity.