At a time when the IT industry is already reeling from widespread job cuts, Cognizant Technology Solutions has drawn the ire of employee unions for unilaterally increasing the standard workday for its Indian employees. The NDLF (New Democratic Labour Front) IT Employees Wing has strongly condemned this move, framing it as a direct assault on employee rights and a thinly veiled strategy to increase pressure on its workforce amidst the ongoing Cognizant Technology Solutions layoff climate.
This article breaks down the controversy, the union’s response, and the connection between longer working hours and the persistent threat of layoffs at Cognizant.
From 8 to 9 Hours: The Policy Change
In early 2021, Cognizant officially moved its massive India-based workforce from a standard 8-hour workday to a 9-hour workday. The company stated that this change was to “align staff policies with market standards to gain competitiveness.” To offset the longer day, Cognizant also announced an increase in the number of annual paid leaves.
However, this justification was met with immediate and fierce opposition from employee representative bodies.
| Policy Element | Previous Policy | New Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Workday | 8 hours | 9 hours |
| Annual Paid Leaves | 26 Days | 36 Days |
NDLF’s Condemnation: A Move to Maximize Profits
The NDLF, along with other unions like UNITE (Union of IT & ITES Employees), immediately issued statements condemning the move. They argued that the decision was made unilaterally, without any consultation with employees, and that it would have severe negative consequences.
The NDLF’s primary objections included:
- Violation of Employee Rights: A unilateral change to fundamental service conditions without employee consent is a violation of labor rights.
- Impact on Health and Well-being: An extra hour of work daily, especially in the high-pressure IT environment, would severely degrade the work-life balance and mental health of employees.
- Illusory Leave Benefits: The union argued that the increase in paid leave was largely meaningless, as tight project deadlines and high workloads rarely allow employees to utilize their full leave entitlement.
- Profit Maximization: The move was seen as a way to extract more billable hours from the existing workforce, thereby increasing company revenue without sharing the benefits with the employees who are creating that value.
“This is not about aligning with industry practice; it’s about maximizing profits at the expense of employee welfare. In a time of global stress and rampant layoffs, increasing the burden on the remaining workforce is an unethical and exploitative move.”- Adapted from IT Union statements
The Link to the Cognizant Technology Solutions Layoff Culture
Crucially, the NDLF and other employee advocates have linked the increase in working hours to the ongoing trend of layoffs at Cognizant. They argue that this is a classic “efficiency” strategy: make the remaining employees work more to cover the workload of those who have been let go.
This creates a high-pressure environment where productivity metrics become even more stringent, potentially providing the company with justification for future performance-based terminations. By normalizing a longer workday, the company can demand higher output, making it easier to identify and remove those who cannot sustain the increased pace—a cycle that feeds the layoff machine.
The condemnation by the NDLF highlights a critical battlefront in the fight for IT employee rights. While Cognizant presents its policy changes as standard business practice, for many employees and their representatives, it is a clear signal of a corporate culture that prioritizes profits over people, especially in an era defined by job insecurity.