'Within Infosys...' - CEO Salil Parekh Amid Work-Life Balance Debate

During the Q3 earnings call on January 16, 2025, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh expressed concerns about the alleged IT major's toxic work culture.

Parekh spoke about allegations of the company's toxic work culture and salary hikes during the earning call.

The discussion was sparked by a former employee, Bhupendra Vishwakarma's revelations on the working conditions in the IT giant.

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy had also sparked a debate after his remarks on a 70-hour workweek.

What Did The Infosys Chairman Say?

“In terms of the employee question, within Infosys, we have a very clear approach to make sure that everyone is treated fairly. We have a well-defined process of looking at how the performance is driven,” Parikh said.

The Infosys CEO's response comes after he was asked about claims about the company's work culture. He especially mentioned Bhupendra Vishwakarma, a former Infosys employee whose LinkedIn post has gone viral.

What Did Vishwakarma Write?

Former Infosys employee Vishwakarma, in a LinkedIn post, listed all the reasons why he quit the company despite having no new job offers and being the sole breadwinner in the family. 

The reasons include no financial growth despite getting a promotion, unfair workload redistribution, stagnant career prospects, a toxic client environment, lack of recognition and onsite opportunities, and regional bias.

“During my time at Infosys, I faced several systemic issues that ultimately forced me to make the difficult decision of leaving without an offer in hand. I want to speak openly about these challenges because they are indicative of larger problems in corporate workplaces,” Bhupendra wrote on LinkedIn.

90-Hour Work Week Debate

In a recent video circulating on Reddit, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S.N. Subrahmanyan, suggested that employees should work 90 hours a week and even on Sundays to boost productivity and stay competitive. The remarks have sparked widespread criticism on social media.

In the video, Subrahmanyan said, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays, to be honest. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be happier because I work on Sundays too.” He dismissed the idea of work-life balance with a controversial comment, saying, “How long can you stare at your wife? How long can wives stare at their husbands? Get to the office and start working!”