Genpact is under fire for mandating a 10-hour workday without formal HR communication or salary hikes, sparking widespread protests over burnout, surveillance, and a toxic work culture. Employees have taken to social media and Reddit to voice frustration, calling the policy exploitative and unsustainable.
Global professional services giant Genpact is facing a wave of internal dissent and public backlash after introducing a controversial 10-hour mandatory workday, implemented without formal communication or corresponding salary hikes. The move has sparked fears of burnout, digital surveillance, and eroding work-life balance—particularly within its Hyderabad office, where employees report a drop in morale.
According to a report by The Hindu, the extended work policy, in effect since mid-June, requires employees to log 10 active hours daily on a proprietary productivity platform. Workers who comply can earn up to 500 points per month, redeemable for a modest Rs 3,000 incentive, with only a 5 per cent bonus (around Rs 150) for additional hours beyond the daily quota. Critically, no increase in base salary accompanies the policy.
“There’s nothing on paper. It’s all word of mouth. If anyone challenges it, they’re accused of being difficult and risk termination,” a senior recruitment staffer told The Hindu, citing the absence of an official HR circular.
What’s fuelling the backlash is not just the demand for longer hours but how the policy was introduced—informally through team leads and managers, without written directives. This opaque rollout, insiders say, has created confusion and left employees fearful of retribution if they speak up.
Amidst the outcry, some employees say they are monitored via WAM, a tool reportedly capable of tracking keystrokes and screen activity. Employees must now maintain nine active hours out of ten, or risk receiving warning emails. Repeat violations, according to Reddit threads, could lead to bonus deductions or poor performance appraisals.
Employee Reactions: “Is This Sustainable?”
“#For10HrLogin – Is this the new standard or a step backward?” wrote Abhishek Sharma, an assistant manager at Genpact, on LinkedIn. “Extended login hours can lead to burnout, reduced creativity, and disengagement… Is this sustainable, and is it truly what drives growth?”
One viral X post read:“Wow @Genpact really said, ‘Forget a life outside work!’ With 70 per cent of employees earning under ₹10L/year, they’ve now blessed you with a 10-hour workday. Add Bangalore’s 3-4 hour traffic jam, and poof—14 hours of your day gone!”
Another employee wrote on Reddit: “Absolutely pathetic… They increased working hours to 10, without increasing salary… 3-4 of such [WAM] emails and they deduct your bonus and kill appraisals.”
No Comment Yet from Genpact Leadership
As of Saturday morning, Genpact has issued no official statement addressing the policy or the backlash. There has also been no confirmation of whether the 10-hour workday will become a permanent feature of the company’s work culture.