Updated 19:32 IST, January 17th 2025
Salary Stagnation, Toxic Culture at Infosys? CEO Salil Parekh Reacts Amid 90-Hour Work Week Debate
Parekh was asked pointed questions, particularly regarding stagnant salaries and the company’s approach to workforce management.

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing debate over corporate workplace culture, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh responded to concerns about the company’s work environment and employee compensation during the Q3 FY25 earnings call on January 16.
His comments came after Bhupendra Vishwakarma, a former Pune-based employee, shared on LinkedIn his reasons for leaving Infosys, despite being the sole breadwinner for his family.
In his post, Vishwakarma detailed several grievances, including stagnant salaries despite a promotion, unequal workload distribution, lack of career advancement, and a toxic client environment. He also cited regional bias, limited recognition, and few onsite opportunities as key factors in his decision to leave the company.
Parekh was asked pointed questions about these concerns, particularly regarding stagnant salaries and the company’s approach to workforce management.
Responding to Vishwakarma’s claims, Parekh stressed on Infosys' commitment to fairness, stating, “Within Infosys, we have a very clear approach to ensure everyone is treated fairly,” and added, “We have a well-defined process for evaluating performance.”
When pressed further on Vishwakarma’s specific allegations, Parekh reiterated that Infosys prioritizes fairness and transparency in its internal processes.
What Bhupendra Vishwakarma Had Said in His LinkedIn Post
Why I Left Infosys Job Without Any Offer Letter in Hand, Despite Being the Sole Breadwinner for My Family
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:
1. No Financial Growth Despite Promotion: Being promoted from System Engineer to Senior System Engineer sounds good on paper, but it meant nothing without a monetary hike. For three years, I worked hard, met expectations, and contributed to the team, yet saw no financial acknowledgment of my efforts.
2. Unfair Workload Redistribution: When the team size reduced from 50 to 30 due to attrition, the additional workload was simply dumped on the remaining employees. Instead of hiring replacements or providing support, the management took the easy route—overburdening the existing team without compensation or even recognition.
3. Stagnant Career Prospects: The account I was assigned to was a loss-making one, as admitted by my manager. This directly impacted salary hikes and opportunities for career growth. Staying in such an account felt like professional stagnation, with no light at the end of the tunnel.
4. Toxic Client Environment: The client’s unrealistic demands for ultra-quick responses created a toxic work culture where even minor issues led to escalations. This pressure trickled down, creating stress at every level of the hierarchy. It felt like a constant state of firefighting, with no room for personal well-being.
5. Lack of Recognition: Despite consistent efforts and recognition from my peers and seniors, none of it translated into tangible rewards—be it financial growth, promotions, or career advancements. Hard work felt like it was being taken for granted.
6. Onsite Opportunities and Regional Bias: Onsite opportunities were never based on merit but rather on linguistic preferences. Employees speaking Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam were frequently prioritized for such roles, while Hindi-speaking employees like me were overlooked, regardless of our performance. This blatant bias was both unfair and demoralizing.
These issues aren’t unique to me—they reflect the experiences of countless employees who feel voiceless in the face of such systemic failures. I chose to leave because I couldn’t compromise my self-respect and mental health for an organization that ignored these basic issues.
It’s time corporate managers stop sugarcoating the realities on the ground and start addressing these problems. Employees are not resources to be exploited; they are human beings with aspirations and limits. If such toxic practices continue unchecked, organizations risk losing not only their talent but also their credibility.
In addition to Infosys, L&T is also facing scrutiny over its work culture, particularly after Chairman SN Subrahmanyan advocated for Sunday workdays. He had questioned the value of time off at home, stating, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Get to the office and start working.”
This ongoing debate about work-life balance and extended work hours has drawn responses from various industry leaders and public figures.
Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, at a media event highlighted the importance of work quality over the number of hours spent at a desk, emphasizing that the value of work is far more significant.
Later, political leaders also weighed in. Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge voiced opposition to the notion of excessively long workweeks, recalling the principles of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. BR Ambedkar, who championed limiting work hours to an eight-hour workday.
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Published 18:06 IST, January 17th 2025