Infosys Postpones Trainee Assessments by a Week

New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) Close on the heels of an outcry over recent layoffs of more than 300 freshers in its Mysuru campus, Infosys has now postponed, by a week, internal assessments scheduled for trainees.

The company has, however, asserted that the deferment is aimed at giving them additional time for preparation.

IT employee union Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), meanwhile, claimed that the assessment meant for 800 trainees was postponed due to its intervention, "unwavering fight against unfair layoffs", as well as government action.

Countering this, Infosys, in a statement, said it had not received any requests from the government or external parties to postpone assessments.

"We are deferring our assessments by a week to provide additional preparation time for our trainees," Infosys said.

Last week, the Bengaluru-headquartered IT services company had laid off over 300 freshers who underwent foundational training at its Mysuru campus but could not clear internal assessments after three attempts.

NITES on Tuesday said it continues its unwavering fight against unfair layoffs in the IT sector.

"After Infosys initiated mass terminations at its Mysore campus, NITES escalated the matter to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. The ministry promptly directed the Karnataka State Labour Department to investigate and protect affected employees," NITES said.

It went on to say that on Tuesday around 800 employees were scheduled for an assessment, with results set for Wednesday.

"However, following NITES's intervention, government action, and strong media support, Infosys has now postponed the assessment. While this brings a sigh of relief for many employees, the fight for fair employment practices and job security is far from over," NITES had said.