‘Mere Ko Chance Bhi Nahi Diya Tha’: ‘Fired’ Infosys Employees Open Up

For thousands of fresh graduates, securing a position at Infosys was a moment of celebration. But for many, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare as delayed onboarding, sudden assessment failures, and abrupt terminations left them jobless.

Harpreet Singh Saluja, President of IT labor union NITES, claims that Infosys’ repeated delays in onboarding and assessments were strategic. “The company set a benchmark for the number of employees it wanted to retain. The failure rate in assessments was artificially inflated to facilitate mass terminations,” he alleged.

Repeated Postponements and Sudden Policy Shifts
Originally, the assessments were scheduled for February 14, then pushed to February 19, then February 24, before being postponed indefinitely.

As per a press conference by NITES, One trainee described the situation: “We were hired through campus interviews, not as apprentices. Our first assessment was supposed to be on February 14, but it kept getting delayed. Now, there is no scheduled date mentioned in the latest email.”

According to sources, only around 110 out of 950 candidates cleared the first assessment. The second round saw just 200-220 trainees pass. A similar pattern was expected in the third round. “It appears Infosys deliberately maintained a low pass percentage, leading to more layoffs,” an affected employee said.

Inside the “Termination Batch”
One trainee recalled how their batch was labeled the “termination batch” by company trainers:

“Within the first month, we heard from insiders that we were a test batch meant to be eliminated. We were even told privately not to put too much effort into training. The company had no real intention of hiring us.”

“Earlier batches had only two Java questions. Our batch had three, including a Data Structures problem—a topic impossible to master in just a month. We were set up to fail.”
Another employee reported: “Even after scoring 65 marks, I was terminated. One of my colleagues, a female employee, was denied her third attempt even though she was hospitalized during the previous one. HR refused to grant her an exception, despite medical proof.”

A Forced Exit: “Like Criminals”
On February 7, 2025, the termination process unfolded under strict surveillance. Employees reported being escorted in groups of 50, forced to sign mutual separation agreements, and denied access to washrooms or external communication.

One employee described the harrowing experience: “Security guards and bouncers stood outside. We had to hand over our phones before entering the meeting room. We weren’t allowed to contact anyone. They made us feel like criminals.”

A second employee added: “We were misled into thinking we would receive certificates, but instead, we were pressured to sign mutual separation agreements. The offered compensation was merely Rs 21,000—far from enough to cover the two years we wasted waiting for this job.”

Even more troubling, the termination was hidden from other employees:
“Buses were strategically placed to shield our mass exit from view. One by one, we were escorted out discreetly. We weren’t even given experience letters, making it difficult to find future jobs.”

For many, the emotional toll has been devastating. One trainee, who was promised a third assessment attempt after a medical emergency, was denied the chance at the last minute. She said,”Mere Ko Chance Bhi Nahi Diya Tha”

“I ran from one room to another, trying to get answers,” she said. “I was mentally so stressed, I isolated myself from the world.”

Another trainee highlighted the financial burden: “Infosys deducted room rent from our final compensation, even though we had left the campus. Flight tickets to leave Mysore at short notice cost Rs 10,000-20,000, and we received no assistance.”

Infosys Responds
In response to the complaints, Infosys issued a statement explaining its stance.

In a statement, Infosys said, “While we understand the disappointment of individuals who have not been able to clear the assessment, it is important to understand facts surrounding this situation.”

“Our testing processes are articulated in the evaluation policy document and also communicated proactively to all trainees,” the statement added.

“Infosys takes great pride in the quality of its employees and provides one of the finest training programs that has been globally recognized as a leading foundation program in the industry. Every trainee joins with the clear understanding that performance evaluations are an integral part of their development and progress,” the IT firm said.

“Each trainee that joins Infosys fills an Apprenticeship Registration Form accepting their apprenticeship with Infosys, where the training cost is borne entirely by Infosys. Our testing processes are articulated in the evaluation policy document and also communicated proactively to all trainees,” it added.

“Also, as part of the evaluation process, negative marking is across all three attempts where Multiple-Choice Questions formats are followed. This is part of the evaluation policy document and also communicated proactively at the time of induction of our trainees. Furthermore, all eligible trainees (over 98%) have received their relieving letter upon separation, along with outplacement services, severance pay, counseling, among other measures, as shared earlier,” the statement concluded.

Looking Ahead
While Infosys has stated that its evaluation policies are clearly defined and communicated, some trainees continue to express disappointment over their outcomes. Many are now looking for new opportunities and hope for clearer guidelines in future recruitment and training processes.

For some, the experience has been a difficult learning curve, while others are moving forward with renewed focus on their careers. As the discussion around hiring policies and evaluation criteria continues, trainees and companies alike seek to find the right balance between expectations and structured assessments.