Wipro has tightened its hybrid work policy, making it mandatory for employees to spend at least six hours in the office on designated work-from-office (WFO) days. The updated rule took effect from January 1, 2026, and is tied to leave deductions if employees do not meet the minimum in-office time.
The IT services company already requires office attendance three days a week under its hybrid setup, and the new rule adds a minimum time threshold on those days. Working hours for employees remain 9.5 hours a day, with Wipro saying the remaining time beyond the six-hour office requirement can be completed from home on the same day.
What the new 6-hour rule means
Under the updated hybrid work policy, employees must be physically present in the office for at least six hours on days they are expected to work from office. The six-hour minimum is measured using office punch-in and punch-out timings, according to reports cited in multiple updates on the policy.
If employees spend less than six hours in the office on a required office day, they may face a half-day leave deduction for that day. Separate from the daily minimum, employees are also expected to meet the broader weekly requirement of coming to the office three days a week, and additional leave may be deducted if the weekly requirement is not fulfilled.
Workday length stays 9.5 hours
While Wipro has set a minimum in-office time for WFO days, the company has clarified that the total working time does not change. Employees are still expected to complete a 9.5-hour workday on a standard working day.
This means the six-hour requirement is a minimum office presence threshold, not a reduced working day. The remaining hours after office time can be completed remotely from home on the same day, as long as daily work assignments are completed.
Temporary remote work days reduced
Along with stricter office attendance tracking, Wipro has also reduced the number of temporary remote workdays allowed per year for personal or health-related reasons. The allowed number of such remote days has been cut to 12 days annually, down from 15 days earlier.
These temporary remote days are intended for situations such as self-care, illness, or caregiving needs. The changes reflect a narrower set of exceptions within the broader hybrid work model.
How Wipro’s hybrid policy has evolved
Wipro’s office attendance rules have been tightening over time. Office attendance has been mandatory for three days a week since the hybrid work arrangement began in 2024, and the new policy adds structure by requiring a minimum number of hours in-office on those days.
Industry observers quoted in reports describe the shift as part of a broader move by IT companies from optional attendance toward more defined hybrid norms. The view shared is that longer in-office windows can allow for more meaningful collaboration—moving beyond quick meetings into deeper teamwork such as mentoring and cross-functional problem-solving.
At the same time, the same commentary suggests a full return to five days a week in-office may not become the default for most IT firms, with many organizations focusing on making in-office days more effective rather than increasing the total number of days in the office.
Wider return-to-office push in IT
Wipro’s move comes as other large IT companies have also adjusted work-from-office expectations. Reports note that Infosys previously required employees to work from the office for 10 days a month, while TCS has made work from office compulsory across all five days of the week.
Separately, commentary cited in coverage of Wipro’s decision points to faster software development cycles as a driver behind stricter in-person collaboration requirements. One view shared is that software rollouts that once took years are now happening much faster—sometimes in as little as eight weeks—making real-time coordination more important and, in some cases, making fully remote work less effective for certain projects.
The same commentary also distinguishes between types of work: tasks like accounting or data management may be easier to do remotely, while projects tied to product execution and other “transformational” work often need in-person coordination to improve delivery and quality.
