A photo of a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) employee sleeping on the footpath outside the company’s Pune campus has gone viral, raising serious concerns about how employees are treated in the IT industry.
The employee, Sourabh More, said he was forced to sleep outside because his salary was not paid, despite several attempts to resolve the issue with HR. A handwritten note placed beside him in the viral image stated, “I have informed HR I don’t have money and will be forced to sleep and live outside TCS on the footpath.”
This photo, taken outside TCS’s Sahyadri Park campus, was first posted online by the Forum of IT Employees (FITE) on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/FITEMaharashtra/status/1951984296060989460
According to FITE, More returned to work on July 29, but discovered that his employee ID had been deactivated and that his salary hadn’t been credited. He brought up the issue with the HR department on July 30, but said nothing was done to help him. The situation quickly drew widespread attention after the image spread across social media.
FITE Maharashtra, which represents workers from the IT, BPO, KPO, and telecom sectors, stood behind More, stating that “we stand in solidarity with the TCS employee protesting outside their Pune office for his pending salary.”
They called his act of protest courageous, saying his decision to speak out under such harsh conditions was “commendable.” However, they also advised that “salary delays and job-related issues should also be formally reported to the Labour Office,” adding that while protesting sends a strong message, “combining it with a legal complaint strengthens the fight and compels accountability.”
In response to the backlash, TCS issued a statement explaining that the problem occurred due to the employee’s “unauthorised absence.” The company said, “In accordance with standard procedure, payroll was suspended during this period.”
They added that More had “now reported back and requested reinstatement,” and that he was being supported by the company. TCS confirmed that “we have provided him accommodation for now and are supporting him in addressing his situation in a fair and constructive manner.”
TCS assured that steps are being taken to resolve the matter and provide temporary lodging to the employee during ongoing discussions. Meanwhile, the incident has reignited a larger debate on salary practices, employee support systems, and worker rights in India’s IT sector.
