Infosys has been fined nearly Rs 2 crore by French labour authorities after its employee working-hours tracking system was found to be non-compliant with local labour regulations. The penalty of EUR 175,000 was imposed by DRIEETS Ile-de-France, the regional labour authority in France. Infosys disclosed the development in a stock exchange filing, stating that it had received an official communication regarding the recovery of the penalty.
According to the authority's findings, Infosys' working-time recording system failed to fully meet French legal standards. The concerns centred on the system's reliability, its ability to maintain auditable records and its monitoring of certain categories of employees.
French labour laws require employers to accurately record working hours, including the statutory 35-hour workweek, overtime and mandatory rest periods. These records must also be reliable and capable of being audited when necessary. The filing does not specify which categories of employees were affected or whether Infosys has been directed to implement specific changes to its time-tracking system.
Infosys, however, said the financial impact of the penalty would be insignificant. The company stated that the fine is not expected to materially affect its financial position, operations or overall business, adding that it is reviewing the communication and assessing its next course of action.
FINE COMES AMID STRICTER OFFICE ATTENDANCE POLICY
The penalty comes at a time when Infosys has been tightening its return-to-office requirements for employees in India.
The company had previously mandated that employees at job level 7 and above work from the office at least four days a week. In March, reports suggested that the requirement was extended to employees in the 6A band across certain business units, bringing a larger group of senior staff under the stricter attendance policy.
According to an internal email cited by The Economic Times, employees were informed: "Please note, as per our unit guidelines, JL6+ have to be in office four days a week." The communication also noted that some employees had failed to meet the minimum requirement of 10 office-attendance days each month.
Despite these stricter attendance norms, Infosys continues to describe its work model as hybrid, saying the approach is intended to promote collaboration, innovation and efficient project delivery.
The fine also comes amid the ongoing discussion around working hours at Infosys. Company founder Narayana Murthy has previously advocated for longer working hours, arguing that India's global competitiveness depends on greater commitment from its workforce.
Referring to China's "9-9-6" work culture, Murthy had said that no individual, community or country had progressed without hard work. He described the schedule as working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week, amounting to 72 hours.
However, the French authorities' action is unrelated to the number of hours employees work. Instead, it focuses on whether Infosys' system accurately records and monitors employee working hours in accordance with French labour laws.
India Today Tech has reached out to Infosys for a response and said it will update the report once the company issues a statement.
