Wipro applies thought, cuts costs but saves jobs

Bangalore: Companies have cut salaries, said no to promotions and are not giving increments to survive in a shrinking economy. All that is too drastic for Wipro Technologies--India’s third largest software exporter is innovating.

Wipro, as part of its efforts to manage rising HR costs, is giving employees the option of either working fewer days or going on a sabbatical. The offers are part of Wipro's skill augmentation and flex employment or SAFE program launched six months ago. The programme has two components called Project Enrich and Project Rejuvenate.

Enrich focuses on employees who have been on the bench for anywhere between three to six months. These employees can choose to work just 10 days in a month, and take a salary cut of 50 percent on their cost to company.

Wipro says employees opting for Enrich will be absorbed into projects as opportunities arise, after a two-week notice. “We do not see any immediate visibility of them being employed. They are good resources and we don't want to lose them but neither do we want to do anything drastic,” says Pratik Kumar, head of human resources at Wipro.

‘Rejuvenate’ is for senior employees and allows them to take a sabbatical and either join an NGO, or pursue a hobby, and draw just 25 percent of their CTC. Wipro says the response has been good.

“We have been able to get a thousand people interested in this programme. I think this speaks very well (of the programme),” says Kumar.

Wipro had offered employees on the bench at its Kolkata centre the option of joining the company’s BPO arm but this was not well received. Cutting HR costs is important for the company, as it is set to take on 7,000 employees who were offered jobs last year, and 8,000 more in FY10.

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