Pune: Infosys Faces Employees Union Complaint For Alleged Non-Compliance With Maharashtra’s Paid Voting Leave Rule
Pune: Infosys Faces Employees Union Complaint For Alleged Non-Compliance With Maharashtra’s Paid Voting Leave Rule
Pune, December 1, 2025: The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has lodged a complaint with the Labour Commissioner’s Office in Pune, accusing IT major Infosys Limited of failing to implement the state government’s mandatory paid voting leave directive ahead of the Maharashtra Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat elections scheduled for Tuesday.
The Government of Maharashtra issued a resolution on November 28, requiring all establishments to provide registered voters either a full paid holiday or at least one to three hours of paid time off to cast their vote. The order also prohibits any wage cuts or deduction of leave for participating in the electoral process, emphasising that voting is a constitutional right critical to strengthening democracy.
Union Flags ‘Ambiguous’ Internal Communication
NITES president and advocate Harpreet Singh Saluja claimed that Infosys’ internal communication does not clearly state that the time allotted for voting will be paid. “Employees have been told they may take ‘time out’ to vote, but the message does not specify whether this time off is paid. The company has also asked staff to seek prior managerial approval, which could result in eligible employees being denied their statutory benefit,” he said.
According to the union, the company’s email fails to mention the minimum mandatory duration of voting leave and introduces conditions not permitted under the government’s order. NITES argues that these gaps create uncertainty around salary deductions, forced adjustments against other leave categories or demands for compensatory working hours—amounting to an indirect restriction on employees’ voting rights.
Union Seeks Government Action
NITES has urged the Labour Commissioner to investigate Infosys’ compliance and direct the company to issue a revised communication that clearly guarantees paid leave or paid time off for voting. The union has also asked authorities to initiate action under the applicable labour laws and issue similar instructions to all IT and ITeS companies in the Pune region to ensure uniform implementation of the voting leave mandate.
