Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest IT firm, recently missed its quarterly revenue estimates, sparking headlines and shareholder anxiety.
But underneath the financial figures lies a human story that often gets overlooked—one of excessive workloads, project stagnation, employee exits, and growing disillusionment.
TCS reported slower revenue growth this quarter, partly due to global economic uncertainty and delays in client decision-making. But analysts also pointed to high attrition rates, employee fatigue, and low engagement—signals that things aren’t just cooling on the balance sheet, but also in cubicles and conference rooms.
This isn’t just about TCS. It’s a wake-up call to how overworked, under-recognised employees may be silently powering declining performance across the tech sector.
In TCS and similar IT giants, once considered aspirational employers, many report experiencing:
Blurred boundaries due to remote or hybrid models
Limited promotions and recognition despite higher workloads
“Utilisation pressure”—where you’re always expected to be billable
Repetitive, non-creative project work with little room for learning or autonomy
Why Revenue Misses and Burnout Are Connected
1. Disengaged Teams = Declining Productivity
2. High Attrition Disrupts Continuity
3. Short-Term Pressure, Long-Term Damage
What Employees Can Learn From This
1. Track Your Own “Productivity” Holistically
2. Ask for Role Clarity and Boundaries
3. Protect Recovery Time Like a Deadline
4. Consider Learning as Resistance
TCS missing its targets may have triggered stock market jitters. But for many Indian professionals, it mirrored something deeper—the silent struggle of burnout that's long been ignored. The numbers may recover next quarter.
The question is, will the people?