Challenging bench policy and lack of transparency
Pros
Good learning opportunities on projects. Supportive managers at the project level. Team members are generally collaborative.
Cons
The bench policy is extremely stressful and poorly handled. If an employee remains on bench for around one month, there is immediate pressure to resign, often without clear written communication, proper justification, or transparent reference to company policy. This happens regardless of past performance or long-term contribution. In my experience, HR discussions were largely one-sided. When valid questions were raised about the reasons, policy applicability, or next steps, there was little willingness to listen or clarify. If an employee stands up for themselves and asks for formal communication, responses tend to slow down or stop, which adds to uncertainty and anxiety. Despite consistent contributions over 3.5 years-including working on weekends and receiving positive feedback from managers-the bench situation seemed to override all prior performance. Additionally, accountability feels misaligned. Project allocation depends heavily on management and business teams, yet the impact of bench periods is borne almost entirely by developers.