Infosys bonus letters rolled out: What top execs told employees in conference call as bonuses "lowest in 10 years"

Infosys has reportedly rolled out performance bonus letters for all eligible employees. The bonus letters are for the first three months of 2025, which is the fourth quarter of FY2024-25. According to a report in Economic Times, much of the workforce sees the payout as being significantly lower than the previous one. According to a report, quoting sources, most eligible employees received 50% of their target amount for the quarter. While some got 70%, a few exceptional performers got higher percentages.

In a brief internal communication, Infosys informed employees that it would release the bonus along with the salary for the month of May. Sources told the publication that such communication usually follows a generic email from the management about how it sees the business climate, the growth opportunities ahead, and a little praise for employees. But, in a break from the past, there was no such mail this time.

A senior employee said that the lowest performance bonus that he received in his 10-year stint with Infosys was a 60% payout two years ago, but quarter one is even lower. He added that in good times, he had even received 100% of the eligible amount.

HR communicates bonus cuts via conference call
Recently, during a conference call with a large delivery unit Infosys HR executives and managers informed employees about reduced bonus payouts. The company's senior executives reportedly assured the employees that it is a temporary downturn and the company will compensate the top performers with bonus recommendations with the next growth cycle. Top executives reportedly exhorted team members not to lose heart as this was a passing phase. In the conference bridge call, the management also reportedly acknowledged the extra hours and weekend work put in by employees.

Low bonuses attributed to tough business environment
The lower bonus payout to Infosys employees is attributed to the rough patch the software services industry is passing through owing to tariff confusion, growth challenges and cautious client spends. During the bridge call, employees were told that the lower bonus payout this time was due to the drop in the company’s fourth-quarter profit. Last month, Infosys had reported an 11.7% year-on-year fall in net profit to Rs 7,033 crore. The revenue guidance for the year 2025-26 was also in a low-single-digit range.