IT services company Wipro has reportedly written to recently hired fresh graduates who were previously offered a package of Rs 6.5 lakh per annum (lpa), asking if they would accept a package of Rs 3.5 lpa instead. Candidates who agree to switch to the lower package were told they could officially join the organisation from March, while the joining date of those who refused to switch remained uncertain. According to reports, the company had recently sacked 452 freshers on account of ‘poor performance’ in internal tests conducted after a training programme.
Fresh graduates in Wipro are offered two different packages: ‘Elite’ and ‘Turbo’. While Elite candidates are offered Rs. 3.5 lpa, Turbo candidates are offered Rs 6.5 lpa. Candidates in the Elite program can move to the Turbo program if they go through the company's ‘Velocity’ program and upgrade their skills.
Wipro sent an email on February 16 to several candidates previously offered the Rs 6.5 lpa package, giving them an option to choose the Rs 3.5 lpa role. "We have certain Project Engineer roles available for recruitment with an annual compensation of INR 3.5 lakhs. We would like to offer all our Velocity graduates in the FY23 batch an opportunity to opt for these roles," the email read.
Freshers who accept the new offer will be onboarded from March onward. However, such acceptance would make the previous offers void. Candidates have the option of holding on to the original offer if they don't accept the lower offer, but the company said it couldn't promise a joining date to those who hold on to the original offer.
Candidates are not happy with the change in the initial offer and termed it unfair, according to reports. One such candidate told Moneycontrol that they shouldn’t have been made to wait till now and if the company planned to do this, they should have informed the candidates last year itself, when there were still jobs available in the market paying Rs 3.5 lpa. Many of the them chose to wait for the Wipro offer instead because it promised Rs 6.5 lpa, the candidate said.