Infosys vs HCLTech + Early Release Pressure — What would you choose? 🤔

Hey folks,

need some honest advice here.

I have 5 YOE ( GCP Data Engineering – GCP stack) and currently hold two offers: HCLTech – Tech Lead (Banking project) Infosys – Offer in hand, project details yet to be confirmed The compensation difference between the two is very minimal, so my decision is mainly based on work culture, WFH/WFO flexibility, and how strict policies/management are.

At the same time, I’m in a tricky spot in my current org (Cognizant). Due to restructuring at the client side (Verizon), they’re releasing vendors, and my project is ending soon. Management is pushing me for an early release, saying it’s hard to align me to another project for just ~1.5 months.

They’re also indirectly hinting that if I don’t opt for early release and end up on bench, I might be expected to come to the office all 5 days and complete full shift hours. So I’m holding on for now, using this time to evaluate better options instead of rushing.

Given all this:

How are Infosys and HCLTech currently in terms of flexibility and work culture? How strict are they really with WFO? Which one would you pick in this situation? Would really appreciate genuine, no-filter inputs 🙏