A Seattle data scientist resigned after her company cut 40% of staff, despite being offered a 75% pay hike. She said her discomfort was rooted in “survivor’s guilt” and challenged the firm’s AI-driven productivity claims. The move ignited debate online about integrity, employee value, and whether companies reward loyalty or performance in layoffs’ aftermath.
India Inc expects average salaries to rise 9.1% in 2026, led by Global Capability Centres at 10.4%. Financial services and e-commerce are also projecting strong growth, while attrition is stabilizing. Companies are increasingly tying pay to skills, with emerging tech roles earning premiums and long-term incentives becoming more common, including for CEOs with performance-linked pay.
Your news, in seconds
Get the Beige app — every story in 60 words, updated hourly. Free on iOS & Android.
Swipe through stories, personalise your feed, and save articles for later — all on the app.
