Flexibility for employees in India as hybrid work set to stay

Following the announcement by the Union health ministry that the next 40 days will be crucial as the country may see a surge in COVID-19 cases this month, organisations in India are taking precautions when it comes to protecting their employees.

The corporate sector in India, however, has gained more confidence having experienced multiple pandemic waves, and most employees are now fully vaccinated. As a result, most organisations are not intending to change their return-to-work plans or their existing work-from-home or hybrid arrangements, reported Moneycontrol.

Aditya Narayan Mishra, Managing Director and CEO of staffing firm CIEL HR Services, explained that organisations are likely to observe the situation for a month and continue to work in a hybrid environment while following the necessary protocols and maintaining the essential healthcare infrastructure in offices for emergencies.

“Precautions will be taken for employees going on frequent business trips, organisations may ask them to do home isolation for a few days and get a COVID-19 test done before reporting back to the office after the trip,” he said.

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Cyient, an Indian multinational tech company, will be following a mix of work from home and office while offering flexibility to its employees. The company has seen a limited number of cases reported and extended its support to its associates and their family members by offering a COVID-19 insurance policy that is apart from its regular medical insurance coverage.

At Tata Technologies, hybrid work is also set to stay, with employees encouraged to be at work at least two or three days a week, but in consultation with their managers.

Pawan Bhageria, President of Global HR, IT, Admin and Education, Tata Technologies, said, “In the special economic zones, we have seen 60% of employees coming to the offices without much noise. On average, we are having footfall up about 35%.”