The fresh surge in covid-19 cases is not worrying India Inc. While companies are still taking precautionary steps, work from home (WFH) is definitely not making a comeback, said companies across sectors. Recruiters, too, do not see any impact of the covid spike on hiring.
Some companies have resurrected internal covid management teams and asked them to monitor cases of employees who are unwell. Others have advised employees to use masks and follow sanitation protocol.
“We are observing the situation closely and our internal reporting method was started 20 days ago,” said Santanu Banerjee, chief human resources officer (CHRO), Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance. The reporting method activated in the company requires teams to inform the CHRO about the number of employees infected or possibly infected, and their recovery status. Banerjee said the company won’t roll out the WFH mandate.
India has seen a sudden spike in covid cases in the past few weeks and the active caseload touched 4,093 on Wednesday, according to the Union health ministry. The concern is higher around a new variant called JN.1, although that has a small share of the overall cases.
“With the gradual increase in cases of JN.1 variant, we continue to be extremely careful of the safety guidelines for our employees and have taken precautionary measures to enhance safety at our offices,” said Adarsh Mishra, CHRO, Panasonic Life Solutions India. Panasonic has released an advisory for employees to practise extreme caution, use masks, maintain social distancing, sanitize and follow all mandatory steps for better well-being. “In case of any symptoms related to JN.1 variant such as flu, breathlessness, etc., employees have been advised to consult a doctor or HR team immediately,” Mishra added.
“For us health, safety and environment are always of paramount importance,” said Praveen Purohit, deputy CHRO, Vedanta Group. “Our respective businesses are continuing to build on health awareness alongside communicating with employees in town halls as we see upward numbers of covid cases. Adhering to basic precautions like ‘mask must’, and sanitisation are key.”
During the nearly two years of the pandemic, companies had applied the WFH protocol, but over the past year, they are making it essential for employees to return to office. So far, corporates are clear that they will continue with their hybrid policies.
“The surge is still (too) small for us to make changes in our hybrid work culture. Employees are coming to office 2-3 days a week, and this will continue,” said S. Venkatesh, group president of HR at RPG Enterprises. “Those who show any signs of an infection will have to work from home.”
Meanwhile, recruiters say it is unlikely that hiring sentiments will be affected. Staffing firm Teamlease Services does “not foresee a slowdown in hiring activities”, said Kartik Narayan, CEO, staffing. The hiring market is on an ebb now and is expected to pick up over the next couple of quarters.
The IT sector has been struggling the most with getting employees back to office as they were also battling high attrition. During the covid lockdowns, many tech workers left to work from locations closer to their homes, reducing rental demand. Managers are now mandated to get most employees back to office for three days a week.
“Since November, fully vaccinated employees have been returning to work three days a week. We continue to adhere strictly to local directives and take necessary precautions to make sure all safeguard measures are in place,” said Wipro in a statement.
“Most companies are now better equipped to implement WFH strategies if necessary. However, this outlook is contingent on the situation not escalating to a point where it significantly reduces demand,” Teamlease’s Narayan said.