Infosys COO asks all staff to work from home, get vaccinated if eligible

Says firm has tied up with hospitals in several cities, where employees and their families can get vaccinated

Stay at home, follow health advisories, take the Covid-19 vaccine if eligible, and stay safe from the second wave of the pandemic, Infosys chief operating officer UB Pravin Rao told employees in an email on Monday.  

In an email titled "Stay Safe from the Covid-19 Second Wave," Rao cited the enormous number of fresh cases being reported daily, and said, "I write today to request you all put your health and that of your family members above everything else. Do not leave your homes without wearing a protective mask, practice social distancing, and avoid crowds and closed spaces... We request you not to venture out unless its an emergency."

Business Standard has seen a copy of the email.

He further asked employees to work from home unless they were part of the business continuity plan (BCP) teams, across locations. "If you are required to come to office to meet critical requirements, make sure that all the safety measures have been followed. In order to ensure safety, all those who need to work from office as part of BCP are encourage to stay in ECC to avoid daily commute and avoid exposure."

ECCs are Employee Care Centres, or hostels, complete with all facilities for a comfortable stay, present in nearly all Infosys campuses.

Rao also encouraged employees to get vaccinated if eligible, calling it an important tool in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. "Though the Covid-19 vaccination is voluntary, it is ideal to receive the complete schedule of Covid-19 vaccine, as per the prescribed age limit directed by the government. This will help give you protection against this disease and limit the spread to your close contacts including family members, friends, relatives, and co-workers.

We have already made arrangements for vaccination in our campuses (as per the current eligibility criteria set up by the government) in some of the DCs (development centres) and are working on setting this up in other locations. We have also established tie-ups with hospitals across a number of cities and employees and their families can get vaccinated from this network of hospitals," he added.