IT-BPM firms may continue work from home till May 3

Work from home is expected to continue for employees in the information technology-business process management industry for some more time as many states like Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have decided to continue with full lockdown without any relaxations.

As it is, governments in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi had already stated that companies will have to keep premises closed during the lockdown that has been extended to May 3. The Telangana government has extended the lockdown in the state till May 7, while the Karnataka Cabinet on Monday decided to continue with the ongoing curbs till May 3 without any relaxation.

IT companies are still awaiting clarity from few other states to determine the future course of action.

Industry body Nasscom had advised members that where state-specific approvals come in, members should look at a staggered approach and start with 15-20 per cent workforce in the first phase, and subsequently scale it up depending on the situation on ground.

"The home ministry guidelines had allowed IT-ITeS companies to operate with up to 50 per cent strength from April 20 and we had suggested member companies to take a staggered approach and start with 15-20 per cent workforce in phase I, and then increase it depending on the on-ground situation," Nasscom Senior Vice-President and Chief Strategy Officer Sangeeta Gupta told PTI.

However, states also have their own rules that have to be followed for allowing IT companies to open offices, she said adding that Uttar Pradesh and Delhi have already clarified that no such activity will be allowed.

"Also, IT companies are just settling into the work from home mechanism, they have taken requisite permissions from clients for this, and so I do not think they will be in a hurry to get employees back to offices and risk their health," Gupta said. About 90 per cent of IT employees and 70-80 per cent of BPO and small and medium businesses in the sector are estimated to be working from home to ensure business continuity.

An an industry executive, who did not wish to be named, said many areas in cities like Noida, Bengaluru and Pune -- that are hubs for IT-BPO companies -- fall in red zones and companies are being cautious towards safety of the employees.

Harshvendra Soin, chief people officer at Tech Mahindra, said the company is closely monitoring the situation at its end and are working as per the government's order and advisories.

"With the rapid outbreak of COVID-19, the lockdown has not yet been relaxed and hence majority of our associates are still working from home. We are working in parallel with our backend IT and security teams for smooth transition. We also have a robust business continuity plan powered by next generation technologies in place to combat the situation and to ensure continuity of essential services and business as usual," Soin said.