Flipkart ends WFH policy, asks staff to be in office 5 days a week

Company adopted remote work at the onset of Covid-19 in 2020, ends practice as it preps for IPO

E-commerce giant Flipkart has scrapped its work-from-home policy and asked all employees to return to the office five days a week, seeking “shared focus on common goals”.

 

It has around 22,000 employees. The Walmart-backed company asked them to resume full-time office attendance, ending remote work flexibility adopted at the onset of Covid-19 in 2020.

 

“At Flipkart, the vast majority of our employees and contractual and gig workforce, especially those in field roles, have always operated from their respective locations of work. In our corporate headquarters [Bengaluru], we have been pursuing a gradual return to the office (similar to pre-Covid levels) for the past year and have seen increased interactions, synergies and deeper collaboration across teams,” said a Flipkart spokesperson on Thursday.

 

“By returning to office, we aim to foster a strong sense of community for new hires and existing employees; and a shared focus on our common goals,” said the spokesperson.

 

Flipkart joins other major e-commerce players in India in phasing out remote work. Rivals like Amazon, Meesho, Blinkit, and Zepto have already moved to a five-day in-office workweek. Amazon recently required all employees to return to its Bengaluru office. This marked a major departure from its earlier hybrid work arrangement. It is shifting operations from the World Trade Centre in Rajajinagar to a new campus in Devanahalli to accommodate a growing team.

 

Food and grocery delivery firm Swiggy is the only prominent quick commerce company still following a hybrid model, with most staff working three days from the office and two remotely. Some teams are required to work full-time in-office, depending on specific roles.

 

The move to end work-from-home policy comes at a time when Flipkart, valued at around $36 billion, is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), which is expected in 12 to 15 months. The company has secured internal approvals to shift its domicile from Singapore to India, a key step to facilitate its listing on Indian stock exchanges. Flipkart is strengthening its board and operations in anticipation of the listing, aiming for what could be one of the largest IPOs by a new-age Indian company.