In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work (working from home) become a necessity for tech companies worldwide.
The employees had to swiftly adapt to working from home, relying on virtual communication tools and remote collaboration platforms.
However, as vaccination rates increased and the world slowly returned to normalcy, it is crucial to examine the implications of ending work-from-home arrangements within tech companies.
However, the companies have taken various steps so that the employees start resuming to offices and have ended working from home.
Here are List of a few companies that are ending up working from home:
HCLTech asked to WFO 3 days a week or face disciplinary action
HCLTech has asked its employees to work from office three days a week. The senior managers and leadership team at HCLTech have started working from the office for a minimum of three days per week.
Now, the company has asked all its employees irrespective of their band (E0 and above) to report to the office per week or they will risk facing disciplinary measures.
It has been suggested that HCLTech management is warning employees of the possibility of taking leave without pay if they fail to report to the office for three days per week, as discussed in HR meetings.
HCLTech’s Vikas Sharma, global head – people function DFS, said, “All DFS (Digital Foundation Services) employees, irrespective of their band (E0 and above), will be required to work from their designated HCLTech offices for a minimum of three days a week.”
TCS final deadline for ending WFH
IT major, TCS issued a final notice to remote-working employees and asked them to resume work from the office starting in March.
The company also cautioned that there may be consequences if they do not comply. Moreover, currently the company’s 65% of employees work from office 3-5 days a week.
The NG Subramaniam Chief Operating Officer explained that remote working cannot help an organisation build a great culture.
NG Subramaniam, the Chief Operating Officer said, “We are very clear that we have to get our original culture back. Around 40,000 employees joined us online and quit online without any offline interaction during the pandemic, and that kind of situation cannot be helpful to an organization.”
“We are not in a business where employees use TCS as a launch pad. Remote working cannot help an organization build a great culture”, NG Subramaniam added.
“We are exercising patience but have taken a principled stand that employees have to get back to offices. We have sent employees the final communication on this, and if they do not, there will be consequences to face,” he said.
EY is monitoring office attendance amid defying WFO mandates
According to Business Insider, a multinational professional services company, Ernst & Young (EY) has started tracking office attendance amid employees defying return to office mandates in UK. The company is currently operating with a twice-work-a-week, hybrid working model.
However, the report also suggested that at least 50% of some teams are flouting this rule. EY has yet to comment on the Work-from-office policies.
Dell mandates three days a week work from office
Dell Technologies has updated its Return to Office policy and mandates three days a week work from office.
The company is updating its Return To Office policy with most workers working from a corporate office for at least 39 days per quarter bringing it to three days work week. However, employees below a certain salary level can work remotely full-time but it will be affecting the employee’s career.
The report does claim that older employees with established community ties may be less inclined to return to office because they would prefer not to take long commutes or to change living arrangements to meet corporate demands.
IBM mandates Work from Office at least three days a week
IBM has asked its employees in the US to return to the office at least three days a week.
Tony Moura, IBM, Federal Garage Lead / Sr. UX Architect, wrote on LinkedIn, “Post IBMs return to the office policy. This policy applies to all U.S. executives and people managers, regardless of current work location status. There are limited exceptions to the policy, consistent with applicable law — such as an IBMer’s personal medical accommodations or military service requirements.”
“Those who joined IBM through an acquisition are exempted from this policy for two years from the date they transferred employment into IBM, and in the interim should continue to follow the workplace requirements of their integration plan”, the post said.
Infosys won’t force Return to Office but implements Roster System
Infosys said it won’t force employees to Return to Office but the company has implemented a roster system to ensure adequate seating capacity.
Infosys head of HR Shaji Mathew said that the company will be opening additional satellite offices so that employees can commute more easily., TOI report added.
Last year the company announced the inauguration of its latest state-of-the-art development center (DC) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. And has planned to open 3 more satellite offices in Noida, Coimbatore, Kolkata, and Vizag.
In Nov 2020 Infosys had planned Return to Office in a three-phased manner and last year December asked employees to return to the office 3 days a week.
Note: We are also on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and YouTube, to get the latest news updates, Join our Channels. WhatsApp– Click here, to subscribe to YouTube – Click Here, and for LinkedIn– Click Here.
