End of Work from Home

 After 2 years of working from the comfort of the home, it might be time for several IT people as top IT companies have already started with the process of calling their staff back to offices. As Covid-19 virus seems to subside, IT majors like Wipro, Cognizant, TCS, Infosys are asking their employees to be ready as they could be called to the offices as early as next month.

Bengaluru-based Wipro has asked its senior employees including managers and above to come back to the office by March 3. However, they will be called for two days a week for now. Similarly, Cognizant is looking to start operations from the offices on a voluntary return basis by April. With the expectation of carrying on with the hybrid work model through 2022, Infosys plans to open offices in the coming 3-4 months for a large number of employees.

Joining the trend is Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) that has brought out a remote working policy. The policy mandates work from the base location even if associates are working from home. Seeing a decline in the number of Omicron cases, several companies are mindful of the continuation of hybrid work model but are also opening up their premises in a phased manner for employees who like to work from office.

Wipro will move ahead with a flexible, hybrid approach as it gears up to call employees back to offices, ET cited a company spokesperson as saying. “Beginning March 3, fully vaccinated employees who are managers and above will have the option to return to work from our India campuses, twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. We will continue to extend the work from home arrangement for other employees,” the spokesperson added. Meanwhile Infosys, with over 96 per cent of its employees working from home, doesn't plan to rush, said Richard Lobo, executive vice president, head HR. “In a steady state, subject to Covid scenarios, we expect a hybrid model in which approximately 40-50 per cent of employees are likely to work from office post subsequent phases of return to office.” Lobo said.

TCS, on the other hand, said that it is looking forward to seeing their campuses bustling with young energy in the coming months. "We remain committed to adopting our futuristic and path-breaking 25X25 model…An important part of the journey to the 25/25 model is to first bring people back to physical offices and gradually transition into the hybrid work model,” the company added.

Cognizant has plans to have employees back on premise for 3 days a week starting April. “Cognizant aims to return to the office in a phased manner starting April 2022 as we monitor the uncertain path of the Omicron variant…Until then, travel will be restricted, and office-based work will remain voluntary. For employees not assigned to a client site or to working fully remotely, our new standard workweek under the hybrid model will consist of three days in the office and two from wherever they work best,” said Shantanu Jha, senior vice president, HR, Cognizant India.