In a bid to get more employees to return to office, IT firms are now opening up smaller workplaces, closer to where staffers live.
For instance, software firm Persistent Systems is adding smaller offices in cities where it already has large ones, according to a
Times of India report.
Sameer Bendre, chief of operations at Persistent Systems, said the company has set up three new offices each in Bengaluru and Pune to accommodate up to 200 employees.
“The major problem with those working in cities like Bengaluru is the commute, because of which people are hesitant to come to office,” Bendre told TOI.
IT giant Accenture has also opened three new workplaces in Jaipur, Coimbatore and Indore this year, hoping that employees can work from these cities.
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“We offer our people a healthy balance between the flexibility they need and the in-person connection time that is vital, both to their professional development and growth, and to the success of our client relationships. The new locations are also helping strengthen and grow our rich and diverse talent base,” it said in a statement to TOI.
“We hope this gives you the flexibility to address your personal priorities as you continue to deliver value for our clients,” it told employees, according to the report.
The company has not yet made it mandatory for employees to return to the office.
Top IT companies have started urging employees to return to office amid the ongoing economic uncertainty, high attrition and talent crunch since the WFH option was put in place.
IT companies also fear that the flexibility that comes with working from home will enable more employees to moonlight.
Moonlighting or dual employment — either part- or full-time — is not new, but the remote work model preferred by the Indian IT sector has helped employees take up this option in larger numbers.
HCL Tech is encouraging employees to return to office three days a week, its chief people officer Ramachandran Sundararajan had said earlier.
Infosys, on the other hand, is exploring a
flexible work-from-office approach with no fixed days.
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh had earlier said that the company would continue with its flexible approach to calling employees back to office, and not mandate a fixed number of days, as that was working well for the company.
It has also
allowed employees to take up “gig work” outside the company with prior approval.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has asked
employees to return to office at least thrice a week, while senior-level executives have been asked to do so five times a week.
Capgemini has also made it mandatory for employees to come to office at least thrice a week.
Returning to office is especially hard for IT employees as many had relocated to their hometowns or away from their base office during the pandemic.
According to a recent
survey by staffing services firm CIEL HR Services, most IT employees are fishing for flexible job opportunities as companies mandate a return to office.
About 88% of employees in top IT companies are ready to quit their current jobs, according to the survey.
Of them, around 46% are looking for WFH opportunities as their current employers want them to return to offices, while another 46% are willing to leave for better-paying jobs.
A survey by online professional network LinkedIn found that
flexible work options and employee benefits are at risk due to the ongoing economic uncertainty.
According to the report, nine out of every 10 business leaders in India say the current economic climate could threaten flexible working (91%). Another analysis of job postings on LinkedIn showed that remote roles are in decline, although applications for those roles exceed supply by nearly 2x in India.
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