COVID-19 pandemic forced the companies to send their employees home to work virtually. Since the onset of the pandemic, offices have made their employees comfortable by allowing them to work from home. Flexibility in work location opens up a new range of possibilities for the way businesses can work and structure themselves. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji recently said “The need of the hour is flexible workplaces, the work-from-home ecosystem, and flexible work hours. We can utilize systems like a flexible workplace as an opportunity to increase women’s labour force participation. By making the right use of women power, India can achieve its goals faster.”

However companies are in no mood to extend Work from Home policy. Employees are now receiving strict messages from their managers to return to office. 

Why flexibility of work location is necessary :

Saves Time - Employees usually spend 3-4 hours to travel across the city to reach their offices. The amount of time wasted can be utilized in something productive. Work from Home eliminates this commute time. More than 30 minutes of daily one-way commuting is associated with increased levels of stress and anxiety, and research shows that commuting 10 miles to work each day is associated with health issues like Higher cholesterol, Elevated blood sugar & Increased risk of depression. 

Saves Money - Most employees who travel to work use their own vehicles. Rising fuel prices and maintenance of the vehicle cost a lot of money. Work from home cut all these expenses. Also cost of living is comparatively higher in Tier 1 cities than other cities. This significantly contributes to the economy of Tier 2 cities and small towns as well.

Healthy Work-Life Balance - In traditional jobs, the responsibility of the home takes a backseat. Whereas, a Work from Home setup provides a great work-life balance. It is very helpful for parents with small children as well as people who live with an elderly person. Taking care of the family becomes easier working from home helps in being connected to the family.

More Opportunities - Work from home means having access to a broader range of job opportunities that aren’t limited by geographic location. This can be especially helpful for job seekers living in rural communities and small towns where there may not be many available local positions. Remote work supports a variety of sustainability initiatives, from economic growth and reduced inequalities, to sustainable cities, climate change, and responsible consumption.

Environment Friendly - The millions of employees who worked from home during the pandemic reduced greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking more than 600,000 cars off the road for an entire year. And by making environment friendly decisions Work from home employees have the same potential impact on air quality as planting an entire forest of 91 million trees. One of the fastest, cheapest ways to reduce carbon footprint and affect climate change is by reducing employees travel. 

Increased Productivity and Performance – Working from home usually leads to fewer interruptions, less office politics, a quieter noise level and more efficient meetings. With reduced travel time remote workers typically have more time and fewer distractions, which leads to increased productivity. 

It’s a moral & social responsibility of companies to implement a work from home culture or at least work from office shouldn't be imposed against an employee's will. All of us have witnessed and experienced the devastating impacts of COVID-19 pandemic & climate change around us. The time to act is now!

Join us by signing this petition now and urging the companies & authorities to allow work from home compulsorily.

Thanks

Harpreet Singh Saluja

President

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES 

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