Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call for fuel savings and telecommuting, the Information Technology (IT) and IT Services Employees (ITES) union on Monday wrote to the Union Labor Ministry seeking a mandatory directive for telecommuting.
The nascent Senate of Information Technology Employees (NITES), a registered trade union of IT and ITES employees across India, has sought an order from the Union government directing companies to introduce mandatory work from home for a reasonable period in the larger national interest.
Addressing a rally in Hyderabad on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi urged citizens to conserve fuel, work from home, refrain from buying gold for a year and limit foreign travel. This series of measures was announced to cushion the Indian economy from the effects of the war in West Asia. Oil prices jumped on Monday after peace talks remained in limbo and US President Donald Trump refused to blink. Although the Modi-led central government has yet to announce a hike in petrol and diesel prices, the cost of commercial LPG cylinders has doubled in the last two months.
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The nascent Senate for Information Technology Employees (NITES) is pushing for mandatory work from home to save fuel, reduce traffic congestion, protect the environment and ensure employee well-being while maintaining economic activity.
Reducing the daily commute for thousands of IT employees by implementing work from home can significantly save fuel and reduce traffic congestion.
Yes, the IT and ITES sectors have proven that remote work is practical, technologically feasible and operationally sustainable, especially after investing in remote infrastructure and digital collaboration tools during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Modi’s appeal to work from home is part of a larger effort to cushion India’s economy from the fallout from a war in West Asia that has led to a spike in oil prices and potential inflation.
Industry body NASSCOM said technology companies continue to operate on hybrid work models, calibrating WFH and office layouts based on customer roles and needs, and have measures in place to rationalize energy consumption.
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NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja told Mint that the directive on mandatory work from home will prove to be a responsible policy recommendation and in the larger interest of the nation, given the global headwinds.
“Reducing the daily commute of thousands of IT workers can make a significant contribution to fuel savings, reduced traffic congestion, environmental protection and employee well-being, while ensuring uninterrupted digital operations and economic activity,” Saluja said.
IT has proven resilient in the past
Drawing parallels with the lockdown brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has largely shifted India’s workforce indoors, the union said working from home in appropriate IT and digitally-delivered roles is “practical, technologically feasible and operationally sustainable”.
The union’s press statement highlighted how major technology companies and multinational corporations have invested heavily in remote infrastructure, cloud operations, digital collaboration tools and cyber security systems during the Covid-19 pandemic. She added that the IT and ITES sectors have demonstrated on a massive scale that remote work can be effectively implemented without disrupting productivity or business continuity.
“In such circumstances, requiring millions of employees to undertake long daily commutes despite the availability of proven digital alternatives places unnecessary pressure on fuel consumption, urban infrastructure, public transport systems, traffic congestion and employee well-being,” the IT workers’ union said in a statement.
WFH: The future of work?
Prime Minister Modi’s push for working from home, limiting travel and attending meetings online raises the question of whether the future of work is hybrid.
India’s IT sector, which has the infrastructure as well as the ability to do 24/7 remote work, can effectively operate in a work-from-home mode, the union pointed out. She added that the same capability can now be used again to support national priorities.
“We further assert that the aim of such consultation is not confrontation with employers, but collective national cooperation,” the statement warned.
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Meanwhile, industry body NASSCOM highlighted that India’s technology sector continues to operate on “well-established hybrid work models with organizations calibrating home and office work arrangements based on role demands and customer needs”.
A NASSCOM statement seen by Mint said companies have taken measures to rationalize energy consumption and enable remote or hybrid work where operationally appropriate.
These measures are not new, but are part of the industry’s broader approach to operational resilience and sustainability… While the situation continues to evolve, we are closely monitoring developments and staying in touch with industry stakeholders and government authorities to ensure a coordinated and responsible response,” the statement said.
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