NITES Urges Mandatory Work From Home Advisory: Rediff Moneynews
NITES urges govt to issue advisory for mandatory work from home for IT/ITeS sectors. Cites fuel conservation, PM Modi’s call.
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) IT sector employees’ union NITES has urged the Ministry of Labour and Employment to issue an advisory directing mandatory work from home (WFH) for IT and ITeS sectors wherever operationally feasible, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent call for measures to shield from the adverse impacts of the war in West Asia.
In a formal representation submitted to the ministry, the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) said that reducing the daily commute of lakhs of IT professionals would significantly contribute to national priorities, including fuel conservation and environmental protection.
“The Indian IT sector had already successfully implemented large-scale work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic without disruption to productivity or business continuity. The IT/ITeS sector has both the infrastructure and capability to once again support national priorities through remote working,” NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja said.
The union noted that a shift back to WFH models would not only reduce unnecessary travel and traffic congestion but also promote employee well-being while ensuring uninterrupted digital operations and economic activity.
Meanwhile, IT industry body Nasscom on Monday said Indian technology companies are adopting prudent management measures, including enabling remote or hybrid work.
In a statement, the association noted that the technology sector continues to operate on well-established hybrid work models, with organisations calibrating WFH and in-office arrangements based on role requirements and customer needs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for measures by citizens to overcome the challenges and to help the country.
Addressing a rally organised by the Telangana BJP in Hyderabad, he suggested measures, including judicious use of petrol and diesel, using metro rail services in cities, carpooling, maximum use of EVs, utilising railway services to send parcels, and working from home to save foreign exchange.
When there is pressure on the supply chain, difficulties increase despite various measures by the government to overcome the crisis, he said.
“That’s why, during the global crisis, keeping the country above all else, we have to take resolutions,” he said.
“We developed work from home, virtual meetings, video conferencing and many other methods during Covid. We got habituated to it. The need of the hour is to resume those methods,” he said.
