Tag: work from home

London firms are letting more staff work entirely from home

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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London’s employers are letting more staff work entirely from home, according to a prominent recruitment firm, with workers keen to earn the premium paid by jobs in the capital without enduring its high living costs.

The proportion of white-collar jobs at companies in London that are entirely remote has risen from 18% to 22%, a survey by Hays Plc found. That puts London equal with the east of England as the regions where fully remote working is most common.

Firms in the capital are having to fill specialist roles in the tech and compliance sectors, Hays said, which typically come with a smaller pool of candidates. Some job-seekers are reluctant to live in London, where even outer-borough rent prices have soared by double digits.

Also Read: TCS employees with less than 60% office attendance won’t receive variable pay

“If employers can’t fill a position with their usual hybrid framework – over time they will consider remote contracts,” said Lorraine Twist, a finance director at Hays. “This is obviously attractive for candidates as they can enjoy a London salary without the commute and high property prices.”

Hays surveyed close to 12,000 staff and employers between Feb. 26 and March 18.

Flexibility

Companies and staff are still grappling to find a balance between in-person and remote work after the Covid pandemic drastically changed habits. The Labour party, which is far ahead in the polls and expected to win a general election later this year, has pledged to make flexible working a right for all employees from their first day in a job.

Separate figures from Reed Recruitment last week showed that job adverts across England are offering less part-time and remote work.

Still, Hays’ findings suggest that parts of Britain’s labor market remain tight, with firms competing for talent even as unemployment starts to pick up. The Bank of England is keeping a close eye on hiring trends and pay growth for signs of lingering inflation.

Also Read: TCS Chief says AI will kill the call centre industry within a year

The proportion of London staff working entirely in the office dropped to 25% from 28%, while hybrid jobs fell one point to 53%, the survey said. Office landlords in the city have already been hit by a mix of flexible working, weak economic conditions and aging buildings.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

TCS employees with less than 60% office attendance won’t receive variable pay

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India’s largest IT services giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has tightened its attendance policy and announced that employees with less than 60% office attendance won’t receive variable pay, sources told CNBC-TV18 on April 22.

As per the updated HR policy of TCS accessed by CNBC-TV18, employees who have office attendance above 60% but less than 75%, bonus will be paid at 50%.

Bonus payment will be 70% for employees with office attendance above 75% but less than 85% whereas those who have more than 85% attendance will get 100% bonus payment.

In October 2023, TCS ended its hybrid working policy and in an internal communication sent in mid-September said the company had mandated that its workforce should attend office for five days in a week starting October 1, 2023. Until then, employees were required to be in the office for only three days a week.

Since then the firm has been reiterating its stance in each quarter and has been pushing employees to be back in office to ensure higher productivity. In its FY23 annual report, TCS highlighted that more than half of its workforce was hired after March 2020, and new employees benefit from physical interactions with senior colleagues and leaders to acculturate and learn from their behaviours and ways of thinking.

“Without those interactions, employee engagement as well as acculturation got badly impacted. All these factors led us to gradually bring back people to our offices during the year,” the company said.

In January this year, TCS’ new CEO and MD K Krithivasan revealed that approximately 65% of TCS associates were attending the office 3-5 days a week, just a quarter after the implementation of the policy

Following the January to March 2024 quarterly results as well, Milind Lakkad, Chief HR Officer, said employees returning to the office, among other factors, has fostered a vibrant atmosphere in the company’s delivery centres and boosted the morale of associates.

In an interaction with CNBC-TV18 in February this year, Krithivasan said, that while Zoom and Team are very efficient mediums, the importance of informal conversations or the chit-chat at the office is often overlooked.

“The second thing we missed is that, at TCS, values are very important to us. How do we impart value to an associate who has not even come to the office once? In fact, in TCS, about 30 to 40% of the associates joined in the last two to three years, and in the first two years, they have not even come to work. If you don’t even come to the office, what is the value that you stand for?”

The third factor is, he said, that an organisation enables a lot of training and opportunities but the most important learning comes from seeing how mentors and seniors behave in a given situation and getting to know the best way to handle a client situation.

This he believes cannot be replaced by any amount of training, one can only understand that by observing continuously.

“What the rest of the team does is the maximum value we get. And by saying I will be flexible—I will do two days a week or whenever I like—you lose out a lot. Eventually, we believe in what TCS stands for what we all value and want to give to our customers. It is important for associates to be there every day.”

Working from home or in hybrid mode is not the right way for an individual to develop their career, he said.

Reflecting on the scenario at a time when appraisals are due across most companies, Ankit Agarwala, Managing Director of global recruitment agency Michael Page, earlier this month said that employees who work from the office more regularly stand the chance for a better appraisal than those who work from home or do not visit as often.

“Most organisations prefer people working in offices. The ability to ask for a lot of work from more or hybrid is less today than two years back. Most organisations either work from the office or offer a hybrid mode of working. But even in hybrid, they want you ideally in the city of work. So those cases where people are in remote settings, they have declined,” he told CNBC-TV18.

(With inputs from Yoosef K)

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Verizon cybersecurity expert decodes increasing remote work challenges for companies

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, working from home seemed like a distant dream for most of us. In some offices, the concept remained just that — a concept. Cut to 2024, now 76.07% of employees in India prefer having control over their working hours and would take a pay cut to guarantee the flexibility of working remotely or have the opportunity to alternate between home and office, according to ADP Research Institute.

However, working remotely or even in a hybrid culture brings its own sets of challenges and among them, one is cybersecurity — something that companies are willing to bet big on but are not ready for the challenges. CISCO Cybersecurity Readiness Index in 2023 revealed that only 24% of Indian businesses are ready to combat modern cybersecurity risks and about 80% of Indian companies faced a security breach in the last two years.

A huge part of keeping the company and employee data safe is to have the infrastructure ready and provide employees with devices — computers and phones — specifically for work. These devices act as security guards, armed with the latest defences like antivirus software and encryption. When everyone’s using the same gear, it’s easier to keep an eye on potential problems and fix them faster. Plus, it beats the risks of folks using their personal devices, which might not have the right protection.

Anshuman Sharma, Director, VTRAC, Cybersecurity Consulting Services, Verizon Business, spoke to CNBC-TV18 about the crucial distinctions between using company-authorised devices and personal ones. Sharma highlighted, “Devices authorised by the company have enhanced security measures and adhere to organisational policies as well as industry regulations,” stressing the centralised update and monitoring management capabilities they offer.

Sharma delved into the risks associated with personal devices, stating, “They allow for centralised update and monitoring management. Such security features may be lacking in personal devices, posing potential risks to sensitive corporate data.” He underlined the impact of the pandemic-induced shift to remote work, stating, “The shift brought by the pandemic in terms of how we work and where we work from has introduced new challenges.”

Discussing the rising trend of authorising both smartphones and laptops for work, Sharma noted, “Companies are increasingly authorising both smartphones and laptops for work. The precise number varies across industries and regions, reflecting various strategies for balancing security and user flexibility.” He also talked about the challenges reported in the MSI 2023 report, stating, “62% of companies reporting breaches are related to remote work.”

A 2020 report by the cloud security firm Trend Micro, ‘Head in the Clouds,’ showed that 42% of workers in India are using personal devices to access corporate data and 37% do not even have basic password protection on their personal devices. This only adds to the already existing cybersecurity risks that a business faces.

On measures to keep devices secure, Sharma outlined, “In the pursuit of a resilient security posture, enterprises are adopting a strategic set of measures to safeguard their devices and uphold operational integrity.” He provided specific measures such as implementing endpoint detection & response (EDR) and user & entity behaviour analytics (UEBA), activating mobile threat detection (MTD) solutions, and vigilantly monitoring excessive data transfer.

Discussing individual responsibilities, Sharma urged, “Adopting proactive measures can significantly contribute to a safer online environment.” He offered specific steps such as patching home networks regularly, using strong passwords, limiting device sharing, and being vigilant against phishing attempts.

On identifying cyber threats, Sharma laid down a layered approach, stating, “A layered approach to protection and detection is essential, covering user, application, device, and network levels.” He shared Verizon’s five-part defence plan, saying, “We bring this plan to life by offering services like network and cloud security, network filtering, endpoint security, voice security, and expert consulting.”

Regarding the Mobile Security Index report, Sharma said, “The Mobile Security Index (MSI) report highlights that this reliance on mobile devices poses security challenges.” He stressed the importance of a strategic approach, multi-layered security, ongoing employee training, and scalable, cloud-native solutions. “While mobile devices are the way of the future, security must remain a top priority for forward-thinking organisations,” he said.

Also Read: Cybersecurity attacks rise in Digital India as companies play catch-up

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

This bank will cut bonus if employees don’t come back to work

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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ANZ employees’ annual performance reviews and bonuses will be linked to office attendance, according to a report on the Australian Financial Review website. The policy is akin to that of Suncorp Group and Origin Energy, which earlier took these measures to discourage staff from working from home.

“Working in line with ANZ’s expectations for hybrid working, as well as any specific commitments within your team, is just like any other behavioural expectation at ANZ. This means if you don’t meet the standards expected, it may factor into your performance rating and PRR [performance and remuneration review] outcomes at the end of the FY24 year,” the afr.com reported, citing emails to bank staff in Australia, New Zealand, Manila and Bengaluru.

ANZ managers have informed their respective teams about the new policy this week in generic emails, reaffirming the bank’s expectation that staff devote at least half their working hours in the office each month, afr.com reported.

Employers have been in a standoff with staff over a hybrid workplace policy. But a recent ruling from the Fair Work Commission—an independent Australian government agency responsible for regulating workplace relations, including wages, work conditions, and staff rights—backed bosses’ rights to get workers back to the office post-pandemic.

National trade body, the Finance Sector Union, has slammed ANZ’s anti-work-from-home policy.

“This is a significant announcement that is going to disrupt the lives of thousands of ANZ colleagues and put future performance outcomes at risk,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

TCS says 70% employees already back in office, ‘advisable for all to return’

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Amid reports that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has ended its work-from-home/hybrid policy, the IT giant’s management on October 11 said that 70% of its employees are back to office and that it is “advisable for all to return” to understand the TCS way of working.

Both N Ganapathy Subramaniam, Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Milind Lakkad, Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), at a press briefing following the September quarter results announcements said that the matter has been discussed internally and the advantages of employees coming to office are being realised.

“We hired a large number of people in the last three years and for most of the period they were working in hybrid/virtual mode. We strongly believe they need to come to work so that the new workforce gets integrated with the larger workforce of TCS,” Lakkad said, adding that TCS is asking people to come to office on all days of the week.

Also Read: TCS boasts over a lakh strong Gen-AI ready workforce but total headcount dips more than 6,300 in Q2

He added that the firm will continue to asses work models and to evolve depending on what works best for customers as well as employees.

Lakkad also said, “We have recalibrated our hiring numbers and as a result, our total hiring is less than our attrition in this quarter and hence the negative number.”

Lakkad’s remark comes as TCS total employee headcount has declined by more than 6,300 employees even as the company boasts of a over a lakh strong poll of GenAI-ready workforce. The attrition rate, on the other hand, has reduced to 14.9% during the quarter against 17.7% in the previous quarter.

Also Read | IT hiring preview: September quarter likely to see further decline in tech employee base, say experts

As has been TCS’ stance in the past two quarters of “disciplined and efficient” hiring, this time Lakkad said the firm’s strategy of proactively hiring bright freshers and investing in training them with the right skills is paying off.

TCS had earlier set a target of hiring 40,000 freshers during the fiscal. When asked if the hiring was on track, Lakkad, without divulging a specific number, said the company continues to onboard trainees and will honour all contracts.

Talking about variable pay, he said, 70% of the TCS workforce will get 100% variable while for the rest, it would be based on the business performance.

Also Read |TCS Q2 Results: US Dollar revenue declines for the first time in 17 quarters; board approves buyback, dividend

COO Subramaniam, meanwhile, pointed out that the firm has over 250 employees in war-hit Israel and that it is in touch with its staff and ensuring that they are safe.

(With inputs from Reema Tendulkar)

Track TCS Q2 Results highlights here

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

G20 Summit | Companies in Delhi-NCR facilitate work-from-home arrangements from Sept 8-10

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Offices in Delhi and adjoining areas of Noida and Gurugram have facilitated work-from-home arrangements for their employees during the G20 weekend. India is hosting the G20 Summit and the main event will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10.

The summit is likely to be attended by 29 heads of states as well as top officials of the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.

All private and government offices in Delhi will remain closed from September 8-10, while banks and commercial establishments, including markets, in the New Delhi district will be shut during these three days.

Accordingly, companies have announced flexible work measures during the G20 weekend.

“In view of the Delhi government’s traffic advisory around the G20 summit from 8th to 10th September, we understand the potential challenges our Delhi-based employees might face in their daily commute. Considering the same, we have already announced the flexibility to work from home during the period,” Noida-based NIIT Limited HR Head Mita Brahma said.

Gurugram-based ecommerce platform Shiprocket’s SVP and Head of HR Saumya Khati said the company is fully aligned with the government’s efforts to ensure a smooth and efficient execution of the summit.

“In response to the government’s guidance during this event, we have taken proactive steps to provide flexible work-from-home arrangements for our employees in Delhi and for the people travelling from Delhi to our HQ (headquarter) in Gurugram,” Brahma said.

The HR heads unanimously echoed their commitment to support the Indian government in the smooth organisation of the summit, adding that it is a moment of pride for all Indians.

Law firm INDUSLAW’s Founding Partner Gaurav Dani said they have asked employees to work from home, as far as the Delhi office is concerned since all of Delhi will be either a regulated or controlled zone. He added that the Gurugram office will remain fully operational. “However, people commuting to and fro from Delhi have the flexibility to work from home,” he added.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Meta employees told to return to office three days a week from September

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Meta employees will be required to be in office at least thrice a week starting September, according to a report. The social networking giant — that parent of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp — began notifying its employees on June 1 of its new remote-work policy.

The new rule, however, does not impact Meta employees who are designated as remote workers. Such staffers will retain their remote status, according to The Information, which first reported the development citing people familiar with the development.

A Meta spokesperson quoted by CNBC US said, “We’re committed to distributed work, and we’re confident people can make a meaningful impact both from the office and at home.” In the statement, the social media giant added that it is continuously refining its model to foster the collaboration, relationships and culture necessary for employees to do their best work.

CNBC-TV18 reached out to Meta for a comment and is awaiting a response.

Earlier in June 2021, Facebook parent Meta first had extended its remote-work policy to all full-time employees. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had then said the firm learned over the course of the year during the COVID-19 pandemic that “good work can get done anywhere, and I’m even more optimistic that remote work at scale is possible, particularly as remote video presence and virtual reality continue to improve.”

Meta is not the only one to have called employees back to the office. Many firms including Amazon and Google parent Alphabet have been telling staffers to be back at office in a hybrid manner.

Earlier on June 1, Indian software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had clarified that the company has been encouraging employees to work from office for three days a week, but has not “communicated or deployed linkages to career or compensation”.

Last month, Meta implemented its final phase of layoffs. This was the one announced in March when the company announced it would cut about 10,000 jobs. This decision came after the company previously let go of over 11,000 employees in November 2022.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Hundreds of Amazon employees protest company’s climate impact, return-to-office mandate

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Telling executives to “strive harder,” hundreds of corporate Amazon workers protested what they decried as the company’s lack of progress on climate goals and an inequitable return-to-office mandate during a lunchtime demonstration at its Seattle headquarters Wednesday.

The protest came a week after Amazon’s annual shareholder meeting and a month after a policy took effect returning workers to the office three days per week. Previously, team leaders were allowed to determine how their charges worked.

The employees chanted their disappointment with the pace of the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

“Emissions climbing, time to act and urged Amazon to return authority to team leaders when it comes to work location. Wearing a black pirate hat and red coat, Church Hindley, a quality assurance engineer, said working from home allowed him to live a better, healthier life. I’m out here because I refuse to just sit idly by while mandates are dictated from above down that don’t make sense and hurt the planet, hurt families and individual lives,” Hindley said.

“And just to get us into a seat at the office for their tax incentives.

In a statement, Amazon said it supported workers expressing opinions. As of Wednesday morning, organizers estimated more than 1,900 employees pledged to walk out around the world, with about 900 in Seattle.

Many participated remotely, but hundreds gathered at the Amazon Spheres a four-story structure in downtown Seattle that from the outside looks like three connected glass orbs.

“Today looks like it might be the start of a new chapter in Amazon’s history, when tech workers coming out of the pandemic stood up and said, We still want a say in this company and the direction of this company,” said Eliza Pan, a former Amazon corporate employee and a co-founder of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a climate change advocacy group founded by Amazon workers.

Amazon, which relies on fossil fuels to power the planes, trucks and vans that ship packages all over the world, has an enormous carbon footprint. Amazon workers have been vocal in criticising some of the company’s practices.

In an annual statement to investors, Amazon said it aims to deploy 100,000 electric delivery vehicles by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon by 2040. But activists say the company must do more and commit to zero emissions by 2030. While we all would like to get there tomorrow, for companies like ours who consume a lot of power, and have very substantial transportation, packaging, and physical building assets, it’ll take time to accomplish, Brad Glasser, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement.

Since more employees returned to the office, Glasser said, there has also been a good energy on the company’s South Lake Union campus and at its other urban centers. More than 20,000 workers, however, signed a petition urging Amazon to reconsider the return-to-office mandate.

In a February memo, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the company made its decision to return corporate employees to the office at least three days a week after observing what worked during the pandemic. Among other things, he said senior leadership watched how staff performed and talked to leaders at other companies. He said they concluded employees tended to be more engaged in person and collaborate more easily.

In a note asking Amazon employees to pledge their participation in the walkout, organizers said the company must return autonomy to its teams, who know their employees and customers best, to make the best decision on remote, in-person, or hybrid work, and to its employees to choose a team which enables them to work the way they work best.

Pamela Hayter, a project manager at Amazon, started an internal Slack channel called Remote Advocacy” after the company announced its return-to-office policy. Its 33,000 members share stories about how the return-to-office policy impacted their lives.

“I cannot believe that a company in this day and age, a company that claims to be an innovative leader in its space, would do that to one of its most precious resources its employees,” Hayter said during the protest in Seattle, drawing applause from the crowd.

The walkout follows widespread cost-cutting at Amazon, where layoffs have affected workers in advertising, human resources, gaming, stores, devices and Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud computing division. Like other tech companies, including Facebook parent Meta and Google parent Alphabet, Amazon ramped up hiring during the pandemic to meet the demand from homebound Americans who were increasingly shopping online to keep themselves safe from the virus.

Amazon’s workforce, in warehouses and offices, doubled to more than 1.6 million in about two years. But demand slowed as the worst of the pandemic eased. The company last year began pausing or cancelling warehouse expansion plans and has cut 27,000 jobs since November.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Elon Musk says work-from-home is a moral issue and wants Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX employees to be in office

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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If you’re looking for a job that allows you to work from home, it may not be any of the companies owned by Elon Musk. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and the man who recently took control of Twitter, said that work from home was a moral issue and that he prefers that his employees be at office, even if it isn’t for the entire 40 hours in a work week.

“I am a big believer that people are more productive when they are in person,” Musk said in an exclusive interview with CNBC, right after the annual meeting of Tesla shareholders. “It’s a bit like the fake Marie Anotoinette quote ‘let them eat cake’. Really, you’re gonna work from home? And you’re gonna make everyone else who made your car come work at the factory? The people who make your food that gets delivered, they can’t work from home? The people who fix your house, they can’t work from home but you can? Does that seem morally right? It’s messed up” he added.

Also Read: Big batteries sales, cybertrucks to advertising, Elon Musk’s top 10 revelations at Tesla shareholder meeting

Musk is not the first, and will not be the last executive of a big organisation who wants people to turn up to office. Work-from-home for most people in white collar jobs became a preferred model during the pandemic, which allowed businesses to keep running amidst the necessary lockdowns that were aimed at preventing the COVID-19 virus from spreading. But a lot of the workforce that can deliver its work from the comfort of their home prefer not going to the office.

Even in India, work from home reduced sharply before the end of 2022. By October last year, more than 70 percent of the companies in India had moved into a hybrid model, which means employees need to turn up at the office at least a few times a week. In January 2022, more than half of the jobs were still being done remotely. However, as companies started calling people back to work, resignations spiked.

While studies have shown that productivity declined when people worked from home, Musk’s bid to make WFH a moral argument may be worth debating. A survey of over 10,000 skilled professionals at HCL Technologies, a $35-billion Mumbai-based software services provider, showed that “hours worked increased, output declined slightly, and productivity fell 8 percent–19 percent,” according to a study published in the University of Chicago press journals in February 2023.

Also Read: Does reduced visibility in office impact appraisal and career growth?

That few people have access to many comforts while others don’t is a fact within capitalist societies. Some people have supercars, yachts and private jets and others have to take public transport and wait in queues. Is that something that a billionaire like Elon Musk — with a net worth of nearly $176 billion on May 17, according to the latest Forbes data — would consider unfair?

Would he disagree that work-from-home is a privilege earned by a section of the working class for the efforts that they put into picking up the skills for a job that they could deliver from, a beach in Maldives?

It isn’t the case that people picked a degree or a line of work hoping to work from home, at least not the ones who entered the workforce before the pandemic. How’s the turn of fortunes for a middle-class engineer more reprehensible than that of, an oil producer or a car manufacturer who can cite supply constraints to jack up prices the best s/he can?

Also Read: Elon Musk to approve all new hiring at Tesla – Here’s what he said

Musk made an example of himself by saying that he works seven days a week (with six hours of sleep) and that, in any given year, there are only two to three days where he isn’t putting in any amount of work related to his businesses. While he encouraged his employees to take their weekly offs and vacations, he was fairly vociferous in condemning the calls for continued work-from-home for certain roles. He even called it “bull shit” during the interview.

While Musk’s argument that work-from-home hampers productivity may hold water, do you agree that it is unfair that some people get to work from home and others don’t? Share your opinion and tag CNBC-TV18’s official twitter handle or drop a comment on our LinkedIn page and let us know your thoughts.

Also Read: Why do more Thursdays feel like Fridays? There is a mindset change at play

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Does reduced visibility in office impact appraisal and career growth

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Not many would contest that hybrid or flexible working is the way to go ahead, it’s the new normal and that’s what most employers are offering to retain talent. However, as the job market witnesses the shift from “Great Resignation” during the pandemic to layoffs and hiring freezes/slowdown now, it seems employers are back in the driver’s seat with an upper hand in negotiations.

In the US, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that between August 1, 2022 and September 30, 2022, 72.5 percent of private-sector organizations — up from 60 percent in the July-to-September 2021 period — said they did not have employees working remotely.

This even as multiple other studies indicate that employers are “offering” hybrid working. According to an Employee Benefits Survey report by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, 74 percent of employers offer hybrid work arrangements.

Also Read: ICAI plans to include AI and blockchain in syllabus, articleship duration may be reduced to two years

Here’s an example from Meta – Founder of the Leadership Guide, Cody Dakota Wooten, C.B.C., in a blog wrote, “In the midst of their huge layoffs (common across all of Tech), Meta is also “urging” employees to come back to the office. While not “strictly” necessary, the unspoken implications have been that if you are not in the office you will be part of the next layoff.”

Impact of hybrid work mode on career growth and appraisals

A LinkedIn report in March 2023 claimed hybrid work has raised some questions on whether lack of time in office and reduced visibility will have an impact on one’s career.

Siva Prasad Nanduri, Chief Business Officer, TeamLease Digital, believes WFH or hybrid models can have an influence on career progression and promotion in both positive and muted ways.

“On the plus side, remote work may result in enhanced productivity, improved work-life balance, and the chance to collaborate with more diversified teams from various places. Also, it can give opportunities to employees to learn new skills and get experience in a variety of fields, which can help them accelerate their careers” he told CNBC-TV18.

On the other hand, Nanduri said it can affect long-term effective communication, can lead to a feeling of isolation and result in a case of less visibility for the employees accomplishments.

Also Read: India can be in a sweet spot if workforce builds AI skills, says Great Learning

Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services also called it a highly polarising trail, the hybrid or remote work model has left business leaders and stakeholders across the world divided. According to him, while there are many advocates of the hybrid work mode, many leaders, especially in tech domains, have called it out as a fad.

“As observed in the post-pandemic era, the talent market is governed nowadays by skills more than anything else. With the right skill sets by their side, employees operating in alternative work models will always have growth opportunities headed their way,” he said.

Alug, however, added that it also depends on the employers and their capability to accept such work models as equally productive, and profitable as on-site work.

Also Read: IT increments this year will be the lowest in a decade — sans 2020, finds survey

LinkedIn research revealed that 63 percent of Indians feel working remotely has no harmful impact on their careers, however a similar proportion also believes their chances of career growth could be reduced if they didn’t go to office as much.

This could be a potential reason why 71 percent of Indians agree that they feel they have to overcompensate when working from home to show that they are serious about work, it said.

Also Read: upGrad CHRO shares six-point checklist for appraisal season

Also Read: Techies in India may get 10% salary hike in 2023 even as layoff fears loom, finds survey

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow