The novel coronavirus outbreak, which originated from China in December last year, has now spread to India forcing the government to impose a nationwide 21-day lockdown. The outbreak has now been termed as “pandemic” by the World Health Organisation. So far, the virus has claimed 47 lives and infected more than 1500 people.
Organizations nationwide have asked their employees to work-from-home during the lockdown aiming to keep business running. IT professionals countrywide are now completing their daily tasks from the comfort of their house. But this has even led to several employees complaining about the excessive burden on them.
Taking into account the plight of these professionals, the union of IT and ITES employees (UNITE) have now put forth six demands based on the past week’s experiences.
UNITE, in an open letter to the Government of India and different states and UTs, have demanded that all IT and ITES companies, whether they are MNCs or MSMEs, universally extend the option to work from home to all employees, and make it voluntary if they would like to come into work, along with monitoring bodies being established.
UNITE, through the letter said, “Ensuring organizations adhere to 100% WFH is crucial to uphold the complete lockdown announced by the PM to prevent the spread of the virus.”
Considering the layoffs done by different companies recently, the union further asked the labour ministry to mandate its advisory and ask employers to make no leave adjustments, salary reductions or retrenchments during the lockdown period.
“Even in case of business impact and non-operation, employees of such companies are deemed to be on duty and are eligible for full pay,” the union added.
For IT/ITES employees involved in essential services, UNITE demanded that they are given protective gear, and protective measures are put in place. It also added that these employees must be given term insurance and a risk allowance for them and their families. This risk allowance, UNITE said, should be “not less than double the salary and should be provided along with the salary.”
It has also demanded that work hours be reduced to six hours for the duration of the lockdown, without the expectations of meeting usual levels of productivity. “The practice of WFH is new and unexplored to the majority. Combined with working in an unprepared environment like home and the existing quarantine, the employee’s mental health, especially the women employees, can take a toll,” they said.
UNITE also demanded that a law be enacted where employees have the right to disconnect after working hours, as working from home blurs the line. “This leads to expectations to check and reply to their work phone calls and emails out of work hours,” they said, adding that this can aggravate stress and cause burnout.
Several employees globally have been asking for the “Right to Disconnect.” If passed by the government, the law would allow employees to reject official calls and emails after work hours without facing any heat from the employer.
Sandeep is a journalism and mass communication graduate with a keen interest in politics and business. He is a part of Research & Content team at HrNxt.com.