'Employees Can’t Work From Home' Techies Complain - Report!  

As most of the IT companies have opted for work from home (wfh) for employees amid the pandemic, nearly 350 employees of a prominent outsourcing multinational corporation (MNC) are worried  about going to work.

The concern that these employees have are valid as nine of their colleagues tested positive for COVID-19. Similarly, employees of another MNC in South Bengaluru are scared about reporting to work after a software engineer tested positive on August 1. 

As per Bangalore Mirror report an employee of this firm said; “He was spotted visiting the cafeteria and a tea stall inside the premises. All that the management did was to send his primary contacts and several others on that floor to home quarantine and business continued as usual."

"The floor was sanitized, but the cafeteria, tea stall, toilets were not. At our company, 100 percent staff work from the office because our roles can’t be done remotely. With the threat of layoffs, we are forced to come,” said an employee. Meanwhile, an employee from the outsourcing firm, confirmed that nine employees tested positive at his office. He spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

Further giving an insight over the matter, the publication stated that the positive employees were asked to remain in home quarantine and the remaining primary contacts were told to come to work. Employees were even told to exercise more caution during work hours by sanitizing their hands before and after logging in and out. 

When management was questioned about it, they asserted that they would sanitise the office too. “But how can one escape the centralized air conditioning system,” asked another employee. The employees say they can’t work from home as the client who they work for is against working from home because of a data security breach.

After the police being informed, they visited the firm after a few employees tipped them off, the management told the police that they were under the SEZ (Special Economic Zone) category and were following all norms and rules, Bangalore Mirror further reported. 

“Those who are unwell are being sent home and asked to remain in quarantine for the specified days. But those who are demanding WFH option during the pandemic, have been told by the management that they are free to leave the job,” said an employee. 

However, a senior HR employee of the outsourcing firm, said “We are following all the norms set by the government for SEZs. I am not permitted to respond to the media."