The government has laid out a work from home (WFH) policy and as per the guidelines, WFH is now allowed for a maximum period of one year in a special economic zone unit and can be extended to 50 percent of total employees, including contractual employees.

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The Department of Commerce has notified a new rule 43A for WFH in Special Economic Zones Rules, 2006.

The notification was issued after the industry demanded making provisions for a countrywide uniform WFH policy across all Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

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The new rule provides work from home for a certain category of employees of a unit in SEZ. These include:

IT/ITeS SEZ units

Who are temporarily incapacitated

Who are travelling

Who are working offsite

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The government's statement said that there is flexibility granted to the Development Commissioner (DC) of SEZs to approve a higher number of employees (more than 50 percent) for any bonafide reasons to be recorded in writing.

"In respect of SEZ units whose employees are already working from home, the notification has provided a transition period of 90 days to seek approval," it said.

"SEZ Units will provide equipment and secured connectivity for the purpose of WFH to perform authorised operations of the units and the permission to take out the equipment is co-terminus with the permission granted to an employee," the ministry said.

(With PTI inputs)

(Edited by : Akriti Anand)