The cases are dipping, vaccination is picking up, pandemic is changing into endemic and now, the economy, corporations are clawing back to normalcy, the economy rebounding and the corporations getting back on the track. After the deadly second wave of COVID-19 infection, the world is seeing some semblance of normalcy, and now embracing the hybrid model of working, the corporations across the world are gearing up to call back their employees to office.

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Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, on May 5, 2021, in an email written to employees mentioned about “hybrid workplace”. In the mail itself, he went on to add that this is a model wherein around 60 percent of the employees would come together in the office a few days every week, another 20 percent would work in new office locations, and the remaining 20 percent would work from home.

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This news headlines stirred up the conversation about the new normal that was set to replace the traditional working model not only at Google but also across the world. The model now is a buzzword in corporate lingo in India as well. Hybrid model shot to fame after this pandemic necessitated working from home. This model entails partially working from home and partially from office that means going to office for some days in the week and working from home from some days in the week.

Taking a lead in reorienting their working strategy, big technology giant like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro and Marico are giving a fresh lease of life to this innovative hybrid model. India’s biggest IT outsourcing company, TCS, in the past, made this clear that the company is planning to call back 90 per cent of its employees by the end of this year or by the beginning of 2022. However, the company threw light on its 2025 model, according to which 25 per cent of its total workforce will be working from home till 2025. The top brass of the company also ensured the full safety of its employees, who all will resume working from office. In the league of companies, ending the work from home is Wipro, who also made its intention public about embracing hybrid model and calling back employees.

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In addition to TCS, Wipro, Marico Limited, one of India’s leading FMCG companies, has also announced its plans to enforce the hybrid model of working for all employees from tomorrow. Several Indian companies are offering hybrid work models which is helping the companies cut rental and electricity costs, apart from saving commuting time for employees. Under the new ‘Ways of Work’ design, Marico will offer greater flexibility to employees thus enabling the majority of employees to work from the office at reduced frequency. The endeavour is to offer a work model where employees will have the benefits of work from home as well as office to better manage work and family needs while delivering on business commitments, the company said in a statement. Many companies now follow a hot-desking strategy under which employees can sit anywhere when in office.

However, people at the high echelon of administration in various media interactions talked about the system that has been put in place to ensure the safety of its employees. Since the epidemiologists and health experts are warning about the possibility of a third wave hitting the country, what needs to be seen is how this innovative hybrid model of working is playing out in the coming time.

Also Read: Employee burnout on the rise in India, says LinkedIn report; many look forward to hybrid model

(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)

First Published:Oct 3, 2021 10:23 AM IST