“With the Prime Minister recently urging a revival of pandemic-era remote work practices to save foreign exchange on fuel imports, do you believe Indian corporations should treat WFH as a permanent ‘economic safety net’ rather than just a health-related measure?”
A shift toward permanent work-from-home (WFH) arrangements would have clear economic benefits for India in the form of increased savings on the use of imported crude oil and fuel consumption, fewer losses in productivity caused by the time spent on daily commutes, and cost-saving opportunities for both employers and workers. Thus, while there is little doubt that the current situation makes WFH an extremely desirable arrangement, even when no pandemic is ongoing, India might still find some economic utility in allowing a greater share of companies to adopt such policies permanently.
There is, however, no denying the fact that a WFH strategy will not suit every industry equally and that the transition to a wholly remote setup is not possible in manufacturing, healthcare, retail services, and other areas. In addition, office work done remotely may suffer because of the lack of interaction with colleagues, and the same applies to the training period that employees often undergo in their offices. Moreover, young professionals tend to learn more on the job and benefit from direct communication with experienced specialists. All of these issues mean that a mixed work strategy should be adopted.
Interview Practice
Interview Practice
