IT firms wary of imposing WFO model, fear attrition

HYDERABAD: Although the Covid-19 third wave appears to have died down, with fewer cases reported in recent months, most major IT firms are still not keen on asking employees to report back to office, as techies prefer either full-time working from home or a hybrid model in which the pandemic is no longer a factor. Many IT firms are wary of enforcing return-to-office or work-from-office (WFO) policy, fearing that such a policy will result in resignations.

According to an employee of a multinational firm in the city that follows a hybrid model, employees have been given a lot of flexibility. The firm strictly adopted the work-from-home (WFH) model for two years until August this year. Since then, it has followed a system in which employees are required to work-from-office two days each week, a model that several companies have embraced.

However, employees of the firm now have the option to WFH for extended periods of up to a month. Many employees availed this option during Diwali festival. "Even the rule to work from the office for two days is flexible now. We can come for a day in a week and three times the following week. Some people prefer to come to the office every day, and that is fine too," the employee explained.

Another employee at an IT firm stated that, while a hybrid model was currently in place, it had been unofficially communicated to employees that the firm would soon transition to a fully work-from-office model. "I don't think the employees will be happy with that, and some of them may look for other jobs," the employee said.

According to Manisha Saboo, president of the Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA), most major companies are either following a hybrid or WFH model, with only small firms enforcing work-from-office policy.

Six months ago, several firms experienced high attrition rates when they started calling people to offices, as employees, having worked for about two years or more from the comfort of their homes, were unwilling to return to offices. Sahoo said attrition has declined in the past six months, owing to both the news of a slowdown and the fact that very few firms are implementing a fully work-from-home model. “Everyone is being cautious out of fear that their decision will result in attrition,” she said.