Author: Reetika Bose | HRKatha

Just as space in a relationship is essential to sustain it, space at the workplace is also important. This space should never be compromised, especially when employees are working within the four walls of an office. Communication is certainly the key, but sometimes, when the line is crossed, it may have a damaging effect and instead of feeling connected and engaged, employees may end up feeling annoyed and exhausted. A report from the United Nations International Labour Organisation reveals that while employees are more productive when they work outside of the conventional office, they’re also more vulnerable to working longer…

As the country has shut down to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, organisations have implemented work from home without much warning or preparation. This certainly calls for a different type of leadership, to be able to inspire these employees and also help them stay calm and connected. Remote employees direly need motivation and a supporting hand to stay calm and work in a smooth manner. Therefore, HR leaders are opening up to new ways of remote leadership to guide the employees through these troubling times. HRKatha spoke to various HR leaders about their remote leadership and behavioural aspects…

For a customer-facing industry, work from home has suddenly become the new normal, which many employees are finding challenging to acclimatise with. Besides, the BFSI sector also has 25 per cent employees working from offices, and they are facing mobility challenges. Here is how SBI General Insurance is fighting the odds. The concept of work from home did not exist in many consumer-facing sectors, such as BFSI, till now. With employees having been asked to work from home, given the pandemic-like situation, many are finding it difficult. This has become a business-continuity challenge. Shharad Dhakkate, chief human resource officer, SBI…

Online delivery services have become the lifeline for cities amidst the 21-day lockdown across the country. On the one hand there is the rising demand for supplies, and on the other hand there are genuine logistical challenges. Online grocery firms, such as BigBasket, Grofers and Licious have been facing several hiccups. Albinder Dhindsa, co-founder, Grofers, shares with HRKatha, “Due to lack of clarity at the ground level, we faced operational challenges across many states. We want to assure that our teams are working relentlessly to ensure deliveries of essential products, to avoid any kind of panic amongst our customers.” To…

At 5 p.m. on March 22, Sunday, people in residential areas, houses and high-rises clapped, banged their utensils and blew the Shankh, breaking the silence during the Janata Curfew. The citizens of the country stood up in solidarity, to show their appreciation to the healthcare professionals, who have been fighting a lone battle against the coronavirus or COVID-19. Day in day out, they have been performing their duties, despite the incredible odds, while many of us have the privilege to work from the comfort of our homes. For these healthcare ‘warriors’, it is just another day at their workplace. For…

India’s budget carrier, IndiGo, has instituted pay cuts up to 25 per cent for all employees, starting from April 1, 2020. All employees will face salary cuts, including that of the CEO, Ronojoy Dutta. The step was taken after a few global airlines initiated similar steps, earlier this month,  after the coronavirus crisis crippling the aviation sector across the world. Recently, GoAir, also a budget carrier, has already terminated the contracts of its expat pilots, and suspended international flights. It has offered leave without pay to its staff in rotation. Dutta, in an e-mail to the employees said that he…

Companies, big and small, around the world, have rolled out mandatory remote-working policies to promote social distancing and keep their employees safe. But the big question is, ‘How can productivity be maintained?’ With the coronavirus outbreak, most companies have asked their employees to work from home or telecommute. However, to assume that all employees will be equally motivated, engaged and high on productivity is too much to expect. Some employees are bound to be slow and sloppy, and may treat the opportunity as an extended holiday. Even for the efficient ones who are already in place, if the telecommuting period…