IT employees are not likely to start working from office any time soon, and a majority of IT and IT-enabled services companies even feel that for many working from home may become the norm.

Over 90 per cent of workers in IT and IT-enabled services industry continue to work from home, as predicted. In the case of many large companies, it goes as high as 95 per cent.

Though WFH has not impacted productivity levels, the biggest challenge the employees face is a not-so-conducive work environment, poor broadband connectivity and power disturbances.

According to a survey conducted by Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association, about 60 per cent of the companies will have only 20 per cent of their workforce operating from their offices.

About 75 per cent of large and very large companies are planning to have 0-9 per cent of their employees working from office by end of March 2021, it said.

“By June 2021, this WFO percentage is expected to go beyond 20 per cent and, in quite a few cases, it will be over 30 per cent,” Bharani Kumar Aroll, President of the association said.

By December 2021, about 50-70 per cent of workforce of large and very large companies will be working from offices.

“The important point to note is – no one responded saying 100 per cent of their staff will return to offices,” he said.

Interestingly, about a third of large and very large companies have said that return to office, when implemented, will be mandatory.

“But those aligned with global policies have said it will be voluntary,” he said.

The survey hinted at a cap on increase in the office space by IT firms as they face the headwinds borne out of the pandemic.

Office space

“Only 20 per cent of the big companies have terminated some office space in the last few months. Majority have held on to status quo ,” he said. However, 6 per cent of the respondents have done away with their office space.

Two models

It observed that the companies are broadly looking at making essential employees come to office and implementing a partial week at office. Nearly 75 per cent of big companies prefer to have essential employees and leadership work from office, while implementing partial work week system for others. Citing the examples of large number of employees moving to their native places far away from Hyderabad, the HYSEA survey observed that it would take a long time for them to return.

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