'
Mumbai: Wipro Ltd., the country\'s fourth largest software services firm, has made it mandatory for its employees to work from office three days a week, effective 15 November, signalling a shift in the IT industry towards decreasing remote work arrangements.
This follows a move by peer Tata Consultancy Services, which has directed some of its teams to work on-site full-time, five days a week.“Recognizing the immense benefits of in-person collaboration and innovation, we are now taking the next step in our workplace policy evolution and requiring all employees to work from the office three days a week, effective 15 November 2023," the company said on Monday.
It also said that about 55% of its employees are already coming thrice a week to office.
“We strongly believe that in-person interactions are critical to the professional development of our talent as well as to our success in driving ongoing innovation for clients," the IT firm added.
There is a growing consensus among companies that the work-from-home model, the norm during the pandemic, should evolve. As the sector navigates a period of slowdown, there is an emphasis on fostering greater teamwork among staff and maintaining tight control over sensitive matters such as client privacy, which is more challenging to secure outside of the traditional office environment.
IT firms have been battling resistance from employees who have grown accustomed to remote working lifestyle over the past two years.
However, after almost two years of work from home during the pandemic, IT firms are facing resistance in getting their workforce back to offices.
The drive for enhanced productivity has been motivated by the need to manage increasing labour costs, maximize resource utilization, and to cope with limited business forecast clarity.
Regarding employee turnover, the attrition rates among leading IT companies are now almost similar.
At the close of second quarter, the attrition figures for TCS, Infosys, HCL, and Wipro were reported at 14.9%, 14.6%, 15.5%, and 14.2% respectively.
'
