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<keyword id="22373997" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IT-behemoth" source="keywords">IT behemoth</keyword> <keyword id="19950203" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TCS" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="TCS" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="TCS" topicspecial.url="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tata-consultancy-services-ltd/stocks/companyid-8345.cms">TCS</keyword> reported its <keyword id="22373996" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Q1FY25" source="keywords">Q1FY25</keyword> results. The stock closed at Rs 3,902, down by 0.18%. The stock has offered a YTD (yield to date) of 2.39% while inching up almost 19% over the last year. The company announced an interim dividend of Rs 10/share for FY2024-25. The company reported an above-expectations growth for the quarter, while its margins remained largely in line with what the D-street had been anticipating. <h2>Strong net profits, margins</h2>On expected lines, the <keyword id="6354185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IT" source="Orion">IT</keyword> giant's net <keyword id="19933742" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="profit" source="keywords">profit</keyword> is down by 3.2% on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis and up by 8.7% on a YoY basis, standing at Rs 12,040 crore for this quarter. Last quarter, this figure stood at Rs 12,434 crore. The company's consolidated EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) margins stood at 24.7%, witnessing an expansion of 1.5% on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. The company's revenue jumped up by 2.2% on a quarter-on-quarter basis and a 5.4% on a YoY basis, reaching Rs 62,613 crore for April-June 2024, as opposed to Rs 61,237 crore in the quarter before. The company's PAT (profit after tax) saw a marginal dip on a QoQ basis of 3.2%, reaching Rs 120.4 billion. However, on a YoY basis, PAT saw a robust 8.7% growth. The company TCV (total contract value) or order book for the quarter dipped significantly by 37.1% to $8.3 billion, also registering a fall of 18.6% on a YoY basis. <h2>Dip in attrition, rise in employee count</h2>However, the company managed to add 5,452 employees to its workforce, as opposed to losing 1,759 employees during the previous quarter. This takes the company's total workforce to 6,06,998. Its attrition rate, at 12.1% this quarter, also came down from 12.5% from the previous quarter. Per the company, AI Cloud, Cyber Security and Enterprise Solutions led their growth this quarter. The company also saw a YoY growth (in constant currency terms) of 61.8% in its India markets, jumping from 4.9% in Q1FY24 to 7.5% in Q1FY25. The company's client base of ones worth over $100 million and $50 million increased by 3 each during the year. On the other hand, clients worth over $10 million rose by 18, and ones over $1 million inched up by 42 on a YoY basis.

TCS Q1 results 2024: Contract values, net profits take a hit as PAT, employee count sees hike

The Covid-19 pandemic drastically changed the way we work, with <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword> quickly becoming the new normal. Employees across the globe adapted to working from home, enjoying newfound flexibility and a better <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">work-life balance</keyword>. And for a long time, we all thought that this was the new world and going to the office every day would be a thing of the past. However, as pandemic restrictions eased, many companies began rolling back these remote policies, pushing employees to return to the office. Tech giant <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> recently ended remote work for its employees and told them to come to office five days a week, just like how it used to be before the pandemic. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, in a blog post, said that working from offices has its benefits and therefore all employees will have to start coming to work the entire week. He added that even though they will permit work from home in case of emergencies (taking care of your sick kid, running emergency errands etc), remote work will no longer be the norm. <h2>Companies are calling employees back to offices</h2>Amazon isn’t the only company that has implemented the <keyword id="20007258" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rto" source="keywords">RTO</keyword> (<keyword id="20408795" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="return-to-office" source="keywords">return to office</keyword>) mandate. Companies like <keyword id="19945574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wipro" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Wipro" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Wipro">Wipro</keyword>, TCS, X (earlier called Twitter) and Infosys also require employees to be there in office for at least three days a week. While X boss <keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> had once asked those seeking work from home to “get off of their moral high horse,” Infosys CEO N. R. Narayana Murthy had made headlines for saying that workers in India should work 70 hours per week. In wake of Amazon’s recent RTO mandate, many young professionals are reacting strongly on the internet. While some feel that the RTO mandate will hamper their productivity, others feel that it is simply unnecessary. And then there are also some people who think that this is a good decision. Let us take a look at how people are reacting on being called back to offices. <h2>How are people reacting?</h2>Social media sites like Reddit, X, and LinkedIn are full of reactions on the RTO mandate. Many employees feel that this will increase their cost and time spent on commute. Amazon’s recent decision to bring its employees back to offices has not sat well with many, especially those accustomed to the <keyword id="20445439" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hybrid-work-model" source="keywords">hybrid work model</keyword>. On LinkedIn, Samrat Bhardwaj, who has previously interned with Amazon India, questioned the rationale behind the shift, asking whether the company truly considered employee well-being or was more focused on its own benefits. He also voiced concerns over the increased cost in case employees think of moving closer to tech hubs. He also added that if people start living at a distance from tech parks, rent will be lower, but you'll be wasting a lot of time to and fro from the office every day. On the other hand, Erin Mantz, a former Meta and Amazon employee, pointed out the stark difference between previous work norms and the flexibility of today's workforce in a LinkedIn post. “Gen Xers, for decades, used to have to go in every day... no working from home, no midday walks or being home for the dishwasher repairman,” she said, reflecting on how work-life balance has evolved. She concluded that the shift back to in-office work might not align with modern expectations, suggesting that today’s workforce has experienced a better way of working. <h2>“Working in the parking lot isn’t a bad idea”</h2>People aren’t just concerned about the increased cost and wastage of time in commute. Some also pointed out the irony of commuting to the office only to continue working in their cars due to a lack of proper space and resources. One Reddit user said, “Genuinely had no idea how bad RTO would be until it hit. I'm as unproductive as ever and half my work is done in the parking lot at this point for these exact reasons. Going back to the office isn't the end of the world, but when there's zero space or even disability accommodation for the employees? Unacceptable, especially considering the ones who usually enforce the arrangements all have their own private offices with the best gear their department offers.” Another user, Oracle-2050, quipped that working from their car was a makeshift solution, noting, "At least I can attend Teams meetings and make phone calls." The absurdity of the situation was highlighted by yet another commenter who sarcastically remarked, “Only in clown world would a worker drive to the office in order to do work in their car.” Another user pointed out that the decision-makers pushing these mandates “all have their own private offices with the best gear their department offers,” leaving regular employees to struggle in far less conducive work environments. <h2>The “Fake work” problem </h2> Annie Dean, who earlier used to work as Director of Remote Work at Facebook, took a critical stance on LinkedIn, highlighting that return-to-office mandates don’t address the core problem which is “Fake work.” This term, popularised by Airbnb’s Brian Chesky, refers to tasks that feel like work but don’t actually create value for the business. Dean explained in her post that employees are drowning in endless meetings and messages, which detract from productivity. She argued that instead of mandating office attendance, companies like Amazon should focus on “pioneering new, more efficient modes of work.” This argument has resonated with many on X as well, where employees have expressed frustration over the return-to-office mandates being viewed as a quick fix. One Twitter/X user remarked that "commuting to do the same virtual meetings in person isn’t solving anything," while others echoed that the core problem lies in work structures, not location. Here are some other reactions on X: <div type="image" title="negative reactions" msid="113528739" hostid="261" sizebytes="64721"></div> <h2>A quiet layoff strategy? </h2> Yet another take on the RTO mandate comes from Jennifer DeLorenzo, a former senior recruiter at Pinterest. She suggested that the move feels like a “quiet layoff strategy.” According to her, by mandating full-time office attendance, companies may be hoping for a wave of resignations without having to deal with the negative press of formal layoffs. “This tactic allows them to reduce headcount while avoiding the negative optics of layoffs,” DeLorenzo wrote on LinkedIn, adding that it may backfire as hiring becomes challenging again when the economy shifts. Many others seemed to agree with her view. On Reddit too, there are many people talking about how companies might be carrying out soft layoffs by implementing an RTO mandate. Her comments tapped into a broader conversation on how companies may be using return-to-office mandates to indirectly reduce their workforce. Other social media users pointed out similar trends across industries, where companies tighten office attendance policies to nudge employees toward leaving voluntarily. <h2>Some mixed reactions too </h2> While the return-to-office mandates are frustrating for many, not all reactions are negative. Some employees, particularly newer hires, see value in the traditional office setting. Bhardwaj, for example, also noted that going to the office is beneficial for freshers who want to learn. “I do believe that going to the office makes you learn a lot as freshers,” he wrote in his post, suggesting that for those early in their careers, the in-person experience might be crucial for growth and networking. Some users on X too seemed to be in support of this mandate. Here’s a look: <div type="image" title="mixed-reactions" msid="113528718" hostid="261" sizebytes="77770"></div> This duality reflects the ongoing debate around the future of work. On one hand, companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta are focusing on building stronger in-office teams, believing that physical presence fosters better collaboration, innovation, and mentoring. On the other hand, employees, especially those who experienced the benefits of remote work during the pandemic, are pushing back against these mandates, valuing the flexibility and improved work-life balance that working from home provides. As companies continue to adjust their RTO policies, the tension between employee expectations and corporate strategies is likely to persist. However, one thing is clear — the future of work is still being negotiated, and both sides are making their voices heard across the internet.

'I'm unproductive, this is not the real solution': Internet reacts as Amazon, Wipro and others call employees back to office

Tata Consultancy Services has topped the <keyword id="28120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="linkedin" source="Orion">LinkedIn</keyword>'s latest list of top companies to work for in India, followed by <keyword id="6370971" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="accenture" source="Orion">Accenture</keyword> and <keyword id="28721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cognizant" source="Orion">Cognizant</keyword> in the second and third place respectively. Professional networking platform LinkedIn on Tuesday released the 2024 Top Companies list for India wherein <keyword id="6357647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="it-companies" source="Orion">IT companies</keyword> bagged the top three ranks, while <keyword id="6354241" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-services" source="Orion">financial services</keyword> firms dominated the list with 9 out of 25 companies from this sector. The 8th edition has derived insights from LinkedIn data, and lists the top 25 large companies, 15 best mid-size companies, and provides insights on in-demand skills, top locations, and the largest job functions within these companies. Amongst large companies (500+ employees in India), Tata Consultancy Services retained its top spot this year, followed by Accenture and Cognizant. Continuing the trend from last year, financial services dominated the 2024 list with 9 out of 25 companies from this sector including Macquarie Group (4th place), Morgan Stanley (5th), and JPMorgan Chase and Co (6th), LinkedIn said. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform Lentra ranked first on the list of top mid-size companies list (250-500 employees), followed by Indian online travel platform MakeMyTrip. The list also featured fashion and beauty retailer Nykaa and fantasy sports platform Dream11, showcasing the wide range of opportunities available in diverse industries for job seekers in India. "The in-demand skills that the top companies are looking for in the financial services sector include investor relations, capital markets, and investment banking. Companies in the technology sector are looking for skills such as enterprise software, data storage technologies, software development life cycle (SDLC), and artificial intelligence (AI)," the data revealed. Revenue analysis, nonprofit management, and mobile application development are some of the other skills that are witnessing a surge in demand, it added. Silicon valley of India, Bengaluru was named the top location where these top companies are based and looking to hire talent, followed by Hyderabad, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and Pune. LinkedIn said the ranking of companies is based on eight pillars that have been shown to lead to career progression such as the ability to advance, skills growth, company stability, external opportunity, company affinity, gender diversity, educational background, and employee presence in the country.

Tech firms TCS, Accenture, Cognizant lead LinkedIn's top large companies list

Employees are leaving IT giants TCS, Infosys – here’s why

<ul><li>Indian IT services giant <keyword id="6357150" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="tcs" source="Orion">TCS</keyword> reported a subdued first quarter of FY23, with its profit missing analyst estimates.</li><li>The company also reported an increase in attrition rates and a slowdown in hiring, reflective of a challenging business environment.</li><li>It revealed that its headcount is now over 6 lakh, despite 1 in 5 employees quitting in the June quarter.</li></ul>India’s largest tech company TCS today saw the full impact of resignations, churn and the resultant salary hikes for the quarter — all of which shaved off its profit margins by 150 basis points. Even in this high cost regime, the company chose to add employees - with net additions touching 14,136 over the last quarter. And, it also crossed a milestone of 6 lakh employees – and its total headcount is now at 6,06,331. That means it added 155 new employees every day. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Quarter </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Attrition rate </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q1 FY22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 FY22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11.9% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 FY22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15.3% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q4 FY22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">17.4% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q1 FY23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">19.7% </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Source: Company reports Last quarter, it added over 35,000 employees. This is also a reflection of the number of people who have been quitting, as its attrition rate hit the highest at 19.7% — that’s more than double of what it was in the same quarter last year. TCS admits that it’s a grave problem, but it will continue to ‘spend’ money to acquire talent. “We are making these investments to capture demand,” said Rajesh Gopinath, the CEO of TCS, at the earnings press conference. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Salary hikes in 5-8% range but top performers got better hikes" comment="subhead" text="Salary hikes in 5-8% range but top performers got better hikes">Salary hikes in 5-8% range but top performers got better hikes</cmsannotation> The company said its employees received salary hikes ranging between 5-8%, while top performers got even bigger hikes — without divulging details. Overall, TCS has set a target of hiring 40,000 freshers this year. This went down from the 1 lakh target it had set last year. However, the company said it is on track to achieve its FY23 fresher hiring target. TCS said that its workforce is diverse, comprising 153 nationalities and with women making up 35.5% of the base. It also claims to invest in organic talent development. “In the first quarter, TCSers clocked 12 million learning hours, resulting in the acquisition of 1.7 million competencies,” the company said in a press release. It also accelerated its ‘return to office’ programme in Q1, with about 20% of the workforce now working from the office. Tata Consultancy Services or TCS posted a 5% growth in net profits in the first quarter of FY23 at ₹9,478 crore; but its net profits fell by 5% on a quarterly basis – as it was hit by increased costs most of which was employee benefits. Its travel costs too ate into the profits even as its revenues grew by 16% on a yearly basis. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/dmarts-growth-momentum-could-be-impacted-by-high-inflation/articleshow/92747965.cms">DMart has more stores and no disruptions like it wanted – and investors are excited</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/not-just-crude-gold-silver-and-even-wheat-and-edible-oil-prices-are-going-down-in-india/articleshow/92748130.cms">It’s not just crude, gold, silver and even wheat and edible oil prices are going down</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/why-investors-are-giving-mm-and-tata-motors-ev-businesses-the-same-value/articleshow/92742893.cms">Tata Motors sells 100x more EVs than M&amp;M – but both are valued at around $9 billion</a>

TCS crosses the 6 lakh employee milestone even as 1 in 5 quit in the first quarter

<ul><li>TCS and HCL Tech said that they have over a 100 <keyword id="17930214" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genai" source="Orion">genAI</keyword> opportunities in the pipeline.</li><li>They also won a few projects, most of which are in the proof-of-concept or pilot stages.</li><li>Tech companies said they built large-scale genAI capabilities, and are ready to take on projects. </li></ul>Less than a year after ChatGPT was launched, Indian tech majors have started bagging generative AI projects. Even in times when demand is slow, discretionary spends are elusive, the new-age technology is bringing work as well as excitement into the IT outsourcing market. Although the size of the deals is small at the moment, genAI has ‘captured the imagination’ of clients, say top executives of Indian IT companies. TCS and HCL Tech said that most of their <keyword id="19151325" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genai-projects" source="Orion">genAI projects</keyword> are proof-of-concept or pilot stages. “Deal sizes are small and are mostly under $1 million where clients are trying them out. But there is potential to convert a part of our Jaguar Land Rover with AI and ML capabilities,” said N Ganapathy Subramaniam, COO of TCS at the company’s Q2 earnings press conference. HCL Tech’s MD C Vijayakumar too shared that most of the genAI deals they are bagging are either half a million or sub-$1 million deals. But they are currently working on a hundred such opportunities. “We have been selected as a partner by this very large software major for their product testing and sustenance efforts. We are providing GenAI on a private language model to improve resolution rate and speed efficiency,” said Vijayakumar. Infosys CEO Salil Parekh also shared that they are working on some proprietary large language models (LLMs). “AI is a part of almost every deal we do. And, GenAI is getting there. As it expands and more and larger enterprises get into it, it will be very exciting,” he added. A catalog of AI opportunities A few months back, all tech majors announced big moves in the generative AI space. Wipro announced that it will spend as much as $1 billion over three years to build capabilities. TCS, HCL Tech partnered with software major NVIDIA to skill their employees. As of September end, TCS said that they have 100,000-strong GenAI-ready workforce. They said they also have as many as 250 Gen AI opportunities in the pipeline. “When we started generative AI, they were all about knowledge discovery. As clients understand more, the genAI is getting more complicated. We are now working for a co-pilot for a financial advisor on what advice to give clients, help underwriting policies,” explaining K Krithivasan, CEO of TCS. TCS said that it has identified opportunities across various verticals, identified use cases and cataloged them per vertical. With that it says that it’s planning to go and engage with clients and have conversations on the same. “With this, we can have conversations with our clients – be in CRM or payments space and wealth advisory and other use cases,” explained Ganapathy. HCL Tech too is working on use cases related to banking and financial sector. “We signed a generative AI deal with a to improve their risk and compliance efforts – which is a very big effort in financial services. There are a lot of transactions happening on this front, and we have discussed how we can help,” said Vijayakumar. The buzz for cost optimization and automation deals has gone up in the last few months. Clients are looking to ramp down their expenses and intend to use tech to help with their overall cost reduction efforts. As automation gains ground, AI and ML will find more use cases – and most tech companies are confident that a little of it can spill into the new and emerging area of GenAI as well.

Beyond just chats: Indian tech majors start bagging deals in GenAI space

<ul><li>For many, the shift from the comfort and flexibility of working from home to the structured routine of office life can seem challenging to deal with initially. </li><li>Going to the office lets you meet and interact with people, which has social utility.</li><li>A few days before joining the office, one should start their morning routine as will be needed. </li></ul>Bangalore-based Anirabn Chatterjee, working for an <keyword id="6377640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="it-firm" source="Orion">IT firm</keyword> has recently been asked to go back to the office five days a week. Since last November, he has been going to the office two or three days a week, a hybrid mode of work, which he rather enjoyed, but that is over now. Recently large IT companies like <keyword id="6357150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tcs" source="Orion">TCS</keyword>, Wipro and others have asked employees to start going to the office five days a week. The culture of <keyword id="123591" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-from-home" source="Orion">work from home</keyword>, or <keyword id="10310934" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hybrid-work" source="Orion">hybrid work</keyword> where one had to go to the office 2-3 times a week is now coming wrapping up. These work cultures were born out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic and many workplaces kept on with them after the lockdown restrictions were lifted.d Many employees have been reluctant to go back to the office five days a week and companies have been going slow on calling them back. “The concept of work from home (WFH) or remote work has only gained momentum since the pandemic. However, major corporations are now urging their workforce to report to the office physically and more regularly,” says Anjali Raghuvanshi, Chief People Officer, Randstad India, an HR services firm. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The challenges of going back to office" comment="Subhead" text="The challenges of going back to office">The challenges of going back to office</cmsannotation> “Some may welcome change, craving for the social interaction and the structured routine of the office environment,” says Vandana Ahuja, Organisational HR Adviser &amp; ICF Coach. However, for many, the shift from the comfort and flexibility of working from home to the structured routine of office life can seem challenging to deal with initially, as it mandates a shift in daily routines, work habits, and work-life dynamics. Here are some issues people are likely to face. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Commute agony" comment="subhead" text="Commute agony">Commute agony</cmsannotation>: In any metro city, commuting can take up to three hours or more daily, and this is certainly not good news for those who need to go back to the office. It means getting up earlier, starting from home early and also evenings spent stuck in traffic. For Chatterjee, the daily commute is about two hours and he does not fancy doing it five days a week. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Social anxiety" comment="Subhead" text="Social anxiety">Social anxiety</cmsannotation>: Following an extended period of remote work, many individuals are finding it challenging to readjust to a structured work environment. “There could be a level of social anxiety. Especially for the newer workforce who have had the perks of working remotely from the beginning of their careers, it might be a tad more difficult to accommodate themselves into a more disciplined office routine,” says Ahuja. Feelings of irritability during interactions with colleagues, a sense of lethargy, diminished concentration, and difficulties in socialising have become prevalent issues. “Social anxiety has a negative impact on people’s performance and in serious situations can even lead to quitting. In some other people, body image-related problems also arise, where people start finding their body less attractive, due to which problems like low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders can be seen,” says Arvind Otta, senior psychologist and mental health activist. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lower work flexibility" comment="Subhead" text="Lower work flexibility"><keyword id="19091574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lower-work-flexibility" source="Orion">Lower work flexibility</keyword></cmsannotation>: For many, work from the office can also affect their productivity or at least they think that it does. “For many, remote work offered increased autonomy, and the ability to tailor their work environment to their preferences,” says Raghuvanshi. The impact is more on parents with kids and especially women, to whom work from home was a blessing in disguise as they could spend more time with their kids or do tasks like dropping or picking them up from school more easily. However, working from the office is the new normal, something that one cannot wish away. It might take some of us a bit of time to get adjusted, but adapting to the new way of life should be pretty easy. Here are a few ways to make the transition smoother <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Look at the bright side" comment="subhead" text="Look at the bright side">Look at the bright side</cmsannotation>: Going back to the office again might seem cumbersome, but one needs to look at the bright side. Going to the office lets you meet people, lets you interact with your colleagues and your boss and also lets you showcase your work much better to your immediate boss. Overall, it is a great thing, careerwise. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Get into a routine" comment="subhead" text="Get into a routine">Get into a routine</cmsannotation>: Going back to the office is just a matter of habit . “Individually, a person should repeatedly tell himself a few days in advance that from the particular day onwards he will have to work in the office only, due to which the idea of working from the office will also be included in his thought process,” says Otta. He suggests that a few days before joining the office, one should wake up at a fixed time and start settling into the daily routine. Three things should be specifically followed a few weeks before joining the office: sleeping at a fixed time, eating breakfast and exercising or yoga. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Make the commute more productive" comment="Subhead" text="Make the commute more productive">Make the commute more productive</cmsannotation>: Since the commute takes up a lot of time, one should look to make the commute more productive. Shabbir Merchant, Chief Value Creator, Valulead Consulting, a leadership development consulting firm, suggests that one catches up on reading and especially listens to audio audiobooks when one is travelling by public transport or driving. One can also listen to music or catch up on breathing exercises that can be done from anywhere. However, social media is to be avoided as much as possible. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Flaunt your office wardrobe" comment="Subhead" text="Flaunt your office wardrobe">Flaunt your office wardrobe</cmsannotation>: During the pandemic many of us have complained that we seldom got a chance to wear some of the clothes that we have bought. “Flaunt your office wardrobe and feel good about the clothes that you have,’ says Merchant. Looking and feeling good can do wonders to your mood. The tiring commute notwithstanding, after months of zoom calls in pyjamas, going back to the office can be a great thing. From meeting colleagues, to brainstorming together over cups of coffee, the new normal can be an adventure to look forward.

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