Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>IT and <keyword id="9739801" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="media-employees">media employees</keyword> are in no rush to return to their offices until more stringent measures are in the place, according to the latest edition of LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index. </li><li>Those who can’t wait to get back to the ‘physical workplace’ are professionals in the recreation, travel, and consumer goods industry. </li><li>Across the workforce, one-third of professionals believe that their savings will increase in the next six months but they are uncertain about job security. </li></ul>As coronavirus restrictions across India reach their fourth month, many are looking forward to returning to the ‘physical workplace’. According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, professionals in the recreation and travel space, as well as those in the consumer goods industry, are most eager to work from offices/on-site, as soon as it’s allowed. <div type="image" title="Copy of BFSI rev and tech spend (1)" msid="77486085" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Professionals in recreation and travel as well as the consumer goods industry are most eager to get back to work&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> But not everyone is as excited. People working in the IT industry are leaning towards WFH even if the restrictions are lifted. LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index report believes that this could be because the transition to remote work for <keyword id="6467356" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IT-employees">IT employees</keyword> was a lot smoother than it was more employees in other sectors of the economy. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="77407573" title="No coffee breaks or water cooler gossip – work from home is hurting office friendship and the team vibe" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Professionals in transportation and logistics, as well as media and communications, share the same concerns and are likely to continue working from home until absolutely necessary. <div type="image" title="sanitisation at work_edited" msid="77486261" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Sanitisation at work&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Concerns about returning to the office It is not that the professionals in the IT and Media industry prefer staying at home. But their major concerns are poor workplace sanitisation and lack of cleanliness that would increase the exposure risk to COVID-19. <div type="image" title="Copy of Copy of BFSI rev and tech spend" msid="77486138" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Concerns about peers not taking COVID-19 precautions seriously is the primary concern for employees looking to return to office&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> While one may follow guidelines to a tee, many employees aren’t confident that their colleagues will do the same. Exposure to those not taking such safety measures seriously is another worry that weighs heavily. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="77099043" title="Indian government extends work from home norms for IT and BPO companies till the end of the year" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> On the flip side, many employees are expecting their personal savings to jump in the next six months. But that is shadowed by the fact that when it comes to job security, employees aren’t as optimistic. More than people who work at large companies and multinationals, the workers at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are worried about keeping their jobs, according to LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index. The online professional network, LinkedIn, surveyed 5,553 professionals across India over the last two months and asked what they were the most concerned about when ‘returning to the physical workspace’. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/tcs-infosys-hcl-tech-and-wipro-open-up-lateral-hiring-as-more-people-walk-out-the-door-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/articleshow/77045880.cms">TCS, Infosys, HCL Tech and Wipro open up lateral hiring as more people walk out the door during the COVID-19 pandemic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tech-mahindra-cfo-says-lateral-hiring-will-take-time-and-only-after-utilisation-improves-to-pre-covid-levels/articleshow/77440879.cms">INTERVIEW: Tech Mahindra CFO says lateral hiring will take time — and only after utilisation improves to pre-COVID levels</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/uber-starts-hiring-engineers-in-india-after-reports-said-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-is-eager-to-shift-engineering-innovation-to-india/articleshow/77369162.cms">Uber starts hiring engineers in India – after reports said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is eager to shift engineering innovation to India</a>

IT and media employees are in no hurry to get back to office — not until there are proper policies in place

Its high time companies chuck the disciplined culture and align themselves with what their <keyword id="6357081" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Employees">employees</keyword> want if they want more productivity. A recent survey on workplace flexibility by <keyword id="6439430" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Randstad">Randstad</keyword>, a HR services provider, says substantial number of employees today, especially those above 45 years of age, are interested in working from home. 
 
Other interesting findings from this survey based on around 7,500 employees from India: 
 
-Both men and women prefer to <keyword id="123591" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword> - 53 per cent of the respondents from India said they prefer telecommuting, while 47 per cent prefer to work from the office every day. 
 
-Most are happy with their current work schedule - 58 per cent of the respondents said they are happy with their current work schedule as opposed to 36 per cent who said they would like to work more at a higher pay. 
 
- Men work more than women - 46 per cent of men work more than 45 hours every week, whereas 32 per cent of women do so. On an average, women work 35 hours and men 39 hours a week. 
 
- Fixed <keyword id="73926" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Working-hours">working hours</keyword> - 50 per cent of the respondents prefer a standard hours work a week while 37 per cent wanted variable working hours every work day. 
 
- More money, better motivation - Prospect of higher income is the primary motivational factor that drives Indian employees to work harder, followed by promotion and personal development. 
 
- Men vs women: Women are motivated to work more for promotions while men seek to increase their influence at work.

Why Companies Need to Let Their Employees Work From Home

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I started a new job in August 2020 and spent the first 17 months <keyword id="11917395" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="working-from-home" source="Orion">working from home</keyword>.</li><li>I finally moved to London and visited the office for the first time in January 2022.</li></ul>When Insider offered me a job in July 2020, I knew I'd start off working remotely.At the start of the pandemic I'd left my house share in Newcastle, in the north of England, and moved back in with my parents in Bradford, like many other people in their 20s. I joined Insider as an intern in August 2020 and was told I'd be working from home to start with.Because I was on a six-month contract and the office wasn't open, I didn't see any need to move to London.I get on really well with my parents, rent in London is incredibly high, I wouldn't be able to go to the office anyway, and all my <keyword id="11896063" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="work" source="Orion">work</keyword> can be done from home. So I stayed put.Even when I was made permanent and Insider reopened its office in summer 2021, I still decided to continue working from home in Bradford.I was sometimes jealous of my colleagues spending time together, but I had huge anxiety about moving to London. I was worried about not making friends and not adapting well to working from the office.Instead, I waited until a friend was ready to move to London – and I'm really glad I did. Knowing that he'd be my flatmate was a massive comfort.Working from home has its perks. You don't have to commute or dress smartly and it's easy to adapt your schedule.But as the pandemic dragged on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stanford-professor-zoom-fatigue-tips-remote-work-meetings-2021-12?r=US&amp;IR=T">I started to feel deflated</a>. The excitement of a new job had worn off, and I was tired of sitting at my desk in my bedroom all day and speaking on video calls to the same few people every week. I'd met two colleagues in person, but there were loads of people who I worked with closely yet had never spoken to face to face.So after I moved to London and England lifted its work-from-home guidance in <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60057276?at_medium=RSS&amp;at_campaign=KARANGA">January</a>, I decided to visit the office for the first time.I was really anxious. I was worried my colleagues wouldn't like me and stressed about what to wear and how to behave in the office. I also thought the commute might wear me out before I even got to the office.So I spoke to a close colleague and asked what people wore and whether they brought lunch from home. Having this conversation was a huge comfort to me, and she agreed to meet me outside the office on my first day and show me around.Since then, I've been in the office at least three days a week. I sit next to colleagues I'd spoken to for months online but had never met and spend my lunch breaks with people from other teams who I hadn't come across on Slack.Sometimes my colleagues bring in cake to work. Occasionally we'll go for a walk together on our lunch breaks. Rather than grudgingly rolling out of bed to shuffle over to my desk each morning, I find myself looking forward to going to work.I'm never sure who'll be in the office, and I meet new people every day. After 17 months working from home, I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do.And as well as the social side of it, working in the office feels much more collaborative. I have better awareness of what my teammates are working on and can get their opinions on my work more easily.Cumbersome messages starting with Slack formalities ("Hi! I hope you're well and had a good weekend") can be replaced with a 30-second chat at someone's desk.I really enjoy working in the office – but I'm glad I didn't rush my decision to relocate.

I spent 17 months working remotely during the pandemic. Now I'm back in the office and love my job again

If you’re working from home for the first time, here are some tips to help you get set up

<ul><li>Employees are beginning to realise that <keyword id="123591" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword> is beginning to translate to always available.</li><li>There are endless zoom calls, bosses overworking them because really where else can they go in a lockdown and to top it all – pay cuts.</li><li>Companies are slowly beginning to realise and are now offering extended lunch breaks, no meeting days and more.</li></ul>In the wee hours of the morning at 5.30 am, Priyanka Pandey (name changed), an IT professional woke up from her sleep to login to a Zoom call. “There are no work hours anymore,” she said. But it's not just her alone, as work from home becomes the new normal, employees are beginning to realise that work from home is beginning to translate to always available. There are endless zoom calls, bosses overworking them because really where else can they go in a lockdown and to top it all – pay cuts and the fear that if they speak up now, there’s a threat to their job. “One big issue is there is no segregation between personal life and office life now. We are expected to be available all the time, including weekends, simply because the employer assumes that we are at home all the time due to the ongoing situation,” said an employee at a law firm. Endless meetings and work hours In India, employees are working way beyond 48 hours a week – crossing International Labour Organization’s norms of working. According to the labour standards. “the general standard is 48 regular hours of work per week, with a maximum of eight hours per day.” says the ILO website. In April, Microsoft Teams saw 200 million meeting participants in a single day and as of April 29 a new daily record of 4.1 billion meeting minutes in one day. Understanding the stress and anxiety of employees, tech giant Google in May announced a company holiday to let employees relax. “One of the bigger challenges for a distributed workforce is collaboration. It helps to have core working hours for scheduling all work-related virtual meetings and interactions. This gives employees clarity and helps set boundaries,” said Anuradha Bharat, Head, People Operations at Razorpay. Taking cognizance of the piling number of meetings on employees, gaming unicorn DreamSports which runs Dream11 has announced ‘no meeting Thursdays’ to allow one day a week that are meeting-free for straight 4 hours. The startup has also extended the lunch break from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. “Since the onset of COVID19, there has been a drastic change in lifestyle clubbed with a global economic slowdown. This has led to anxiety and insecurity among people everywhere. To ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of our employees, Dream Sports introduced various programs and activities to build positivity and boost their morale,” said Kevin Freitas, CHRO, Dream Sports. Connectivity, chairs and no chai Work from home along with it has brought a new set of issues. “There’s connectivity issues at times, setting up a comfortable work from home office is not possible and we can’t take those chai breaks anymore,” said another employee. The employee's suggestion is weekly calls to connect with the team at a personal level is important. At Razorpay, they have set up a work from home allowance to help employees. “Ensuring employees can work comfortably from home is the primary need. Some may not have high-speed internet, others might not have a comfortable work chair. We have found that providing a no-questions-asked allowance to set up a home office and partnering with brands offering such products like ergonomic chairs at a subsidised cost goes a long way in making the employee’s life that much easier,” said Bharat. HR tech startup <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/companies-offer-home-office-upgrade-to-make-work-from-home-comfortable-11590149589007.html">Springworks</a> in Bengaluru, has been sending office chairs that have been lying vacant to the employee’s homes while also reimbursing some for their internet connection. Interestingly, Dream11 has planned ‘seasonal surprises’ that is doorstep delivery of goodies to cheer up employees, while also arranging travel for employees outside of Mumbai to help them get back home safe. Dream11 will also be arranging groceries for employees who are stuck in the red zone. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/zooms-india-head-sameer-raje-believes-he-will-able-to-convince-the-home-ministry-that-the-app-is-safe/articleshow/76636946.cms">INTERVIEW: Zoom's India head believes he will able to convince the Home Ministry that the app is safe</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/the-lawyers-who-got-india-to-legalise-homosexuality-will-now-push-for-same-sex-marriage/articleshow/76624406.cms">The lawyers who got India to legalise homosexuality will now push for same sex marriage</a>

Work from home fun is over – now there are endless work hours, midnight calls from bosses and employees are not happy

<ul><li>Infosys is still undecided whether work-from-home will be productive than work from office in the long run. </li><li>Its peers, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and HCL Technologies, have been more aggressive in their plans to work-from-home a permanent feature wherever possible. </li><li>Infosys COO Pravin Rao feels there are still a lot of questions around the work-from-home model. </li></ul>The coronavirus pandemic has forced most companies, including Indian IT services giants, to shut down offices and allow employees to work from home. While companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and HCL Technologies have announced long-term strategies to make work-from-home a part of their operating model, Infosys still isn’t completely sold on the idea. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76980089" title="Infosys gives annual guidance of up to 2% growth this year as profit plummets by 4.8% and revenue dips 2% in Q1" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> “There are a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of things that we have to learn from work from home. And, many of them will have some bearing on productivity,” said Infosys’ chief operating officer (COO) Pravin Rao during Wednesday’s earnings call. “Our sense is that while it has held good, it's too early to conclude whether work from home will always be more productive than work from office,” he added. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Employees working from home </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Infosys </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">93%</td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TCS </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">90% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HCL Technologies </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">96% </td></tr></tbody></table> TCS and HCL technologies roll out work from home as a permanent change During the first quarter, TCS announced its 25/25 operating model where only 25% of its employees would have to be in the office for only 25% of their time by 2025. “It’s about time. Our current operating model is currently a 20-year old legacy. In some ways, this crisis actually leapfrogs us into a new model,” said CEO Rajesh Gopinathan during the fourth-quarter earnings call three months ago. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75243124" title="TCS CEO says the business model is 20 years old — hinting that it may be time to go employee-lite" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> “We don’t believe that we need more than 25% of our workforce at our facilities in order to be 100% productive,” added TCS’ chief executive officer N Ganapathy Subramaniam. HCL Technologies too unveiled its plans to keep 50% of its employees working from home even after the lockdown ended. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75593968" title="HCL Tech follows TCS and Infosys' lead — says 50% of its employees will work from home even after the lockdown is lifted" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> However, like Infosys, HCL Technologies plans on covers the net 12-18 months. “It’s going to take some time to see what the long-term operating model will be,” said HCL Technologies’ CEO Vijayakumar. The IT services giants may not agree on whether work-from-home should be permanent or not but they all agree that it has brought costs down and widened margins. The absence of transportation costs and reimbursements has helped companies save money during the lockdown. Rao added that Infosys has hired 5,000 employees in the last quarter through lateral hiring. “There is a general freeze on hiring, overall we will continue to look for talent in niche areas. In Q1 itself 4,000+ lateral hiring. The trend will continue going forward as well based on the needs,” he said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/infosys-company-profit-is-down-4-8-and-revenue-has-dipped-by-2-in-q1fy21/articleshow/76980089.cms">Infosys gives annual guidance of up to 2% growth this year as profit plummets by 4.8% and revenue dips 2% in Q1</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/tcs-hiring-again-with-5-employees-to-return-to-offices/articleshow/76887172.cms">TCS to kickstart lateral hiring and bring back 5% of its employees to offices</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-infosys-wipro-and-tech-mahindra-what-to-expect-from-earnings/articleshow/76865753.cms">TCS and Infosys to face least impact — Indian IT companies likely to report sharp decline in revenue during first quarter</a>

Infosys is still on the fence when it comes to making work from home a permanent change

As hybrid workplaces are set to redefine the <keyword id="1967222" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="future-of-work" source="Orion">future of work</keyword> in the new normal, one-third of companies will fail at meeting 'anywhere work' goals, and it will not be the Covid virus' fault. According to global research firm <keyword id="114727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="forrester" source="Orion">Forrester</keyword>, 100 per cent of companies will fail at adjusting compensation during the <keyword id="12581596" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="post-pandemic-surge" source="Orion">post-pandemic surge</keyword>. However, employee recognition programmes will get a boost from 1 per cent of total compensation to as much as 2 per cent next year. "Companies have a lot of decisions to make -- about where people can work, what tools they should have available for work, and how managers can shift to becoming more like coaches than supervisors," the report noted. Employees today want different things, improved resources to enable their success at work, and they may even want different outcomes for their careers. They see evidence suggesting that they can ask for and receive the reasonable things that they want. In this backdrop, just 48 per cent of large organisations in the US have a dedicated programme for <keyword id="3315184" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employee-experience" source="Orion">employee experience</keyword> (EX). "That number will rise to 65 per cent as more executives watching their monthly quit rates go as high as 2 per cent will suddenly become EX advocates of the highest order," the report added. The employee experience budgets will go up, so will investments in automation and robotics designed to complement the human workforce. "A large company will even announce that it's capping its human workforce at its current levels and instead aiming to expand its capacity through automation and robotics," according to Forrester. Such a bold move, rather than signalling the dehumanisation of the workforce, will represent a commitment to those who already work there, giving them enhanced roles as automation confers upon them the equivalent of work-ready superpowers, the report said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-messages-may-soon-show-imessage-reactions-into-emoji/articleshow/87842662.cms">Google Messages may soon show iMessage reactions into emoji</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ril-shares-fall-as-saudi-aramco-has-been-called-off-after-27-months-of-negotiations/articleshow/87841945.cms">Reliance Industries’ investors dump shares after Mukesh Ambani's Aramco deal fails after 27 months of negotiations</a>

100% of companies will fail at adjusting compensation during the post-pandemic surge, says report

<ul><li><keyword id="1591611" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work">Remote work</keyword> has changed the dynamics of the office friendship and Zoom calls are sometimes just not enough to catch up.</li><li>The biggest of companies – Google, Uber – have announced <keyword id="123591" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword> until next year, while startups in India like Zomato and OYO are considering a hybrid workplace model.</li><li>A recent CISCO report shows that 64% of the surveyed professionals experienced challenges with the loss of informal kitchen or watercooler exchanges.</li></ul>In the pre-Covid era, when Shayandril Sen, an advertising professional, needed a quick brainstorming session, the team would huddle up in a conference room and a great idea would be out in less than an hour. Now, it has been replaced by a series of Zoom calls with the most-repeated question being, “can you hear me?” Nearly months into the COVID-19 pandemic, giants like Google and Uber have already declared work from home (WFH) until next year. Startups in India like Zomato and OYO are already considering a hybrid workplace model, which includes a permanent work from home solution for a major chunk of the employees Now, many workplace ‘besties’ are worried if their friendship will survive if the situation lasted any longer or, for that matter, forever. American standup comedian Jerry Seinfeld in his show complained about the number of times colleagues had to greet each other in the office but, one wonders, if he would change his mind post this pandemic. “Informal interaction is not as high because teams are remote. They don’t just happen to walk by each other to spark conversation,” said a recent CISCO report that showed that 64% of over 100 IT professionals surveyed miss these casual exchanges. More importantly, this new arrangement threatens many precious workplace relationships that are, often, key to getting things done. Office FOMO Lawyers, young doctors, journalists, and many more such professionals tend to make friends mostly within their community or offices. “As lawyers, since we spend most of our day in our office, our colleagues do become an integral part of our lives. While work from home is a necessity in the present times, office banter is definitely something that's missed. Amidst immense work pressure, at least you have a group of colleagues with whom one can take a short 'chai-sutta' break or a walk to just release the stress,” said Adishree Mishra, a lawyer at a top law firm. Meanwhile, in cases where employees changed jobs during the pandemic, their first interaction was over a video call, completely devoid of the personal touch that is crucial to building trust and camaraderie. “A lot of us who still have a job find ourselves working with a completely new team, which on a lot of occasions is extremely frustrating,” said a working professional who didn’t want to be named. Office pals are important in more ways than one Gone are those days, when cheeky responses and eye-rolls were shared across the cubicle to hide the spite for the boss. Now, people miss the quick gossip next to the water cooler and the catch up over coffee breaks that helped take their minds off work, even if it was for just a bit. It’s not just the chilling and gossipping, the CISCO survey showed that sales employees miss the ‘togetherness’ on the floor. It’s even more important for ideas.“As with any creative professional, in the advertising industry, we vibe off each other while brainstorming,” Sen told Business Insider. And, the time saved by not commuting to the office is not always efficiently used. “Digital brainstorms have literally become as the saying goes, ‘This meeting could have been an email’. We are suddenly holding way too many meetings and spending way too much time on things which were earlier one line briefs to the team,” according to Sen. The ‘new’ fun Friday – online pictionary and Bollywood guessing games Companies are aware of the new challenges posed by WFH. That has led to casual Fridays have been replaced by weekly team events. “We have a Fun Friday connect on the last Friday of every month, where we have engaging games/activities to keep everyone engaged. Just recently, we played Pictionary and Bollywood quiz and we had a fun challenge to see who could put up the most wacky/crazy Bollywood poster as their virtual background,” said Lorita, an IT professional working in an audit and consulting firm. Interestingly, the most eager to join these sessions are those employees who used to shrug off such HR-led initiatives, like team-bonding activities, competitions etc. before the pandemic. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/this-coimbatore-based-water-pump-company-has-become-a-case-study-in-one-of-the-worlds-top-mba-schools-insead/articleshow/77368054.cms">This Coimbatore-based water pump company has become a case study in one of the world's top MBA schools – INSEAD</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/from-oyo-to-upgrad-to-zomato-employees-get-full-salaries-as-startups-begin-reversing-pay-cuts/articleshow/77388428.cms">From OYO to Upgrad to Zomato, employees get full salaries as startups begin reversing pay cuts</a>

No coffee breaks or water cooler gossip – work from home is hurting office friendship and the team vibe

Several companies across the world have asked their employees to <keyword id="123591" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword> in order to prevent the spread of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. Staying at home minimizes your risk of coming into contact with someone carrying the disease. <keyword id="889044" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="working-from-home">Working from home</keyword> or remote working may be a new concept for some and adapting to this change may take some time. If you have been asked to work from home, here are some tips that will make your life easier. <keyword id="8895980" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tips-to-work-from-home">Tips to work from home</keyword> Have a dedicated space for work You may feel more comfortable while working at home and feel like working from your bed or couch. Avoid working from your bed and have a dedicated room or desk for working as it is more productive. Minimize distractions While working from home, try to minimize distractions and try to create an atmosphere similar to your office. Ask your family not to disturb you during your office hours. Avoid household chores Avoid getting distracted by household chores. Do not take up any other work during office hours as you may end up wasting a lot of time. Pretend that you are still at the office and stick to the timings. Get a good broadband connection Most people may not have a broadband connection or may have a slow connection at home. This may slow down your work so opt for a fast and stable broadband connection. Check with your company if they can provide you with an updated broadband speed. Stay connected While working from home, use team collaboration applications to stay connected with your team. There are many free as well as paid applications available that help in sharing messages and files easily with your coworkers. Stick to your timings Just because you are at home, do not change your work timings. Start at the same time that you usually do and log off at your usual time. While working from home, it becomes easier to forget when working hours end. Plan your breaks Working from home can often change the time when you take your breaks. Try to fix a particular time when you take your breaks and avoid eating at other times. Also, do not stop taking breaks altogether. Just because you are at home it does not mean that you don’t need breaks. Take proper breaks for food and drink water regularly. Interact with your coworkers When you are working from home, it can get a little lonely after some time. Make some calls to your coworkers and discuss the work being done and catch up with the projects being worked on. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/photos-show-how-coronavirus-precautions-left-everything-from-schools-to-stadiums-deserted-across-spain-as-more-than-1600-cases-have-already-been-reported/articleshow/74572286.cms">Photos show how coronavirus precautions left everything from schools to stadiums deserted across Spain - as more than 1,600 cases have already been reported</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/facebook-google-amazon-apple-microsoft-and-twitter-will-meet-with-the-white-house-today-to-discuss-coronavirus-response/articleshow/74575845.cms">Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Twitter will meet with the White House today to discuss coronavirus response</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/coronavirus-google-will-now-provide-paid-sick-leave-to-temporary-staff-with-covid-19-funds/articleshow/74571063.cms">Coronavirus: Google will now provide paid sick leave to temporary staff with COVID-19 funds</a>

Tips to work from home during the coronavirus outbreak

<ul><li><keyword id="889044" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="working-from-home">Working from home</keyword> the first time isn’t always the easiest transition to make — for both, employees and employers.</li><li><keyword id="8946672" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="aayush-jaiswal">Aayush Jaiswal</keyword>, joint CEO and co-founder of <keyword id="8367056" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pesto-tech">Pesto Tech</keyword>, has been working remotely for years and encourages his engineers to do the same. </li><li>Here are the top 10 tips for working from home that he shared with Business Insider.</li></ul>Most employees in India are now being asked to <keyword id="123591" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword> to facilitate social distancing amid the Coronavirus pandemic. The initial high of not being stuck in traffic jams or having to endure crowded metro rides soon wanes if you can’t find your productivity groove. In Indian households especially, where space is normally limited, it takes an extra effort to figure how to optimally work from home.If this is your first time, it might not be the easiest transition to make. Some struggle with focus, while others have trouble finding that perfect ‘spot’. Aayush Jaiswal, joint CEO and co-founder of Pesto Tech — an ed-tech startup in India with <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/pesto#section-overview">$2 million</a> in funding — has been encouraging the culture of working remotely for years. According to him, if you don’t initially get the hang of it — it’s okay. “It’s a learning curve that you’ll go through just like everyone else,” he told Business Insider. All you need is a good set of tools and some discipline. Jaiswal shares his top 10 work from home tips to help you crack the remote work code:

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="285445" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dropbox">Dropbox</keyword> just announced it would allow all <keyword id="6357081" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="employees">employees</keyword> to <keyword id="123591" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword> permanently. </li><li>The company initially ordered staff to work from home in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dropbox-halts-recruiting-onboarding-strains-work-from-home-2020-3">March</a>, during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in the US.</li><li>The company plans to convert its existing offices to coworking spaces to aid in team building and collaboration.</li><li>Twitter and Atlassian have also allowed all employees to permanently work from home.</li></ul>Dropbox is going remote — permanently. The cloud-storage company announced Tuesday it would allow all employees to work from home going forward. The shift comes after an internal survey found nearly 90% of Dropbox workers said they were more productive at home."Starting today, Dropbox is becoming a Virtual First company," the company said in a <a href="https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/company/dropbox-goes-virtual-first">blog post</a>. "<keyword id="1591611" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="remote-work">Remote work</keyword> (outside an office) will be the primary experience for all employees and the day-to-day default for individual work."Dropbox initially ordered employees to work from home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dropbox-halts-recruiting-onboarding-strains-work-from-home-2020-3">March</a>.The company will convert its existing real estate into flexible coworking spaces called Dropbox Studios, where employees can choose to go in to work. These spaces are primarily for team building and collaboration, not for "solo work."Dropbox has offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Dublin, and Austin, Texas, but said it may build more flexible studios in other areas.The company will also allow for greater employee relocation outside cities where there are offices. To help employees in different time zones work together, the company will allow each worker to decide their own work hours. Dropbox joins <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-tells-employees-they-can-work-from-home-permanently-2020-5">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/atlassian-says-employees-they-can-work-from-home-permanently-2020-8">Atlassian</a> as major firms that have allowed all employees to permanently work from home. Others, like <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/10/09/embracing-a-flexible-workplace/">Microsoft</a> and <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/facebook-sees-as-much-as-half-its-workforce-permanently-moving-to-remote-work-in-next-decade-wsj-2020-05-21">Facebook</a>, said a portion of their workforce would be remote forever. Dropbox did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.If you have information you'd like to share, you can reach the author at <a href="mailto:aakhtar@businessinsider.com">aakhtar@businessinsider.com</a>.

Dropbox will let all employees work from home permanently as it turns its offices into WeWork-like 'collaborative spaces'

<ul><li>IT companies in Chennai have asked their employees to work from home for the next 100 days. </li><li>The move will address the existing water scarcity in the city. </li><li>12 companies have asked 5,000 employees to work according to their convenience, from anywhere.</li></ul>Owing to water shortage, IT companies in India are asking their employees to ‘work from home’ for the next 100 days, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/no-water-work-from-home-it-cos-tell-staff/articleshow/69763283.cms?utm_source=whatsapp&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=TOI_whatsbroadcast&amp;utm_content=2019_06_13&amp;from=mdr">according to TOI.</a> Nearly 12 IT companies in Chennai have asked over 5,000 of its employees to work according to their convenience, as long as they meet their targets. This is due to lack of rainfall in the city for over 200 days now. The situation is expected to remain the same for the next three months. “The last time IT companies asked employees to work from home was during a strike called by private tankers, four years back,” TOI reported citing sources. Over half (55%) of the large IT companies in the metro already depend on recycled water sources. However, offices also consume high amount of water for air conditioning. IT firms have been taking various steps to address the water problem. While a few organisations have asked employees to bring their own drinking water, others have put up posters on conservation. The 600 IT and ITeS firms on OMR (Old Mahabalipuram Road) employ nearly 320,000 professionals. The OMR area consumes 30 million litres of water daily — with 20 million litres going straight to the IT park and other companies. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/in-india-flexibility-overpowers-pay-hike-on-job-change/articleshow/67975325.cms">In India, employees are prioritising ‘remote work policy’ while taking up a job — and will even take a pay cut</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/always-on-work-culture-is-affecting-mental-health-of-indians/articleshow/69522649.cms">‘Always On’ work culture is affecting mental health of Indians</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indians-will-prefer-to-learn-a-new-skill-if-they-have-a-four-days-work-week-survey/articleshow/68516702.cms">Indians were asked what they would do in their free time if they could work for four days a week — and their answers are unexpected</a>

5,000 IT employees in Chennai are working from home because offices have run out of water

<ul><li>Indian employees prefer remote work conditions while taking up a job, says a survey by recruitment platform Indeed. </li><li>The surveyed employees reportedly said that if given an option, they would consider having two ‘work from home’ days in a week. </li><li>Bringing remote work policies into the job culture has benefited companies due to better employee morale, reduced health insurance cost less irregularity at work. </li></ul>Indian employees are seeking the ability to work remotely more and more while seeking new jobs and companies. With ‘working from home’ emerging at many Indian corporates, nearly half (53%) of those employed consider job change and pay cut as an alternative to remote work conditions, <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/indian-employees-ready-to-take-pay-cut-for-companies-offering-remote-working-survey-3522911.html">according to a survey</a> by recruitment platform, Indeed. In fact, the survey revealed that over 48% employees may consider quitting their current job, in case the company removes the flexible remote work conditions altogether. The surveyed employees reportedly said that if given an option, they would consider having two ‘work from home’ days in a week. According to the respondents, the availability of remote work options helps them maintain a better work-life balance, thereby reducing stress around their work. While 56% employees believe that remote working increases efficiency and productivity at work. The employers’ side Some companies have become open to remote working to hire and retain quality talent. Additionally, a remote working culture is said to benefit companies due to better employee morale, reduced health insurance costs along with fewer people staying away from work for long. To maintain a balanced work productivity, almost all of the companies have made <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/jobs/half-on-indian-employees-consider-switching-jobs-for-greater-flexibility-report-5580330/">provisions</a> for laptops, slack (searchable log of all conversations and knowledge) and remote conferencing tools to enable remote working. However, nearly 2% of employers still believe that remote work ‘hinders collaboration’. Indeed managing director, Sashi Kumar, <a href="http://www.businessworld.in/article/Employees-In-India-Consider-Switching-Jobs-For-Work-Flexibility-/12-02-2019-167116/">reportedly</a> said that <keyword id="7322568" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-working-conditions">remote working conditions</keyword> can attract a wider pool of talent with a better workforce engagement since working with convenience enhances creativity. However, the bigger challenge is often managing the workers effectively regardless of their workplace and also standing up to the employee aspirations, he added. The survey was conducted by a UK-based survey consultancy firm, Censuswide that included over 1000 respondents — including more than 500 employed professionals. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/salaries-in-india-projected-to-rise-by-10-this-year-but-theres-a-catch/articleshow/67585991.cms">Salaries in India projected to rise by 10% this year — but there’s a catch</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/campus-placements-at-iim-mdi-tiss-iift-see-salary-packages-above-2-million/articleshow/67898696.cms">India’s B-schools are seeing higher salary packages for graduates — and it’s not just IIMs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/in-india-mbas-and-engineering-graduates-compete-for-sanitation-jobs/articleshow/67866169.cms">Unemployment in India is so bad that over 150 MBAs and engineering graduates applied for a handful of sanitation jobs</a>

You Searched For "employees work from home" and got 13 results

IT and media employees are in no hurry to get back to office — not until there are proper policies in place

Prabhjote Gill

Why Companies Need to Let Their Employees Work From Home

Anushree Singh

I spent 17 months working remotely during the pandemic. Now I'm back in the office and love my job again

Grace Dean

If you’re working from home for the first time, here are some tips to help you get set up

Work from home fun is over – now there are endless work hours, midnight calls from bosses and employees are not happy

Sanchita Dash

Infosys is still on the fence when it comes to making work from home a permanent change

Prabhjote Gill

100% of companies will fail at adjusting compensation during the post-pandemic surge, says report

IANS

No coffee breaks or water cooler gossip – work from home is hurting office friendship and the team vibe

Sanchita Dash

Tips to work from home during the coronavirus outbreak

Rounak Jain

If you’re working from home for the first time, here are some tips to help you get set up

Prabhjote Gill

Dropbox will let all employees work from home permanently as it turns its offices into WeWork-like 'collaborative spaces'

Allana Akhtar

5,000 IT employees in Chennai are working from home because offices have run out of water

Prerna Sindwani

In India, employees are prioritising ‘remote work policy’ while taking up a job — and will even take a pay cut

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides