Call centers and IT services firms that essentially operate as back-offices for companies worldwide do not have, or have failed to set up, work-from-home protocols. Not having business continuity plans available comes at a bad time, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi late last month ordered 1.3 billion Indians on home lockdown for 21 days.
Some companies would need to get their clients’ permission before they can permit their staff to work on sensitive projects away from the office, one senior human resources executive at a leading Indian IT firm said about arrangements to work offsite.
“These days the challenge is not really the technology, the challenge is the regulations, and, in case something goes wrong, who’s going to take the responsibility,” the HR executive said.