Many non-manufacturing companies in the city have not yet implemented the work from home policy for their employees despite the State government and the municipal corporation making the option mandatory to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the municipal commissioner had directed non-essential private offices to work at 50% staff capacity or less. Only essential services such as water and electric supply, transport, ports, energy, and oil are exempted from the rule.
Employees of these companies said they have been forced to come to office and work full-time. “I am scared to come to work because of the virus, but there has been no word from my company on working from home. I am not in the operations department and can work from home, but the management is still making us slog,” said an employee. A woman employee said staff members do not maintain physical distance in her office in violation of guidelines.
Employees of small companies said their managements have rejected the idea of working at 50% capacity. “It is not just sharing an enclosed space with 50 others that concerns us, but commuting with no idea if the vehicles have been sanitised,” said a 30-year-old Mahim resident, who commutes daily to her workplace in south Mumbai.
On Wednesday, a woman informed the Mumbai Police in a tweet that her employers were threatening to sack her if she did not report for work. The police asked her to share the details over Direct Message, but she later deleted her tweet. She also did not respond to The Hindu ’s message.
On Thursday, civic officials and the police inspected workplaces and did not find any office that was not complying with the rule. The Chembur offices of Tata Motors and Thomas Cook were working with less than 50% staff. In Goregaon, Blackrock Services, Ericsson India, and Price Waterhouse Coopers adhered to the guideline. Bharat Diamond Bourse in BKC and Ruby Mill in south Mumbai were also found following the rule.
