‘Desk booking’, new norm at IT firms
People returning to work are required to book their desk prior to visiting the office in some firms now, and this trend is expected to catch up in the days to come.
Hyderabad: Covid has brought in several changes in the way people live, and work. The ‘new normal’ is not limited to just wearing masks, maintaining physical distance and hand sanitisation. It has also changed the ‘swipe and work’ practice in firms, particularly IT companies. People returning to work are required to book their desk prior to visiting the office in some firms now, and this trend is expected to catch up in the days to come.
This ‘desk booking’ is one of the measures being followed as part of the Covid protocol to reduce people density at work places. Top IT companies have already put this desk allotment in place and more companies are likely to follow the suit.
How does it work?
The employees login to the portal and key in their details. The companies seek basic information on the status of vaccination, health condition and other parameters. Based on these inputs, a desk is alloted to them. The same is conveyed to the security. The employees must prove the same credentials to gain entry.
The health condition is assessed on the basis of five or six self-declared parameters. The seat is allotted and the barcode has to be shown to the security. All this is done in a touch-free environment through use of technology.
Of course, there will be temperature checks at entry, said M Satyanarayana, president, Telangana Facilities Management Council (TFMC), the industry body of facilities management companies. Facility managers are responsible for building maintenance, health and safety standards, space management, communications infrastructure, renovations and refurbishments.
Now, many offices are seeing about 20 to 30 per cent of the strength back. “People are in a wait and watch mode. People are now attending office twice or thrice a week. Offices are following a hybrid model that is a mix of work from office as well as work from home. The health situation is improving on the ground,” he said, adding that people who have taken two doses of vaccine are getting preference while allocating a workstation in the office.
According to Kunal Walia, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Simpliwork, which offers built-to-suit flex office spaces for large companies, most corporates are unsure what kind of headcount they will bring back to the office. They are holding back capital investments in offices and are opting for partners like Simpliwork to meet their office space requirements.
Companies are asking for flexibility as the nature of work has changed and the number of desks have gone down. That area is being used for collaboration and meetings. Companies seem to keep about 30 per cent of the workforce in the work-from-home mode. They will be in the office only once or twice a week to collaborate with teams, he explained.
Shankar Krishnamurthy, one of the partners at Voila F9 Gourmet, a premier food services company, said the work-from-home has impacted cafeterias as well. The company continues with its services but has cut down on volumes. “Since employees are booking desks, they can book meals too simultaneously,” he said.
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