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6.2 Recommendations
The issues highlighted by different participants either through survey or the KIIs, in
the study led to deriving a set of 10 interconnected recommendations with regards
to the WfH arrangement in PSEs. These are mentioned below:
i. Formulate a Work from Home Policy with unambiguous terms and
conditions
ii. Communicate the policy effectively to all employees, also any amendments
made to work expectations due to the changing situation
iii. Provide support for setting up equipment and infrastructure to facilitate work
from home/remote working
iv. Define impact on entitlements, privileges/benefits, compensations, if any
v. Define metrics of assessment for productivity and performance; analyse
important tasks and track progress on a time bound basis
vi. Define provisions regulating absence and leave
vii. Carefully draft the secrecy and confidentiality requirements/agreements
viii. Give proper directives to line managers for WfH to be effective. They must
understand their colleagues WfH arrangements, also discuss issues like
burnout, work stress, work/life balance, etc.
ix. Manage periodic virtual meetings efficiently; facilitate digital
archiving/reporting by employees
x. Ensure/make arrangements for employees physical and mental well-being;
policy to succinctly cover medical and insurance benefits.
Along with the study findings, the 10 recommendations were discussed with the
SCOPE taskforce members. Since, the WfH study specifically looked at the impact it
had on women employees of PSEs, the recommendations were concretized to
develop a set of guidelines. These guidelines as Guidelines for a Gender
Sensitive Work from Home (WfH) Policy in PSEs, were further shared and
discussed with select key informants (i.e. 1 CMD; 2 Head-HRs; 1 Senior Management;
and Director General SCOPE) before giving it a final shape.
6.3 Guidelines for a Gender Sensitive Work from Home (WfH) Policy
in PSEs
In light of a new normal workplace culture, the purpose of the guidelines was twofold
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viz. i) to present select guidelines to PSEs, which are gender sensitive, rather than
gender neutral; and ii) to advocate integrating the gender sensitive guidelines in a
written WfH policy so as to facilitate women employees in playing their triple roles - as
46 Under the SCOPE-ILO Study, the aim was not to develop a WfH policy for PSEs, as many
PSEs are already developing their internal WfH policies; the aim was to propose a select few
guidelines that even if not women centric - by being gender sensitive and not gender
neutral, can facilitate the work of women employees/executives in PSEs. Overall strength of
women in PSEs is less than 10% as per Government Sources; some PSEs may have a larger
percentage.
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