 "Bengaluru software firms seek flexi working hours")
Software firms in Bengaluru have asked the state government to relax the laws on working hours and allow flexi-timings for engineers, which would help them engage employees better and tackle competition for talent from Chennai and Hyderabad.
Under the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, engineers are not allowed to work beyond the stipulated nine hours. Software firms want Karnataka to replicate the policy adopted in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where they account work to a total of 48 hours a week than on a daily basis.
“We should have flexi hours. The government should leave it to the employers to determine the working hours. There is acute labour shortage in Bengaluru and we need to create more jobs. The way to do this is to create more jobs with flexible labour working condition,” says T V Mohandas Pai, former Infosys director and chairman of Aarin Capital.
Bengaluru, India’s technology hub, employs a million workers in the software and back office sector, contributing to a third of India’s software exports. It also has emerged as a hub for start-ups, where engineers work on solving business problems locally as well as target overseas customers. As they work on deadlines, organisations say that the government should bring progressive laws to bring in flexi-timing.
The Karnataka Employers Association, a trade body of employers in the state, has asked the government to follow the Tamil Nadu model to conform to the timings of their clients.
“The legislation should be progressive,” says B C Prabhakar, president of KEA. “Today, knowledge workers need to deliver projects. One day, he or she may have to work 14 hours and the next day six hours. We should have the flexibility as long as they don’t cross 48 hours in a week.”
Karnataka’s labour minister Santosh Lad said the government was currently working on the issue but did not set a time-frame. Last week, the state came with a draft document to allow women to work in night shifts, provided they are given adequate support and safety.
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“It is good to have flexible working hours. More states are adopting policies for flexible working hours. There are certain assignments that take more hours a day. Not only the employer but the employees are equally willing to put in that extra hour and have flexible timing,” said Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder and executive vice-president. TeamLease, a staffing services firm.
Pai, a former human resources head of Infosys, who has seen the growth of the IT sector in Bengaluru and India, says the tech sector often sees work flowing in bumps due to the seasonality at their customer locations and flexi-working allows the workers to earn more.
“Give flexibility to the employer. I’m of the opinion that even overtime should be increased. Not more than 20 hours a week. Let people make money. A lot of work is seasonal work. So, to increase employment opportunities, they must be allowed flexi-working hours. The total number of working hours should be more so that people can make more money,” he said.
Work more, earn more