India Inc gears up for post-Covid office realities

New Delhi: Regular sanitisation of common areas before shifts and staggered lunch and break timings while maintaining social distancing are among the norms in a revised list of standard operating procedures in workplaces that India Inc has proposed.

Government officials said certain safety protocols would need to be followed even after the lockdown is lifted. “Safety guidelines are being built in... These will stay for some time,” said an official.

Industry chambers including the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India submitted the fresh norms to the government to facilitate the functioning of industry.


In the latest list, the CII suggested measures such as dividing operations into two to three shifts and a 45-minute gap between shifts to ensure workers do not mingle and workplaces and equipment can be sanitised.

It suggested staggered lunch and break timings during which there would be no self-service to minimise the number of common touch points in canteens.

In terms of transport, the CII proposed that workers living near factories and offices could walk or cycle to work. Those living further away could use their personal vehicles while maintaining social distancing norms.

Ficci sought clarifications on whether not-so-commonly touched surfaces such as ceilings and roofs could be excluded from frequent sanitisation and how soon after sanitisation work could resume.

Ficci also asked for exemption from the requirement of gaps between shifts in cases of plants that operate continuously.