Delhi election 2013: Vote versus work for NCR office-goers

GURGAON/NOIDA: Like Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida too had a choice to make on election day, though not on the larger questions of governance and ideology but the immediate, mundane matter of going to work.

As the national capital took a public holiday on Wednesday to allow people to vote, offices in Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad faced the unusual midweek dilemma of either following suit or working with depleted staff. Delhi contributes a significant share to the workforce in the twin NCR cities, but the Haryana and UP governments that administer them didn't declare a holiday.

Consequently, those working in NCR but staying in Delhi and those registered as voters in Delhi but living in NCR had more choices to make other than picking their next government. Private firms offered a range of options, from a paid leave and a half day to flexible hours and work from home to encourage their staff to vote. Some companies in Gurgaon went to the extent of allowing staff to take the day off only if they did so, the leave subject to the voting finger bearing the indelible ink's mark. Some offices did shut down for the day in both Gurgaon and Noida, but such instances were few.

"We have a number of Delhi-based employees here, and we gave them some time off so that they are able to conveniently exercise their franchise," said Raman Roy, owner of Quattro Global Services, a BPO firm in Gurgaon. He said his company had been running an email and poster campaign in office for to encourage staff to vote.

Vipul Sinha, a senior associate working with a multinational firm in Cyber City, said he was given a day off by his company. "The company had announced in advance that election day will be a general holiday. Both our branches in Gurgaon and Noida remained closed for the day," he said.

Not everyone was as generous. Ankita Singh, a Delhi resident who works as a manager in a Gurgaon-based MNC, said she was surprised to see the email sent to staff that granted leave to voters on the condition that they could furnish proof of having exercised their franchise. "The announcement of a special casual leave in view of elections was good but the additional clause of showing proof of voting the next day was disappointing. There should be some trust," said Anuj Singhal, who works in the company's HR department.

The CEO of an IT firm in Udyog Vihar, Umesh Gupta, said his company had offered optional holidays and flexible timings to its Delhi-based staff.

Communications firm Genesis Burson-Marsteller allowed its staff residing in Delhi to take the first half off and work from home in the second half. The Gurgaon office remained open for other employees.

Amit Sehgal, a senior executive at a travel firm, said staff in his company given leave on Wednesday would have to work on Saturday.