Kolkata: 25% head back to Sector V offices, govt sector witnesses 70% attendance

KOLKATA: Several small and big private offices across the city started operation on Monday with necessary precautions and restrictions in place.

“It almost felt as if I was joining a new job. The old security guard has changed, there were restrictions on using elevators, more than half of the old faces missing and those present had to work maintaining a minimum distance. Even hanging out with coffee and sharing a cigarette is also not allowed. But I guess this is the new normal,” said Abhinaba Dasgupta, who works with a real estate firm in central Kolkata.
Smaller offices that opened after a long time were faced with difficulties like choked drains, dust-stained desks and defunct internet service. “More than half of the day was spent on cleaning and giving the space a respectable shape. We are operating with less than half of our employees and have only asked people with their own transport to come to work. Rest will continue to work from home till the public transport options get better,” said Gaurav Ghosh, one of the partners at a digital marketing and graphic designing firm in Golf Green.
In Sector V, after working with skeletal staff for the last two and half months, about 25% to 30% of IT offices started resuming work from office operations from Monday with about 25% of its workforce.
“The IT companies are slowly increasing their workforce. Mostly the seniors and those, who have their own transport, have started coming while work from home arrangement continues for majority of the employees,” said Sector V stakeholders’ association vice president Kalyan Kar.
Government offices also registered around 70% attendance as employees entered their offices maintaining social-distancing norms. Hand sanitizers were kept at the office gates. Only four persons were allowed to take the lift at a time.
“We have been asking staff to come on rotational basis for a maximum of three days per week and work from home on other days. If there is additional work load, senior officials are being asked to report on Saturdays,” said a senior IAS officer.
However, even as the office goers returned to the Dalhousie and Strand Road office para, the familiar buzz was missing with almost all street food vendors still missing and most shops in the areas closed.