RPG Enterprises has announced that it is permanently changing its workplace policy and thus making work-from-home practise a new norm. RPG is the first major Indian conglomerate to permanently move towards work-from-home practice.

The $4 billion group has written in its new workplace policy that its entire sale department staff will permanently work remotely. All other employees will work from home around 50% of the time. For RPG's office-based staff, the work from home percentage can extend to 75% in special cases, reports The Times of India.  

According to RPG's new policy, an office-based employee can work from home for two weeks in a month. In special cases, they can work up to three weeks from home. At present, all of RPG's office employees are working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company's offices have been shut since March.

The new 'RPG Remote Working Policy' will come into effect from September 1. It will also be applicable to all of RPG's global operations, which include covers factories and plantations for workers who don't work on machines.

Talking about the new policy to the daily, Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Enterprises, said, "Our new work from home policy shatters the notion of traditional workspace and productivity and has turned it on its head. Employees who are not operating machines in our manufacturing businesses or do not have a client obligation in our technology services business, can work from 'anywhere' even after the pandemic is behind us. It aligns with our vision tenet of 'touching lives' and brand promise of 'happiness'."

RPG Enterprises has over 30,000 employees across the globe. In a note to all its employees, RPG said that it encourages its employees to adopt new methods of working and thus improve their quality of life. "Empowering employees by giving them a choice to work remotely from home or another location for a significant number of days in a month, will enhance employee efficiency and business output," RPG said in the note.