Offering WFH, reducing peak hour exposure: How Gurgaon MNCs are helping staff tackle pollution

On Monday, Gurgaon’s weather station at Gwal Pahari reported an AQI of 494, and an average of 468, falling in the “severe” category.

Speaking with The Indian Express, e-commerce giants and consultancy firms said concerns surrounding pollution have heightened. “There have not been specific instructions on what is to be done or the strength at the office, but employees have the liberty to work from home any given day. In terms of our individual-level practices towards sustainability, we have been constantly checking emissions. We have also gotten electric vehicles to optimise the delivery and have a route rationalising scheme. We ensure that our delivery executives avoid traffic snarls by cutting down on rides during peak traffic hours,” said a personnel at one of the firms.

He further said they have been mulling another measure to reduce emissions and protect delivery executives from being exposed to the air. “We will figure out a way to ensure the delivery executives do not venture out when there is an increase in AQI levels. We will try to find a solution,” he said.

According to an Amazon spokesperson, “In light of the current air quality concerns in Delhi-NCR, as an immediate step, we have issued an advisory on overall dos and don’ts. Our employees already have flexibility at work as defined for respective business teams. For our partners, associates and drivers, among other steps, we are distributing N95 masks and requesting service partners to do the same with their employees…”

One of the “Big 4” consulting companies said the traffic situation from Gurgaon to Noida has posed challenges, compelling them to set up an office in Noida. “It has been a hybrid system where if a project requires someone to go to the office, they show up, but there has been flexibility at work. Pollution is an annual issue…,” an official at the company said.

A KPMG spokesperson said: “KPMG in India has air purifiers deployed all over the office space including meeting rooms and common areas. We have Merv 14 Filters installed in all our AHUs from where the intake of fresh air takes place. Additionally, we also have indoor plants in the entire office space. We also have a hybrid work policy so teams in consultation with their managers can consider WFH depending on their client commitments.”