Government guidelines on work from home

Government guidelines on work from home: Government has given new guidelines for the people who are working from home. Here are some highlights

• The Ministry of Commerce on  said that work from home will be allowed in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for a maximum period of one year and may be implemented up to 50% of the total employees. The commerce department has notified a new rule 43A for work from home in the Special Economic Zone Rules, 2006. The Ministry of Commerce said that this notification has been issued based on the demand from the industry. The industry had demanded a uniform work from home (WFH) policy for all SEZs.
• Under the new rule, certain categories of employees working in SEZ units will be allowed to work from home. These employees include employees working in information technology and related areas. Those employees who are temporarily unable to come to work will also come under its purview. According to the ministry, the facility of work from home can be given to 50% of the total employees.
• The Development Commissioner of SEZs has power to allow more than 50% of the employees to work from home. . The ministry has said that work from home has now been allowed for a maximum period of one year. However, the Development Commissioner can extend it for a period of one year at a time.
• There are 8 special economic zones in India.  At present, there are a total of 8 Special Economic Zones in the country. These include Santacruz (Maharashtra), Kochi (Kerala), Kandla and Surat (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Falta (West Bengal) and Noida. Apart from this, a SEZ in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) is now ready for operation.

• FAQ
• What is SEZ ?

Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is an area where there is facility to conduct all business activities of auto parts within a single campus. All necessary facilities including land, water, electricity are provided to promote the industry. Tax exemption is given for the first five years. After that only half the tax is levied. The first SEZ in the country was established in 1965 at Kandla.