Staggered timings, WFH: How Delhi pollution is impacting workforce in the national capital

Delhi is choking once again, as the air quality plunges to dangerous lows, the national capital and its surrounding cities are wrapped in a suffocating haze.

At 7 am on Friday, Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 376 and remained in the “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This comes as GRAP Stage-4 is implemented in the city, as AQI plummeted to “severe plus” earlier this week.

In response to this crisis, several government offices and some private companies are stepping up measures to safeguard the health of their employees and minimise their exposure to toxic pollution.

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Meanwhile, daily wage workers struggle as they have no option but to step out into the toxic pollution to earn a living for their families.

Here’s an in-depth breakdown of how different workforces have been impacted by pollution.

Staggered timings in government offices

On Thursday, the central government tweaked the working hours for its employees in Delhi in response to the severe air pollution.

An official directive advised various ministries, departments, and organisations under the central government to adopt staggered office timings within the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

The new schedule allows government offices to operate between 9 am to 5.30 pm or 10 am to 6.30 pm. It also encouraged employees to carpool and rely more on public transport.

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“These measures may be adopted by ministries/departments/organisations as per their functional requirements ensuring that it should not have an adverse impact on efficiency and productivity in any manner," the order stated.

This decision follows a recent appeal by the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officers, who had urged the government to introduce work-from-home options, flexible hours, and air purifiers in office spaces to combat the health risks posed by high pollution levels.

In a letter to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the CSS Forum highlighted that poor air quality was affecting workplace productivity, with employees experiencing issues like respiratory problems, eye irritation, fatigue, and overall discomfort.

Also read: Breathless in Delhi: How air pollution has held to spike in hospital visits

Prior to this, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai had announced a shift in working hours, alongside a move to allow half of the staff in Delhi government offices to work remotely.

प्रदुषण कम करने के लिए दिल्ली सरकार ने सरकारी दफ़्तरो में वर्क फ्रॉम होम का लिया निर्णय

50% कर्मचारी करेंगे घर से काम

इसके इम्पलिमेंटेशन के लिए सचिवालय में आज दोपहर 1 बजे अधिकारियों के साथ होगी बैठक

— Gopal Rai (@AapKaGopalRai) November 20, 2024

Flexi hours, WFH policy

Indian corporations are stepping up their efforts to address air pollution on a larger scale.

On Tuesday, the Haryana government issued a temporary work-from-home directive for corporate offices and private institutions in Gurugram, a key corporate and industrial centre, until further notice.

Pawan Prabhat, co-founder of Gurugram-based Shorthills AI, told The Times of India, “Our company has consistently followed a flexible hybrid work model, offering employees the option to work from home based on factors like traffic, pollution or other road conditions… employees were encouraged to take extra care, and those feeling unwell were allowed to work from home.”

Several other companies in Delhi and neighbouring cities have offered similar options or have adopted measures such as installing air purifiers for staff in indoor office spaces.

According to an October 2024 study cited by Business Today, Indian businesses are increasingly taking steps to fight air pollution. The research, conducted by Dr Jabir Ali and Dr Muqbil Burhan from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, found that 44.3 per cent of Indian firms have put in place strategies to cut their environmental footprint.

The study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production surveyed 9,376 firms nationwide and noted that larger, well-established businesses, especially those with shareholder backing, investments in research and development, and quality certifications, are leading the charge in pollution control.

Also read: Is artificial rain the answer to Delhi’s air crisis?

Daily wage workers suffer

As the Air Quality Index hits dangerous levels, many residents are choosing to stay indoors. However, for daily wage workers, staying inside isn’t an option—they have to face the toxic air all day to earn a living and provide for their families.

With construction activities halted in Delhi under the GRAP-4 guidelines, these workers are gripped with anxiety, fearing that the loss of income could leave their children without food.

Suman, a 45-year-old mother of two, shared her concerns with PTI, “If we sit at home, what will we eat? What will we feed our children?" She recently renewed her labour card, hoping for government assistance, but says it has been in vain.

“We don’t have government jobs where salaries come automatically. We survive on daily earnings, and without work, we have nothing,” she added, highlighting the stark reality faced by many like her.

With input from agencies