IT firms plan booster dose for staff

Close to 60 per cent of the major IT firms in the city are monitoring employee vaccinations with their own AI-based tracking applications. With the help of real-time data from the software, the companies are accordingly planning the rosters on a rotational basis for fully vaccinated employees.

Industry experts said that as part of the back-tooffice initiative, several companies are chalking out long-term plans for the booster vaccination program, considering the nine-month gap after the second dose. Depending on the local virus spread situation and the prevailing government norms, the companies will continue to adapt to the changes with modifications to the hybrid working models, said Satyanarayana Mathala, president, Telangana facilities management council.

Irrespective of whether it is Delta, Omicron or the Delmicron variant of Covid that is spreading, hybrid work is the way forward, said Wing Commander B. Srikanth, director for APAC region at Pegasystems.

The date of eligibility for booster dose will be communicated to all the employees using the AI application, Satyanarayana said. Regular updates on the vaccination targets will help companies complete the third dose quickly, he added. “This will hopefully help bring back employees with 40 to 50 per cent occupancy, against the current capacity of 20 to 30 per cent in most offices.”

INDUSTRY EXPERTS said that as part of the back-to-office initiative, companies are chalking out long-term plans for the booster dose programme, considering the nine-month gap after the second dose.