IT firms asked to follow SOPs

No creches allowed to operate on any office campus

Information Technology companies in the city will have to work according to strict guidelines if they want to ramp up their employee attendance.

The Telangana government, Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) and Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) have released a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) for all IT companies and IT parks in the city.

This SOP has listed out several mitigation measures in view of the pandemic, along with steps to take when an employee tests positive for Covid-19 or comes in contact with a Covid-19 positive patient.

Pregnant women and parents of children under the age of five have to continue to work from home. The same applies to employees with parents or family members aged above 65 or with co-morbid conditions such as diabetes, asthma and so on. Companies will not allow employees who are residents of containment zones.

Those who have travelled to Telangana from containment, red and orange zones in other states are also not allowed.

Importantly, no creches will be allowed to operate on any office campus.

One of the most important conditions is that all companies, irrespective of their size, should set up isolation facilities on office premises. These rooms would have an independent HVAC system and have access to protective equipment such as PPE kits, sanitisers and gloves.

All personnel will be required to wear masks without fail and their temperature will be taken at entry points.

Employees will have to submit a document declaring good health, and are requested to self-report

Covid-19 symptoms. They will also have to come forward to report if any household member has tested positive or if they have come in contact with an infected person.

If an individual reports

Covid-19 symptoms at the workplace, a designated team will take them to the isolation room.