Government amends rules to liberalise work-from-home for SEZ units

DoC has amended the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) rules to insert a new rule 43A vide notification dated July 14 to enable Work From Home (WFH) for SEZ units.

DoC had issued a Standard operating Procedure (SOP) vide instruction of August 12 this year to streamline the implementation of amended rule across all SEZs.

After notification of Rule 43A and the issue of Instruction in August, DoC received further representations from NASSCOM as well as units seeking further flexibility in the WFH facility.

The matter was examined in DoC in consultation with stakeholders and accordingly, Rule 43A has been substituted with new rule vide a notification on December 8, a Commerce Ministry release said.

It said that the erstwhile regime based on permissions has been converted into an intimation-based regime, WFH can be provided to up to 100 per cent of all employees of the SEZ unit and it has been permitted up to December 31, 2023.

For units already availing WFH under earlier regime, intimation could be sent by email till January 31, next year.

Units seeking WFH in the future can email an intimation on or before the date of commencement of WFH, the release said.

It said that a hybrid mode of working has become a norm, especially in the information technology and information technology-enabled services sector in the wake of disruptions caused by the pandemic.

The representatives of the IT/ITES industry had represented to the DoC to enable the units in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to adopt a hybrid mode of working and for providing WFH facility to the employees of SEZ units.

The decision has been made after duly noting the genuine needs of the industry and also noting the scope of benefits to economies of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities that such a facility could entail, the release said. (ANI)

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