'WFH' has taken on a new meaning at Amazon India as we transition slowly from 'Work From Home' to 'Work From Here'.
As the country moves cautiously to re-establish a normal way of life post COVID-19, and with Central Government and State/UT Governments having relaxed some of the stricter regulations, a return to the physical workplace is something many working professionals are looking forward to.
At Amazon India, it's no different. While we welcome employees back to our physical offices across India, we are undertaking several initiatives to make our environment hospitable, especially for those who joined us during the pandemic and will be visiting their respective offices for the very first time.
Here’s a quick lowdown on the measures we are taking to help employees transition from home to office smoothly.
Maintaining COVID-19 protocols: The Amazon India Global Real Estate & Facilities (GREF) teams are working round the clock to ensure the health and safety of all Amazonians. Apart from placing prominent signage on-site to remind employees to follow basic precautions such as maintaining physical distance and wearing face masks (as directed by government regulations), employees will find sanitization kiosks that dispense face covers and sanitizers in all common areas. Sneeze guards have been placed in the reception area and medical rooms to avoid direct contact between people. To avoid physical transactions, touchless payment options have been enabled for all counters in the cafeteria as well as the vending machines.
Stringent entry requirements: To ensure a safe working environment, Amazon India is taking strict measures to ensure adherence to various state laws. Employees are asked to provide vaccination certificates and/or negative Rapid Antigen Test results in order to be granted entry inside the premises.
Deploying employee transportation service (ETS): Making ETS available for all employees, Amazon India is helping employees retain their previous transport services and enrolling new employees as transport users.
Familiarizing with amenities: To get well-versed with the host of facilities and amenities available at an Amazon campus, employees can find specific information pertaining to their location on Amazon's corporate office page. You can look to find information on everything from how to access parking to IT vending machines and more, on this page.
Cafeteria services: Cafeteria services are available at all workplaces. Kitchenettes are equipped with water dispensers and microwaves. A selection of tea and coffee, prepacked snacks, and ready-to-eat meal options are available in vending machines.
Amazonians are happy to be back
Excited about going to the office once more, Vinita Pricillal J — a Product Compliance Senior Associate — says, “The hashtag #WorkingFromHere excites me, as I haven’t been to office at all. I want to experience the office culture, working in-person with teammates, taking cafeteria breaks, and team activities and outings."
Echoing this thought is Catalog Specialist Jeneth Paul J, who says that social interactions can foster happiness and empathy because people need people. "I’m waiting to see how work from office goes — greeting the lovely people at Amazon, lively in-person discussions, and the joy of dressing up once again!"
While many are looking forward to in-person meetings, some like Arunima Bakshi —an HR Operations Admin — say that "work from office helps to solve problems and communicate faster. We don’t have to rely on video-conferencing apps or mail — we can just walk up to the person. This often makes bonds between colleagues stronger and ensures higher productivity."
Guru Venkata Sai Krishna Kota, a DLS Case Specialist, agrees with this saying that meeting colleagues in-person enables sharing of knowledge in a more effective way.
