BPOs, call centres not to take the blame this time

[nithyasubramanian]

BANGALORE: BPO and call centre employees, who in the past have been criticised for not doing their national duty by casting their votes, will have no excuses this time as their employers have made sufficient provisions for their employees to exercise their franchise in the first phase of the polls on Wednesday.

Citing either no holidays on polling days or odd working hours, BPO employees hardly used to turn up at the polling booths to cast their votes.

However, for the upcoming elections, several BPOs in the city have ensured that their employees go out and vote.

While some BPOs have declared April 23, the day on which Bangalore goes to polls, a holiday, a few others have given their employees the option of a 'late log in,' if they are voting.

Several companies are keen that their employees vote in large numbers.

"At Unisys we have been given a holiday on the day of polling. The holiday will be a compensatory one and we will be asked to work on our regular holidays," said an Unisys employee.

'Late log in' means an employee who wants to cast his vote can report for duty late. This option is given to those whose work shift clashes with the polling hours. HSBC has given its employees this option.

A few companies when contacted by The New Indian Express said that they have no special arrangement for their employees to exercise their franchise, keeping in mind the work hours that don't clash with polling hours.

"The working hours in about 70 per cent of the companies in Bangalore are either in the evening or during late nights.

As polling closes by 5 pm, employees who want to cast their votes have sufficient time to do so," said an HR in a leading BPO firm.

courtesy : Express Buzz.