Centre allows 100% work from home for IT/ITeS units in SEZs till Dec’ 2023; details here 

Commerce Ministry has permitted complete work from home for 100 per cent of its employees of IT/ITeS companies situated in special economic zones (SEZ) units till December 2023 with certain conditions. The ministry notification read, “A unit may permit its employees… to work from home or from any place outside the SEZ.” Prior to this, work from home was allowed for a maximum of one year in an SEZ and could be extended to 50 per cent of the total workforce.

According to the Commerce Ministry, SEZ unit owners will have to intimate the Development Commissioner of the respective zones and will continue to operate from the premises as per the letter of approval. Those units wanting to start work from home in the future can mail on or before the date of beginning work from home.

While the unit will not have to submit a list of employees allowed to work from home or from any place outside the SEZ, they will have to maintain the list internally. Employees allowed to work from home comprise those who are temporarily incapacitated, those travelling, and those working offsite.

The commerce ministry said the unit will have to ensure export revenue of the resultant produces or services must be accounted for by the unit to which the employee is tagged. Employees will have to be provided laptops, desktops, or other equipment for work from home.

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