State Bank of India (SBI) has launching the facility of allowing its employees to ‘Work From Home’, says a report. The employees are required to use mobile communication devices to address any urgent requirement, which prevents them from being in the office. 

The bank said that it will use mobile computing technologies and retain continuous control of all connected devices centrally to ensure the safety and security of data and applications. Meticulously designed Management Information Systems (MIS) and dashboards will monitor the use of technology and services to allow improvement of the system. In a statement, the bank said that the step is expected to benefit employees, especially women. SBI also discussed plans of facilitating the option of undertaking cross-selling, marketing, customer-relationship management and social media management while working from home, to make the initiative comprehensive and effective, and increase employee productivity. 

In an age when organisations are going all out to offer flexibility to their employees, a step that is likely to benefit over 200,000 employees of India’s largest bank is very welcome. While the impact of such policies of productivity is up for scrutiny, one cannot deny that it gives employees room to balance their work and personal life better. However, the onus is also on the employees to ensure they make the best use of such opportunities, and make ‘Work-from-Home’ work for them.