In what is emerging as an interesting contradiction, even as restrictions for the Covid-19 lockdown are gradually easing, organisations are framing long-term policies to enable almost half of employees to work from home (WFH). MaricoNSE 1.72 % is working with an external consultant to bring about a critical shift in the way the company has traditionally operated. This is to ensure that at least 40% of its office-based staff would be in WFH mode. Advertising firm Wunderman Thompson is looking at a 50:50 solution, so that not more than half of its staff on any given day are in office.Mercedes-Benz India, on the other hand, is looking to mandate only three working days in office each week, and two days of WFH, as it resumes operations in the corporate office and factory, MD & CEO Martin Schwenk said. The company’s pre-corona HR policy also had a provision for WFH, but it capped them at three days per month. “The new normal is a mix of online and offline. It is a mix of both. I am impressed how well it works. I now find that WFH works really well and I am very comfortable,” Schwenk told TOI. Wunderman Thompson South Asia chairman & group CEO Tarun Rai said WHF has been a revelation. “I have always been focused on our people’s output than how many hours they spend in office. So, for me, it came as no surprise to find that our people worked efficiently and responsibly from home. They have been as productive, if not more, than before. It would be such a shame to not take some of the lessons of WFH into our regular work lives once things go back to normal. I believe in a 50:50 solution — which is, to make it mandatory to have no more than 50% of the staff on any given day in office. It can be done. If we can operate with 100% of our staff at home, we can certainly attempt the 50% option and make it work.”