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New Delhi: Companies operating in West Asia are implementing support measures for their staff, including Indian expatriates, prioritising the safety and well-being of the employees amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran which has sparked security concerns in other parts of the region as well.
Such measures include offering extended leaves to employees where remote working is not possible.
‘Relocation Requests’
Firms are helping employees stranded in impacted areas reunite with their families and holding mental well-being drives within the organisation, said executives at Indian companies like Dabur and TeamLease Services and Gulf-based firms such as Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, TidyHire and House of Shipping.
As per TeamLease Services’ internal estimates, the total workforce in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations—Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE—is 35 million, of which one-third are Indians. Marico, Britannia, Dabur, Tata Consumer Products and Reliance Consumer Products are among Indian firms with significant exposure to the UAE. Dabur alone has about 500 employees across West Asia.
Dabur has implemented flexible work arrangements, including work from home and a phased hybrid model for employees in the region. Its chief human resources officer Biplob Bakshi said, “All our teams across West Asia are safe, and our leadership remains in close contact with employees across the region. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are taking appropriate precautions in line with guidance from local authorities.”
“We depend heavily on our West Asia markets and a significant number of our Indian employees work in the Gulf,” a senior executive at a large consumer company said on condition of anonymity. “Many have asked to be relocated back to India, or want to shift to India with their families at least for three-six months. We are evaluating how best to take care of their requests.”
Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group has implemented measures like remote working for its employees, said the Dubai-based multidivisional conglomerate’s chief human capital officer, Vamshi Patwari. It has a total workforce of 5,000 across the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and India.
Besides remote and hybrid working, it has introduced extended annual leave for employees without access to the remote working option. “The new hire onboarding and orientation continuity is in place, as part of which new employees joining the group during the transition period are fully onboarded through structured virtual orientation programmes,” Patwari added.
PERSONAL REASSURANCE
Dubai-based shipping consultancy and advisory company House of Shipping has about 220 Indians among its workforce in the UAE.
Its global chief human resources officer Prasanth Edassari said, “Since this incident is one that we have never encountered in the UAE, irrespective of the nationality, we have been able to support our employees in literally picking up the phone and talking to them, assuring them of all necessary support, etc.”
House of Shipping is also allowing work from home, organising mental health and stress-related counselling sessions, and holding individual counselling sessions. “For employees who got stuck in India, we have allowed them to work from their home country until flights are available for their return,” Edassari said.
Such measures include offering extended leaves to employees where remote working is not possible.
‘Relocation Requests’
Firms are helping employees stranded in impacted areas reunite with their families and holding mental well-being drives within the organisation, said executives at Indian companies like Dabur and TeamLease Services and Gulf-based firms such as Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, TidyHire and House of Shipping.
As per TeamLease Services’ internal estimates, the total workforce in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations—Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE—is 35 million, of which one-third are Indians. Marico, Britannia, Dabur, Tata Consumer Products and Reliance Consumer Products are among Indian firms with significant exposure to the UAE. Dabur alone has about 500 employees across West Asia.
Dabur has implemented flexible work arrangements, including work from home and a phased hybrid model for employees in the region. Its chief human resources officer Biplob Bakshi said, “All our teams across West Asia are safe, and our leadership remains in close contact with employees across the region. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are taking appropriate precautions in line with guidance from local authorities.”
“We depend heavily on our West Asia markets and a significant number of our Indian employees work in the Gulf,” a senior executive at a large consumer company said on condition of anonymity. “Many have asked to be relocated back to India, or want to shift to India with their families at least for three-six months. We are evaluating how best to take care of their requests.”
Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group has implemented measures like remote working for its employees, said the Dubai-based multidivisional conglomerate’s chief human capital officer, Vamshi Patwari. It has a total workforce of 5,000 across the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and India.
Besides remote and hybrid working, it has introduced extended annual leave for employees without access to the remote working option. “The new hire onboarding and orientation continuity is in place, as part of which new employees joining the group during the transition period are fully onboarded through structured virtual orientation programmes,” Patwari added.
PERSONAL REASSURANCE
Dubai-based shipping consultancy and advisory company House of Shipping has about 220 Indians among its workforce in the UAE.
Its global chief human resources officer Prasanth Edassari said, “Since this incident is one that we have never encountered in the UAE, irrespective of the nationality, we have been able to support our employees in literally picking up the phone and talking to them, assuring them of all necessary support, etc.”
House of Shipping is also allowing work from home, organising mental health and stress-related counselling sessions, and holding individual counselling sessions. “For employees who got stuck in India, we have allowed them to work from their home country until flights are available for their return,” Edassari said.
