Tuesday, December 20 2005 18:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: The Bangalore police today (Dec 20, 2005) asked the BPO firms to immediately adopt the best human resources practices ensuring the safety and security of their employees without waiting for Government notification in the wake of gruesome murder of a woman BPO employee here last week.

"Without waiting for any Government notification or conditions imposed by the police, the BPO companies should put the best HR practices in place ensuring safety and security of their employees," city Police Commissioner, Ajay Kumar Singh said during an interactive meet with BPO managers on 'Safety and Safety of Call Centre employees' here.

He said he would take up the amendment to section 25 of the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, which permits IT and ITES companies to employ women at night without stipulating requisite conditions with the Government and see that certain conditions ensuring safety and security of their employees are made mandatory for the BPO companies.

All BPO and IT companies must have Global Positioning System (GPS) in their transport vehicles as is being adopted by GE in Hyderabad, Singh told the meeting, coming within days of the rape and murder of 24-year old Prathiba by the driver of the vehicle she boarded for her workplace.

"While we can suggest to the Government to make police verification of all drivers employed or outsourced by BPOs mandatory, there is limitation in this. Except stating that he does or does not have a criminal record, this will hardly throw any light on the kind of person he is," he said.

Agreeing with a suggestion made by a BPO manager on reduction of police verification fee which was 'steep', Singh said he would urge the Government to lower it.

Endorsing another point made by a BPO official, Singh said the firms must ensure there is no change in driving schedules and on no account should the mobile numbers especially of women employees be divulged to the drivers.

"Security desk of the firm must act as an intermediary and any change about transport schedules must be informed to employees much in advance," he said.

He mooted the idea of BPO firms adopting the HR practice of integrating 'the drivers into the mainstream, giving them equal facilities which makes them feel accountable to the company' and also conducting orientation programme for them (drivers) on their upkeep and behaviour.

He termed the suggestion of firms providing database of all their employees, including transport staff with local police stations as 'a very good one' and asked the companies to review their security arrangements every month.

The companies, Singh said, must ensure that their drivers are not drunk while performing their duties as during a random check on BPO vehicles recently, about 300 were booked for various reasons and 75 for drunken driving.

The issue of strengthening mobile night police patrolling by employing more 'Hoysalas' will be taken up with the Government and all efforts will be made to increase night patrolling on IT routes, he said.

Admitting that police had been a 'little lax' as far as permitting tinted glasses in vehicles was concerned, Singh asserted it will not be allowed in future.