‘HR will have a conversation with you…’: Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal’s email on WFH abuse goes viral

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal reportedly sent a non-blocking email to employees, criticizing them for poor attendance.

The strongly worded letter, which has since gone viral, accuses employees of “taking over the company” and shows no patience for making excuses. BT was unable to independently verify the message.

In the alleged email, Agarwal expressed frustration over the shockingly low attendance rates, writing: “I imagine everyone has basic self-respect not to take advantage of the company by not showing up to work. It’s even disrespectful to those colleagues who work hard and contribute honestly.” .

“From Monday onwards, stricter attendance expectations will kick in. And for those of you who have abused your freedom thus far, HR will have a conversation with you. Come to work, do a good job, and feel part of the Ola mission.”

He stressed that the company does not have a work-from-home policy except in real cases, adding that human resources will deal with serial violators.

The CEO also rejected excuses regarding the company’s facial recognition system, saying: “Let’s not insult basic intelligence.” Aggarwal concluded the email by calling on employees to actively contribute to Ola’s mission and take pride in their work.

The tough stance comes against the backdrop of Ola’s ongoing cost-cutting measures, including the recent layoff of 500 employees. Aggarwal’s focus on operational efficiency was evident during a recent earnings call, where he highlighted reductions in operating expenses and outlined plans to keep costs flat or low while increasing revenues.

Ola Electric is on an aggressive expansion, planning to expand its store network from 800 to 4,000 by December 2024. The company is also rolling out a ‘Network Partner Programme’, which aims to on-board 10,000 partners by 2025 to boost sales and service touchpoints across small towns and cities.