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Dear Reader,

There can be no silver lining to the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 3 Mn lives worldwide and caused 2.4 Lakh deaths in India till now. But a black swan event like the ongoing pandemic is bound to impact many existing social norms and business practices. 

As the second wave of the pandemic ravages India, the founders of several Indian startups are rising to the occasion and helping their teams cope with the unprecedented crisis. Many of them point out that their employees feel vulnerable in these trying times just like the rest of the workforce in other sectors and should have enough time and flexibility to ensure professional and personal well-being. Such hand-holding is the need of the hour as job-related issues often add to the pandemic stress, overwhelming people and leading to burnouts. 

Indian startups OYO and Swiggy have already adopted new work norms such as four-day work weeks and infinite paid leaves. However, the only change that is likely to last even when the pandemic subsides is remote work or work from home (WFH), say experts.