Amid a fresh spell of intense monsoon showers, Mumbai was placed under a red alert by the India Meteorological Department on Wednesday, with forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds across Mumbai, Thane and Palghar.
As waterlogging, traffic snarls and travel disruptions returned, calls for work-from-home and hybrid work options grew louder among employees struggling with daily commute challenges.
Following the intense showers, several parts of the city once again faced waterlogging, traffic congestion and delays in public transport, triggering a debate on work-from-home or hybrid work arrangements.
The IMD has extended an orange alert for Mumbai and neighbouring regions till July 4, with forecasts indicating the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations. Weather officials have also warned of potential landslide risks in parts of the Central Maharashtra ghats as the southwest monsoon intensifies.
The situation has revived discussions around flexible workplace policies.
During a severe rain spell in August 2025, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had announced the closure of government and semi-government offices under a red alert and urged private organisations to consider allowing employees to work remotely.
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Many professionals believe a hybrid model could help reduce travel stress during peak monsoon days.
“We hope companies introduce hybrid options during July when monsoon activity is at its peak. A one-hour commute is now taking nearly two hours, making the round trip close to four hours and impacting productivity,” said Ankit, an employee at a private firm in Mumbai’s western suburbs.
Another private sector employee, Sunil, said companies should consider work-from-home options whenever the IMD issues warnings for extreme weather conditions.
A Navi Mumbai-based IT professional highlighted that monsoon commuting often becomes unpredictable, with delayed trains and limited availability of auto-rickshaws adding to daily challenges.
With heavy rains expected to continue, employees are hoping companies adopt flexible arrangements to minimise travel disruptions while maintaining business continuity.
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