BPO companies in Hyderabad are ready to allow their employees to cast their vote on the day of election if they prove that they had exercised their franchise in previous elections, or have their voter ID cards.

Though most of the software companies decided to give leave to their employees following strict directions from the election commission, BPOs, which operate round the clock, are planning to give permission to their employees for a few hours to cast their vote.

Employees may have to show their election ID cards in order to get permission. “We have circulated the election commission's directive to about 300 IT and ITeS firms affiliated to us, making it mandatory to give leave to all the employees on the day of voting. BPOs function round the clock and they cannot afford to give leave. So they are permitting their employees to go and vote and return with proof that they have cast their vote. This ensures that the permission is utilised properly," said M Narasimha Rao, president of Hyderabad Software Exporters' Association.

BPOs said employees working in the night shifts would not have a problem as they can vote before coming to office. For those who are in the day shift, most of the firms are offering two to four-hour "permission" depending on the distance between the office and their polling booth.

Most BPOs have decided to allow employees in the critical division two hours to cast their vote and a holiday for those in the non-critical division.

“We will permit a few of our employees to go out and vote during their working hours, while we are allowing others to come in late. They can show their managers their names in the electoral rolls or their voter identity cards and go,” said Kiranmayee Dutt, vice-president of Knoah Solutions.