Delhi GRAP Stage 3 Work From Home Rules for Employers

Frequently asked questions

As of 11 November 2026, the answer on GRAP Stage 3 work from home rules in Delhi has two parts. Stage III has been active across Delhi-NCR since 6 November, but a separate CAQM direction requires covered state government and private offices in Delhi and five NCR districts to keep physical attendance at up to 50% from 5 to 20 November 2026. The remainder must work from home, except in specified industrial establishments and essential services where this arrangement is not feasible. This is an office-attendance requirement, not an unrestricted right for each employee to choose remote work. Employers should issue role-based rosters and check for any later modification before acting on this guidance. The dates and scope come from the CAQM Stage III invocation dated 6 November 2026 and its precautionary direction for 5 to 20 November 2026.

What GRAP Stage III means for Delhi-NCR employers this week

CAQM invoked Stage III throughout the NCR with immediate effect on 6 November 2026. The order followed a Delhi daily average AQI of 382 on that date and forecasts indicating that air quality could move into the Severe category. Stage I and Stage II measures also remain in force while Stage III applies, according to the CAQM Stage III order.

For an employer, the most immediate staffing measure comes from the separate CAQM direction dated 30 October 2026. From 5 to 20 November, state government and private offices must operate with no more than 50% of staff physically present in:

• NCT Delhi;
• Gurugram;
• Faridabad;
• Sonipat;
• Ghaziabad; and
• Gautam Buddha Nagar.

The remaining staff must work from home. The direction makes an exception for industrial establishments and essential services where that arrangement is not feasible. It also restricts specified dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities during the same period, as set out in the CAQM precautionary measures order.

HR should therefore check the employee's normal workplace, not only the registered office address. A business with its headquarters in another city may still need a compliant roster for employees assigned to a Delhi, Gurugram or Noida workplace.

Are there GRAP Stage 3 work from home rules in Delhi?

Yes, during the current date-specific direction, but the distinction between the GRAP schedule and the implementing direction matters.

The Stage III order incorporates the revised GRAP schedule and confirms that the actions are to be implemented across the entire NCR. The schedule framework leaves decisions on office-attendance arrangements to the relevant governments, rather than independently giving every private employee permission to work remotely whenever Stage III is invoked. The CAQM Stage III order dated 6 November 2026 sets out that structure.

For this particular period, CAQM has gone further through its 30 October direction and specified the 50% attendance arrangement from 5 to 20 November in the listed locations. Employers covered by that direction should not treat compliance as a purely optional wellness initiative.

At the same time, an individual employee cannot assume that Stage III permits them to stay home without coordinating with their employer. The organisation must decide the roster, identify roles falling within an applicable exception and maintain operational coverage. Employers can offer more flexibility than the regulatory minimum where roles and business requirements permit.

What to check in the current CAQM Stage III order

Do not rely on a forwarded screenshot or an older GRAP summary. Assign one person in HR, legal, administration or facilities to check these points each working day:

1. Is Stage III still active? CAQM can review, modify or revoke GRAP stages as forecasts and air quality change.
2. Is the separate 5 to 20 November direction still unchanged? Its fixed date window is different from the duration of Stage III.
3. Is the workplace within the listed geography? The 50% direction names Delhi and five districts. It does not use every NCR district interchangeably.
4. Does an exception apply to the operation? Do not label a role essential only because in-person work is convenient. Record the operational basis used.
5. Are outdoor or construction tasks restricted? Stage III restricts listed dust-generating construction and demolition work, while allowing specified project categories and less-polluting activities subject to dust-control requirements.
6. Will vehicle restrictions affect employees or company fleets? Stage III includes restrictions on certain BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi and specified high-vehicle-density districts, as well as restrictions affecting some goods vehicles entering or operating in Delhi.

The detailed construction, vehicle, school and office measures appear in the CAQM Stage III order and attached GRAP schedule.

A practical air-pollution response for office, hybrid and field teams

A workable response begins with a staffing sheet, not a general message telling everyone to “take care”. The CAQM direction effective from 5 to 20 November 2026 requires covered offices to keep physical attendance at up to 50% and place the remaining staff on work from home, subject to its stated exceptions. Your roster should show the workplace, shift, role, manager and remote-work status for each employee covered by the direction. See the CAQM precautionary measures order.

Office and hybrid teams

• Create alternating attendance groups while keeping physical attendance within the applicable limit.
• Record how the attendance limit is being applied for each workplace, shift or operating unit.
• Keep essential meetings available online so remote employees are not excluded.
• Postpone non-essential outdoor events, errands and off-site meetings.
• Review visitor access, vendor attendance and contractor work alongside employee attendance.
• Avoid asking managers to approve exceptions informally without HR visibility.

Field, sales and service teams

Work from home may not be possible for every field role. The CAQM direction itself recognises limited exceptions for industrial establishments and essential services where the attendance arrangement is not feasible, but it does not remove the need to assess whether outdoor work is permitted under the applicable restrictions. The same direction restricts dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities across the NCR during 5 to 20 November 2026, with specified exceptions. See the CAQM precautionary measures order.

Review tasks individually and consider whether they can be rescheduled, shortened, reassigned, moved indoors or completed through phone or video contact. For employees who must travel or work outside, plan realistic routes and schedules, reduce avoidable repeat journeys and identify indoor rest locations. Supervisors should have authority to pause or reorganise non-essential outdoor work when conditions or regulatory restrictions change. The broader employee wellness and benefits checklist for air pollution can help HR build a repeatable seasonal process.

Employee commutes and company vehicles

Check whether employees use vehicles affected by the live Stage III restrictions before finalising attendance rosters. The Stage III schedule includes restrictions on certain BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi and specified high-vehicle-density districts, along with restrictions affecting some goods vehicles entering or operating in Delhi. See the CAQM Stage III order and attached GRAP schedule.

Employers can also stagger arrival times, consolidate site visits and permit remote participation for employees facing substantial commute disruption. These employer-led arrangements should be documented separately from the regulatory 50% roster.

How to support employees with flexible work, leave and care access

Compliance with the attendance direction is only one part of the response. Employees may also face disrupted commutes, school timetable changes or concerns about working outdoors.

HR can consider:

• temporary flexible start and finish times;
• shift swaps or task reassignment;
• remote work beyond the roster minimum where the job permits;
• a simple approval route for short-notice leave;
• reasonable sick-leave administration without asking managers to interpret symptoms; and
• confidential escalation to HR for individual circumstances.

Do not announce a new pollution-related leave entitlement unless the company has approved one. Instead, explain which existing sick, casual or paid-leave rules apply and whether managers have temporary flexibility.

Care access also needs precise wording. Group health insurance does not automatically cover every routine consultation, medicine or test. If the employer has selected them, OPD benefits may support eligible outpatient expenses and teleconsultation may provide remote access to a practitioner. Actual availability, family eligibility, limits and exclusions depend on the chosen plan and service terms. Healthysure lists OPD, teleconsultation and wellness benefits, including cashless OPD and doctor-on-call options, but employees should check their own benefit details before using a service.

Give employees one short benefit map containing:

• the teleconsultation access route, if included;
• OPD network or reimbursement steps, if included;
• the hospitalisation policy and claims contact;
• mental-wellness or employee assistance access, if available; and
• the HR contact for leave or workplace adjustments.

Do not describe teleconsultation as a replacement for every in-person visit. Employees should follow the treating practitioner's advice on the appropriate form of care.

What HR should communicate to employees today

Send one dated message covering the roster, the work arrangement and the support available. For workplaces covered by the CAQM direction, the message should state that the temporary 50% physical-attendance arrangement applies from 5 to 20 November 2026, name the relevant workplace and make clear that managers will confirm individual rosters. The CAQM precautionary measures order covers NCT Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar.

A practical template is:

Delhi-NCR air-quality work update, 11 November 2026

CAQM Stage III is in force. Our workplace is following the applicable attendance direction for 5 to 20 November 2026. Your manager will confirm whether you are scheduled to attend physically or work remotely. Please do not change your work location without informing your manager.

Employees attending the workplace should check their commute and inform their manager promptly if a vehicle restriction or significant travel issue affects attendance. Non-essential outdoor work and meetings will be reviewed or rescheduled where possible.

If you need a temporary workplace adjustment, leave support or information about available OPD, teleconsultation or wellness benefits, contact HR through [insert channel]. Benefits are subject to the employer's selected plan and applicable terms.

The reference to vehicle restrictions reflects the Stage III schedule, which includes restrictions on specified vehicles in Delhi and certain NCR districts. Employers should keep the communication practical by confirming the affected workplace, the roster owner and the escalation contact rather than asking employees to interpret the order themselves. The relevant measures are set out in the CAQM Stage III order and attached GRAP schedule.

Managers should receive a separate note explaining who can alter rosters, how exceptions are recorded and where personal employee concerns should be escalated. Health information should be handled privately rather than discussed in team groups.

FAQs: GRAP rules, outdoor work and employee benefits

Is work from home compulsory for Delhi private offices under GRAP Stage III?

For 5 to 20 November 2026, the current CAQM direction says private offices in NCT Delhi must operate with up to 50% of staff attending physically, with the remaining staff working from home. Industrial establishments and essential services are excepted where this arrangement is not feasible. Employers should check for any later modification to the date-specific CAQM direction.

Can every employee decide to work from home during Stage III?

No. The current direction limits office attendance, but it does not give each employee an unrestricted right to choose their work location. Employers should prepare a compliant roster and tell each employee whether they are attending physically or remotely.

Does the direction apply throughout NCR?

The temporary 50% attendance direction specifically names NCT Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar. The broader Stage III action plan applies across the entire NCR.

What should employers do for outdoor staff?

Check whether each task is permitted and genuinely necessary. Reschedule, rotate, shorten or move work indoors where feasible. Where attendance remains necessary, provide realistic travel schedules, indoor rest access and a clear process for raising individual concerns.

Does group health insurance automatically pay for pollution-related consultations?

No. Routine consultations may require a separate OPD or teleconsultation benefit. Hospitalisation insurance, OPD cover and wellness services have different terms and access processes. Insurance cover and claims remain subject to the policy wording, limits, exclusions and insurer assessment.

Should HR create an employee air pollution policy?

A short seasonal protocol is useful. It can identify who monitors official directions, who approves roster changes, how outdoor tasks are reviewed, which leave options apply and how employees find benefit information. It should distinguish legal restrictions from additional employer-led flexibility.

Review your employee benefits with Healthysure to make sure teams can access practical wellness and care support during high-pollution periods.