India’s millennials don’t want to clock face-time at offices anymore.
Over three-quarters of Indian respondents in a recent survey said they should have a work-from-home option.
The survey was conducted by jobs portal Shine.com and included over 1,200 respondents aged between 22 years to 30 years, of which 70% were office goers, 10% involved in work-from-home jobs, and the rest a combination of the first two.
Work-life balance is the top reason Indian millennials don’t want to work within the four walls of their offices – nearly 60% of the survey participants said so. Avoiding traffic, saving on commuting and tending to kids were the other factors.
A flexible working culture “could not only help organisations improve their employee retention, but also attract talent”, Shine.com said in its report.
Working from home boosts productivity in a big way, a two-year-long Stanford study found. Further, work-from-home employees had half the rate of attrition of office goers and much higher job satisfaction, research done by the Harvard Business School showed. Moms with flexible work hours and work-from-home options make more money than those who do not, a recent study found. It’s also a more environment-friendly concept as fewer commuters mean lesser pollution.
Some employers have already included these options, considering their merits. Over seven in 10 employees surveyed said their firms offer work from home, always or sometimes, or flexible work hours.
However, only 6% of the employees wanted to permanently work from home. Instead, the flexible hours option that topped their wishlist, so that they get to control their schedules better.
All work, no play
However, Indian workers recognise that out-of-office work comes with its own set of challenges.
One in five respondents found it difficult to put an end to their work day, attending calls, checking emails and completing tasks beyond the stipulated working hours.
A similar share felt their bosses and colleagues have perception issues and do not realise how much they really work from home. “Without any visibility and appreciation for the work that is put in from home, such perception issues can bring down employee morale significantly,” the survey found.
A lack of coordination with colleagues was also a pressing concern. “Factors like slow data connections or weak phone signals can cause major communication roadblocks,” the report noted.
This article first appeared on Quartz.
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