A survey conducted by workplace creation company Unispace indicates that a majority of private sector employees in India have opted for hybrid working, outpacing the global average.
About 97% of employees and 98% employers in India surveyed by Unispace for the report expressed satisfaction with the hybrid working arrangement as compared with the global average of 87% employees and 95% employers.
This marks a significant shift from last year’s statistics that showed that employees in India are far more likely than any other country globally to be willing to take a pay reduction in order to work from home, with almost a third (31%) indicating that they have already done so, which is almost double the global average of 16%, the company said.
The report titled ‘From Restrictions to Resilience’, part of Unispace’s Global Workplace Insights 2024-25, reveals trends and insights, based on surveys of 10,700 employees and employers across 13 countries globally, to guide organisations in creating resilient workplaces. As many as 500 employees and 250 employers from India were surveyed for the report.
As per the report, employees worldwide are spending nearly half a day more per week in 2024 on average (3.7 days vs 3.4 days last year) in the office as compared with a year ago.
“Even as people are now spending nearly half a day more in the office compared to a year ago, our research shows that both employees and employers yearn for workspaces that inspire innovation and promote productivity. If they’re to endure long commutes and arrange childcare, the destination must be an environment where ideas soar,” said Swatasiddha Majumdar, Principal, Strategy at Unispace India. “There’s also been a noticeable change this year where employees are actively seeking workplaces that enable individual focus, rather than reserving concentration for work from home,” he said.
While face-to-face collaboration remains a top incentive for coming to the office, in reality, employees worldwide report spending 64% of their time in the office at their desks. Interestingly, Indian employees with 50% average reported time are least likely to spend time at their desks while working from the office.
The report further reveals that Indian employees’ inability to work productively at the office is hampered most by noise, or problems with temperature and air quality. Finding no time to exercise or staying active during the workday is an additional challenge that can cause physical and mental exhaustion. To mitigate these challenges, the Unispace report recommends a combination of furniture and workplace configurations that cater to various tasks and working styles.
“People now seek quiet areas for focused work and flexible spaces for various activities and collaboration. By addressing these needs, companies can better support their workforce, supporting both productivity and employee wellbeing,” Mr. Majumdar added.
The Unispace report also reveals that Indian employers’ confidence in their workplace’s capacity to foster innovation shows a downward trend. While 96% of employers in India believed that their workplace enables employees to be innovative in 2023, the number has dropped to 85% in 2024.
Published – September 26, 2024 11:30 pm IST
