Survey shows global average falling
way short of India numbers at 97 pc
A forced work-from-home during the lockdown in 2021-22 seems to have changed Indians forever. The latest Global Workspace Insights report from workplace creation company Unispace shows that 97 per cent employees and 98 per cent employers in India are satisfied with hybrid working arrangement, compared to a global average of 87 per cent employees and 95 per cent employers.
A report in The Economic Times says that 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 (31per cent) indicating that they have already done so, which is almost double the global average of 16 per cent.
The report titled ‘From Restrictions to Resilience’, part of Unispace’s Global Workplace Insights 2024-25, also informs that Indian employees are least likely to spend time at their desks in office.
The report is based on surveys of 10,700 employees and employers across 13 countries. From India, 500 employees and 250 employers were surveyed for this report.
The third edition of the report found that 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 to 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, strategy and change principal at Unispace Asia. “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.”
While face-to-face collaboration remains a top incentive for coming to the office, in reality, employees worldwide report spending 64 per cent of their time in the office at their desks. Interestingly, Indian employees with 50 per cent 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 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 well-being,” Majumdar added.
With 87 per cent of Indian employers and 80 per cent of employees agreeing that workplace technology sufficiently facilitates their tasks, technology continues to be an essential factor in improving productivity and communication.
Only 48 per cent of Indian employers offer flexible start times at the moment, suggesting a large room for improvement in strategies related to employee engagement and retention.
