Indian workers wary of full office return – survey
MUMBAI, INDIA — A new report by staffing solutions provider Genius Consultants has found that a majority of Indian employees surveyed feel it will be difficult to transition back to working in the office full-time.
The study, which surveyed 1,213 professionals across sectors like banking, FMCG, and IT, found that 69% of respondents expressed concerns about potential challenges with adapting to the office environment after prolonged remote work.
On the other hand, 25% felt confident about navigating the transition.
The report anticipates the shift could also drive attrition, with 82% of employees citing growing work-from-home job opportunities. Previously, a survey reported that mandated office returns led to surging attrition rates.
However, 12% were optimistic about the benefits of in-office work while 67% believe working in the office facilitates integrating new hires and transmitting company values, highlighting the importance of in-person collaboration.
Amid apprehensions, 56% said employers should offer location flexibility, while 33% disagreed, signaling differing opinions on this issue.
“As we navigate the transition from remote work to the traditional office, our recent report reflects a diverse range of sentiments among employees,” said Genius Consultants Chairman and Managing Director R P Yadav.
Yadav advised organizations to address evolving workforce preferences and offer flexibility wherever possible to ease the office.
A ResumeBuilder.com survey found that 91% of companies will require employees to go into the office at least monthly this year, while 75% will mandate at least weekly office work.
Meanwhile, Live Data Technologies revealed that fully remote employees are more likely to be let go compared to hybrid or in-office staff.
Bloomberg Intelligence revealed in another survey that 27% of respondents wanted a pay rise, mostly seeking an increase of 6% or more, to work full-time in the office. Another 24% said they would consider changing jobs to gain more flexibility.
