Work-life balance a priority for employees in India: Survey
Striking a balance between personal, professional, and family life has become a daily struggle for the Indian workforce. With the entry of technology into the workplace, some issues are alleviated by giving employees the chance of remote connectivity and 24X7 access.
The India@Work report from Michael Page India identified key factors that show how employees are handling demanding business conditions and at the same time making time for their personal life. This survey was conducted among 585 Gen-Ys who came from various sectors and seniority levels.
Factors such as the commute time, relationship with other employees at work affects employees’ productivity levels.
About 98 percent of the respondents believe that being on good terms with their bosses and colleagues can enhance productivity. While about 77 percent of those surveyed regarded colleagues as friends versus only 43 percent who consider their managers as friends.
“The growing ‘always-on’ work culture among millennials has cost employees their mental health undermining the quality of work,” said Mohit Bharti, Regional Director, Michael Page India. “Performance pressure and fear of losing jobs are the major reasons behind extensive stress beyond work hours. Identifying multiple ways to address such problems has become critical for employees as well as organizations.
On average, 92 percent spend less than an hour on personal matters at work while 65 percent said they chat with family and friends on messaging apps. At the same time, 27 percent of the employees surveyed send personal emails at work.
As per the survey, about 9 out of 10 survey respondents feel a flexible environment is crucial as 60 percent indicate that it gives them a better work-life balance, while 34 percent said it increases their professional productivity.
The results of the India@Work study have shown that the better relationships are in the office, the happier and more productive employees can be. One out of two respondents talk to colleagues about their personal matters of which economy and politics are the most common and followed by entertainment, 26 percent.
A longer commute translates to less time for family, friends, and wellbeing. About 65 percent of the survey respondents state that they spend an hour or less traveling to work daily and 76 percent believe that commute time is an important factor when applying for a new job.
Another aspect that makes a difference for employees is that seven out of 10 felt that issuing devices that enable remote working has a positive impact on work-life balance. About 93 percent of the employees receive a mobile device and 55 percent also use these for personal matters.
“Several companies in India have started modifying their employee policies for a healthy work-life balance and controlled attrition rate,” said Mohit Bharti. “More than balancing, an integration is required between work and personal life in order to achieve higher productivity leading to a better outcome.”