Majority of corporate employees want WFH at least once a week, states survey

PTI, Sep 1, 2021, 4:54 PM IST

New Delhi: Nearly 80 per cent of corporate employees want to work from home at least once a week post-COVID, according to a survey by property consultant JLL India.

In its survey Workers Preference Barometer for India, JLL India found that employees would prefer to work two days in the office and three days remotely. The sample size of the survey was 300 employees, working with various corporate houses.

”79 per cent of the workforce wants to work remotely from home at least once in a week, and this number goes up to 89 per cent when a third-party place of work is added,” JLL said in a statement.

The consultant said that an ideal working week, post-Covid, seems to be one where employees spend three days working remotely and two days in the office.

The survey highlighted that employees want more balance in their working patterns, with a hybrid work model and flexibility being key.

“The offices of the future will have to be more human-centric, putting health and well-being at the forefront,” said Radha Dhir, CEO and Country Head, India, JLL.

Almost 60 per cent of those surveyed believe that a workplace that promotes a healthy lifestyle and safety is a key priority, she added.

”There is a greater understanding and need for work-life balance amongst employees now. We are also seeing the need for human connection gaining prominence amongst employees as they crave social connections and emotional engagements in the workplace,” Dhir said.

The companies would have to be mindful of the requirement for more flexible work patterns, she advised.

”Even as the office retains its place in a working set-up being reshaped in a post-COVID world, aspirations are increasing from the modern workplace, while homeworking is still preferred,” JLL said.

Among other findings, 91 per cent of the respondents favoured flexible working hours.

Stating that the priorities of the workforce have undergone a shift, the consultant said corporate employees want an empathetic employer and work-life balance, more than a comfortable salary.

The pandemic has prioritised working in an environment that puts health and well-being at the forefront.

According to the survey, 21 per cent of the workforce does not want to work from home in the future, as opposed to 16 per cent in October last year. However, flexibility is becoming more attractive.

The hybrid work environment retains its appeal, but more people want to return to the office at least once a week.

Almost 75 per cent of the surveyed employees want to work from the office at least once a week compared to 52 per cent in October 2020, JLL said.

”Significantly, still 79 per cent employees today want to work from home at least once a week compared to 84 per cent in October 2020, indicating that home working as part of flexible work patterns is a key desire,” the report said.