India’s tech industry needs to offer ‘hybrid model’ to retain women employees: Survey
The survey by IWWAGE shows that older women (33-55 years) are more likely to take up hybrid work
Among the women who are given the hybrid work option but still work from office on all days, most report having no care responsibilities or dependencies at home.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the work module outlook for almost every industry. Several technological advancement and progressive undertakings could not have prepared companies to change what they viewed as workplace.
The gargantuan change happened for one particular sex- Women!
Surveys and reports have suggested that in an integrally patriarchal society, it has been difficult for women to go back to Working from Office, when they have adapted to working from home.
This preference was evident when Tata Consultancy Services in their annual report noted that a larger chunk of their attrition came from women working in the company after they had been asked to work form office.
Mint had earlier reported, that TCS said more women employees have left India’s top software services company than men in the fiscal year ended 31 March 2023 as its return-to-office policy has led to a “reset of domestic arrangements”.
While TCS head Chief human resources called the women employee attrition ‘unusual’, a survey has shown that altered domestic arrangement owing to the Covid pandemic induced lockdown has had female employees in the tech sector prefer hybrid model of work to a complete work from office regime.
The survey by IWWAGE shows that older women (33-55 years) are more likely to take up hybrid work. Most of the women who did not choose the hybrid option despite it being offered to them work at a junior level, where 35% of respondents opt for in-person work even after being offered the hybrid option. Among the women who are given the hybrid work option but still work from office on all days, most report having no care responsibilities or dependencies at home.
IWWAGE researcher says, “Women being the primary care-giver in households, often the care responsibilities tend to increase when they are working from home, in comparison to when they are working from office. Sometimes the additional domestic and care responsibilities occur in response to increased expectations of the household members and sometimes women themselves take it upon them.”
At this point it is worth noting that Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting disclosures by 134 companies conducted by the CFA institute has shown that India’s IT sector had the highest female participation rate of 30%.
However, the researcher also mentions that the clear demarcation of home and office remains a fundamental requirement for women employees. The researcher says, “In case of working from home, due to the blurred demarcation of personal and professional time and absence of a proper reporting mechanism from the employer’s side, the working hours often get stretched, and women end up doing overtime work. This often leads women to suffering from increase in time poverty and poorer mental health, in comparison to when they work from office.”
The survey has seen that productivity and efficiency of women employees in tech sector seems to be have impacted in either rigid regime- Work from Homes or Work From Office.
Therefore loosing women employees to work from office strictures does not look like a should-be-opted measure for India’s tech sector.
On need to incorporate hybrid model of working:
The IWWAGE research stresses on the need to incorporate a hybrid model of work, especially for women in tech sector in India.
IWWAGE states that with high penetration of digitalization across the sectors and the tasks, flexible work location is quickly becoming the new normal for most of the jobs. The option of working of home often by saving the commute time, travel expenses, and also the physical efforts, increases efficiency of the employees.
“Also, by providing a higher control over the work hours, and work location, it helps employees to mitigate burnout and fatigue and increases their efficiency and productivity.” says IWWAGE.
The flexibility in work location enables the companies to recruit from remotely-located workforce, and to select more efficient employees due to access to an enhanced talent pool from diverse geographical regions.
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