Three in four Indian employees calculate commute time while taking up a new job

• According to a report titled ‘Is India Always ‘On’ At work?,’ three in four Indian employees believe that commute time is an important criterion while taking up a new job.
  
• Nearly 70% of respondents said that remote working has a positive impact on the work-life balance of employees.
  
• Other factors adding to the employee’s work life balance include flexible environment and relationships at work.

Commute time is the biggest buzzkill there is, in India. According to a report titled ‘Is India Always ‘On’ At work?,’ three in four Indian employees believe that commute time is an important criterion while taking up a new job, says a survey by Michael Page.

An average Indian office-goer spends over two hours commuting everyday — accounting for 7% of their day. And the worst of all days is Monday which has the highest average commute time, according to a survey by MoveInSync.

Traffic, heat and denials by cabbies

By the time a person reaches office⁠ — after having battled the choking crowd of a train, or the endless traffic jam on the road, through sweltering heat or the water-logged streets, delayed by the bus, denied by the cabbies⁠— the energy and enthusiasm for a long day’s work is significantly worn down.

This has directly to do with employee’s productivity at work. “If this itself is brought down by a day, the levels of motivation will increase. Employees may even be willing to put in additional hours at work rather than travel the additional hours,” Neeti Sharma, senior vice president, TeamLease Services told Business Insider.

However, an alternate solution to this is implementing remote work policies. Nearly 70% of the respondents of the survey said that remote working has a positive impact on the work-life balance of employees.

In recent years, flexible work timings, remote work options have been the top priorities of the Indian workforce, while considering a job opportunity. Organisations are embracing the change, but very slowly.

The report published by the global recruitment firm Michael Page studied how Indians maintain an equilibrium of their work hours and family time. India’s digital push has come with a cost for its employees, thanks to more enhanced remote connectivity and accessibility around the clock.

“The growing ‘always-on’ work culture among millennials has cost employees their mental health undermining the quality of work. Performance pressure and fear of losing jobs are the major reasons for extensive stress beyond work hours. Identifying multiple ways to address such problems has become critical for employees as well as organisations,” said Mohit Bharti, regional director at Michael Page India.

Other factors adding to the employee’s work life balance include flexible environment and relationships at work. The survey analysed responses from over 500 employees across sectors — including those at senior levels.

See also:
These five mobile apps will turn your office commute easy and productive

Microsoft’s four-day work week idea will be good for Indians⁠— but there is a lot to be fixed before that