As remote work or work-from-home continues to be the default mode of working in 2021 as well, companies are grappling with the big question: Is it necessary for the boss to be around to monitor the employee’s performance? Most Indian employees say, No!

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At least 85 percent of employees believe that productivity can be accurately measured irrespective of location, according to the EY 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey. In fact, once the pandemic ends, most Indians would like to have a say in when and where they work, the survey found.

Globally, Twitter has allowed its employees 'to work from wherever they feel productive'. Facebook has given the option to its employees to work from home forever. In India, Paytm has said that 20-25 percent of its employees will continue to work remotely in the future. E-Commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart have no plans of bringing back employees for on-site work at least until June 2021.

Commentaries from large global firms such as Google and Microsoft to startups like Zerodha and SaaS platforms like Zoho among many others suggest ‘work-from-home’ is here to stay, in one form or another.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that flexibility can work for both employees and employers, and flexible working is the new currency for attracting and retaining top talent,” said Anurag Malik, Partner, People Advisory Services, EY India.

The EY study covered more than 16,000 employees across 16 countries from multiple industries and job roles. It included 496 employees from India.

Flexi-timing is quickly becoming a key employee demand. According to the report, about 69 percent of employee respondents in India would choose flexibility in when they work. And, 76 percent want flexibility in where they work. At the very least, employees would prefer to work remotely between two and three days after the pandemic.

For employers, it’s a tricky situation as not all roles can be performed remotely. However, more than half of the employees surveyed said they may change jobs if they are not afforded some form of flexibility in where and when they work. So, not only is flexi-work necessary to keep employees happy, but it is also a key requirement to retain top talent.

“Employers who want to keep the best people now and in the next normal will need to put flexible working front at the center of their talent strategy and accordingly redesign their work models to increase flexibility for their employees,” said Malik.

That means new costs for the company. Employees will require the company to take up the cost of setting up a home office. While most employees are making do with what’s available, they want companies to upgrade at-home hardware e.g. extra monitors and headsets.

They would also like to get reimbursements for internet or phone bills. The report says 63 percent of respondents in India felt that if company subsidy for home office set-up is provided by the employer, it would make their work life much easier.

If at all the company wishes to bring back employees to the cubicle or the factory floor, at least eight out of 10 employees set the condition that it will only be possible after vaccination.

However, for now, employers in India can sigh in relief, as 9 out of 10 employees are satisfied with their current job, according to the survey.

(Edited by : Kanishka Sarkar)