Flexi-work

The world is finally open; well, as open as can be; what with intermittent news of new Covid variants emerging in different parts of the world. But nevertheless, for the first time since Covid-19 struck in early 2020, everyone who survived is open for business. Schools and cinema halls are open, travel is not as anxiety-inducing as before, and after a long time, we don't feel isolated and cloistered. And as with all else, people have returned to offices too.

For some it's a welcome change. Back to the 'adda' with office colleagues over 'chai' or a much-needed 'sutta' break, the excitement of working in a team, or the urgent respite of getting out of an unwelcome home environment. Stepping out of the confines of the house has been a necessary boon for some. But this feeling is not shared by all. The almost two years of enforced WFH (work-from-home) brought with it many positive changes. Companies, both large and small, gave up on the hang-ups of maintaining office spaces. Both staff and management imbibed tech tools and adapted their mindsets to fit into the new normal. Not having a permanent office also meant lowering of overheads. Covid-19 forced us to accept that working from remote is not only possible for many professions but may well be highly constructive. Save time, save cost, be more productive — what's there not to love? While some companies remain resolved to benefit from hybrid work models, some unfortunately have moved back to full-time office hours.

In some cases, we can't blame the companies. The nature of the business will dictate the work modes, but for those who can function in a hybrid fashion, the flexibility that it proffers, especially to women, is irreplaceable. And why just women? Many men too revelled in the extra time that they devoted to family, hobbies, or life in general. But as with most things, war or pandemic, women are almost always the most affected. Globally, the workloads of women increased exponentially during the pandemic as they juggled both office and domestic work. While their burden of unpaid work also increased, it's not that life became easier on other fronts. As strict lockdowns forced businesses to cut jobs, women lost more employment than men. According to the UN, there are a staggering 760 million women in work in the informal economy and their earnings dropped by 60 per cent in the first month of the Covid-19 pandemic. Women-led enterprises were also worse hit than those led by their male counterparts. All the progress that was achieved in pushing gender diversity now lay under threat.

As we try to encourage more women to join the workforce especially in India, flexibility of work is bound to be a crucial factor along with social changes and better job opportunities. As per the latest Deloitte report, India has to reduce gender gap by over 13 per cent in three more years. And as has been proven by another recent study, if women are not given that flexibility along with fairness of employment, many could quit jobs, and of them, I'm sure that some could even fall off the career path. The LinkedIn study highlighted that 7 out of 10 women in India are quitting or considering handing in their resignations. This 'flexidus', as the report termed it, was primarily over a lack of flexibility. Many of the 2,266 survey respondents, about 88 percent of them, said that they had to endure pay cuts in order to work flexibly. 30 per cent said their request for flexible work was not accepted. Many complained of facing bias and exclusion because they chose to work flexibly.

I would say that bias would be the most feared component at a flexible workplace. For example, wouldn't the employee who is in front of the boss be treated preferentially as compared to the one working from home and restricted to a virtual screen at meetings? Out of sight, out of mind! The employee present in flesh and bones can not only schmooze the superior but also has a greater advantage of showcasing their work and efforts. Therefore, it's not just enough to claim to offer flexibility, that flexibility must extend to unprejudiced appraisals, increments, and compensations for employees too. Therefore, an evolution of attitudes, workplace processes, and HR practices must be set in place if remote or hybrid business models must sustain effectively.

Let's also not forget that while in the middle of what seemed like an unending pandemic, we had made promises to ourselves. Life cannot and must not go back to how it was. It would not be a mere struggle for survival but a reason to thrive. And given the temporariness of life, (remember how many died unexpectedly in the prime of their life due to the dastardly virus?), we had pledged that life would be better, not just for ourselves but also for those around us. A healthy work-life balance is key in achieving this. Let's not go back to being work slaves again.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal