Techies looking for flexibility as firms call them back to office: Survey

With the Covid-19 pandemic threat easing, many IT firms are calling their employees back to office. But the latter are looking for more flexible job opportunities, a survey has revealed.

The survey by CIEL HR Services has revealed that around 88 per cent of employees in top IT firms are even ready to quit their jobs for greater flexibility. Of them, around 46 per cent are looking for work-from-home (WFH) opportunities. Many of them are working mothers and caregivers. Another 46 per cent are willing to leave for a better pay package.

The rest, comprising about 8 per cent, simply want more time to pursue their hobbies and interests instead of spending it on commuting.

Also read: Hybrid work here to stay, but in India, there are some unique issues

Impractical, say experts

However, experts felt that with the job market slowing down, the threat of quitting a job for being called back to office may not be practical. Officials at HR solution firms Adecco and Xpheno said in such a scenario, they expected most employees to toe the line.

Explaining the reason for IT companies to call employees back to office, experts said these firms were facing multiple challenges in a remote working setup. Moonlighting is a major concern, for instance. Most IT firms, such as HCL and TCS, are encouraging employees to come to office at least three days a week.

However, returning to office is proving difficult for scores of IT employees who had relocated to their hometowns during the pandemic, experts said. Many of them do not like the idea of paying a hefty rent for being in office only three days a week.