With WFH now a corporate asset post-COVID, many former women employees are rejoining their parent companies
The prolonged lockdown forced on nations by COVID-19 has made work from home (WFH) a viable option for many companies to run operations and keep going. And with no vaccine in sight in the immediate future and given the unpredictable trajectory of the virus, compelling us to live with it, this option might just become the new normal and a corporate practice. In fact, most companies in a post COVID-19 economy are likely to move to the WFH option permanently to cut overhead costs and build in efficiencies wherever possible. Of course, traditional companies may find it difficult to adopt this model wholeheartedly but innovation demands that it be deployed in areas it can. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has already declared that it would like to continue this model post-lockdown on a long-term basis and save establishment costs of a big office and maintenance. Many CEOs believe that this will also help distribute their companies’ presence and strengthen monitoring across the country rather than having a footprint of branch offices. Besides, it offers great potential for women, who sometimes give up their hectic careers mid-way and prioritise nurturing family roles, to continue without the hassle of travel and manage their homes in a new flexi format. There is no doubt that women have a high level of productivity and dedication index that can be harvested through this model now. In fact, with the commute and family responsibility not concerns anymore, they would be inspired to give their best. In the US, 25 per cent of the workforce is choosing to work out of home, a percentage that may go up further now. In fact, some companies there are encouraging this option by leveraging compensation based on transactions, no matter where an employee is located.
Many Indian women, who had chosen to bow out in the 30 to 50 age group, can now reconsider joining back and be a part of a productive workforce, where their presence has been falling steadily in recent years. Their re-absorption would have a positive swell on productivity that is needed to kickstart a post-COVID economy. Many companies are rehiring their former employees keen on a comeback and job search portals with WFH options have seen a 50 per cent spike in applications in just a month. As against a 45.4 per cent median female share of the workforce in 144 countries, India continues to feature among the ten lowest at about 26 per cent. Women in India currently spend up to 352 minutes per day on domestic work, 577 per cent more than men (52 minutes) and at least 40 per cent more than women in South Africa and China (the other two BRICS countries for which data are available), according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Up to 64 per cent of women said they had no choice taking up care work since there is “no other member to carry out the domestic duties.” The new maternity leave provision of 26 weeks from the earlier grant of three months has also put women at a competitive disadvantage. Post-motherhood, they do not return. Employers hiring women, too, pass them over for promotions or leave them out of key projects if they know they are planning a baby. Many employers are not willing to slacken the terms of employment. The decline of women in the urban workforce is already a matter of great concern. According to the last NSSO report, the unemployment rate for urban women was 27.2 per cent, twice that of rural women. Hopefully, there will be some level-playing field now.