The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought in its wake several unexpected changes in our lifestyle, "work from home or remote work" being one of the foremost. According to Wakefit.co survey, nearly 77% of Indian employees claimed their companies have allowed complete work from home till the situation normalizes. 

The survey, which garnered about 2000 responses from across the country, also revealed that 59% of employees were happy working from home.

Surprisingly, the percentage of people eager to resume work was significant at 41%. This was especially higher in the 45-60 age group, with 53% preferring to go to work.

However, apprehensions persisted, with 60% of people not showing complete confidence in the safety and sanitization measures followed by employers. Concerns such as additional workload in the post-Covid era (72%) and fear of commuting to work (68%) also troubled the survey respondents.

On being asked about steps that would help ease their worries, 40% stated ensuring appropriate social distancing measures was their top wellness priority. The survey also found that employees wanted clear communication of safety measures enforced (68%) and transparency in workload, salary, job security etc. (68%), as they feel this would help reduce stress levels. As employers struggle to create high-performing virtual and physical environments, safety and transparency will be essential factors in driving success. 

"While the Corona-induced lockdown has increased restlessness among people working from home, we have found that a lot of people are still hesitant to return to normal working conditions, for fear of infections and the constant rise of cases in India. We have always believed the best course of action in a situation like this is to be honest with employees and keep them in the loop of every important announcement." said Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, Director and Co-founder, Wakefit.co.

Companies can take heart from the fact that other than safety and financial security related aspects; employees seem to appreciate the functional benefits that have emerged from the situation. 45% of people felt drowsiest just after lunch and working from home has allowed 47% of people to take the perfect power nap in the afternoon. And if they had to stay up for a meeting or so, a majority of people (34%) loved the liberty of access to caffeine. Furthermore, respondents were happy with the ergonomics at their workplace, with 54% stating that their offices took good care of proper ergonomics.

At home, on the other hand, a majority of respondents (37%) shuffled their work station between different places in the house through the day. 24% of people working from home worked on their beds, while 27% said they had a dedicated workspace at home. Unhealthy sitting habits while working from home like mobile workstations and lying down and working have caused an increase in back pain among respondents, with 76% complaining of it.