Atlassian Corporation Plc, a provider of team collaboration and productivity software, has launched an India-based study highlighting the changing work practices of individuals, teams, and organizations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report titled - Reworking Work: Understanding The Rise of Work Anywhere, 83 per cent of employees in India are still nervous about going back to the office while there is no vaccine and still restrictions are in place.

The study commissioned by Atlassian and conducted by Australian research agency PaperGiant involved 1,425 participants from tier 1, 2, and 3 cities in India who were surveyed for over four weeks in October 2020.

As per the research findings, Indian employees were more likely to want to work completely from home (66 per cent) than any other country surveyed.

The report further revealed that 70 per cent of people reported their job satisfaction is better than before COVID-19 restrictions. Notably, 61 per cent of employees find it manageable to effectively work at home during the COVID-19 restrictions.

With all the positives surrounding remote work, the study also noted that a majority of Indian workers (78 per cent) were actually worried about what their home life looks like to their colleagues and what it says to them.

A core finding mentioned that 86 per cent of employees in India thought the members of their team feel closer to each other now and 75 per cent thought their team worked better together compared to pre-Covid.

People are sharing more personal experiences with their team. The majority of Indian employees (89 per cent) reported a feeling of unity and cohesion in their team. Another insightful revelation was that 1 in 2 (50 per cent) of managers said their job security was much better now than before COVID-19.

From an organizational perspective, 88 per cent of Indian employees believed their company was already well prepared for returning to the office. While 78 per cent of the workforce in India were annoyed that it took a pandemic to allow them to work from home.

Work-life balance

From a work-life balance standpoint, 81 per cent of people in India said it’s more difficult to maintain boundaries between work and personal lives, compared to 79 per cent in Australia and 58 per cent in the US.

Dinesh Ajmera, Site Lead and Head of Engineering, Bengaluru, Atlassian said in an official statement: “The research findings point to how the ‘new normal’ will shape work, relationships, and collaboration in the future. These are the voices of real people facing real complexities. Now is our opportunity to use the insights we have been presented with to adapt for the better, guided by the experiences of employees around the world.”

“We are embracing this change wholeheartedly and investing early in developing a workforce that can navigate this new environment, and thrive in it. Our unique organizational culture and focus on employee wellbeing will go a long way in making this transition smooth. It’s heartening to know that even during these difficult times, our India office has been steadfast with an uptick in hiring,” he further added.