The COVID-19 pandemic is taking toll on the emotional well-being of India’s working women as 47 per cent has reported that they are feeling more stress and anxiety, says the tenth edition of LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index.
Remote working has laid out a tougher road for India’s working mothers. The survey shows that one in three, that is 31 per cent, working mothers are currently providing childcare full-time, compared to nearly one in five, that is 17 per cent, working fathers. And more than two in five, that is 44 per cent, working moms are working outside their business hours to provide childcare, nearly twice as many men – 25 per cent. Moreover, data as per the survey shows that working mothers are more likely to bear the brunt of distractions from childcare while men seek support from friends and family. The survey also shows that only one in five, that is 20 per cent, working mothers rely on a family member or friend to take care of their children, and this is compared to 32 per cent men.
The LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index shows that more than 46 per cent working mothers report working till late to make up for work and 42 per cent are unable to focus on work with their children at home. Neha Bagaria, CEO JobsForHer, says one factor is balancing office and domestic work, whereby the bulk of the latter is being shouldered by women. She said studies reveal increased participation of men during the pandemic, but women still spend most time caring for children.
Suraj Moraje, Group CEO of a staffing firm, says the pandemic has accelerated the temporary worker economy, which is likely to sustain in the short term for two reasons. One, several employers are hesitant to take on the responsibility for new permanent employees as the demand outlook remains murky, he said. And gave the second reason as companies wanting to bring in specialized skill sets for a variety of roles.
As such, freelancers in India have reported a cautious optimism towards personal finances and career prospects with an overall individual confidence score of +46. The survey points out that one in four freelancers anticipate an increase in their earned income and personal savings while about 31 per cent expect their number of investments to increase in the next six months.
