Logistics, media professionals most anxious about returning to work: Survey

Logistics, information technology and media professionals were seen wary about returning to the physical workplace, a survey conducted by online professional network LinkedIn said.

Findings state that 46 per cent of professionals from Recreation & Travel, and 39 per cent of professionals from the Consumer Goods industry will return to work as soon as they are allowed to.

However, one in two Software & IT employees said they will continue working remotely for now; this could be due to the fact they have transitioned to working remotely in a smooth manner, among other reasons, a LinkedIn statement said.

Joining them in their cautious approach, professionals from Transportation & Logistics, and Media & Communications were seen wary about returning to the physical workplace, the survey revealed.

LinkedIn on Tuesday announced the findings of the eighth edition of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, a fortnightly pulse on the confidence of the Indian workforce.

Based on the survey responses of 5,553 professionals in India, findings from the weeks of June 1- July 26 reveal how professionals from different industries express varied concerns and preferences towards 'returning to the physical workplace.'

About two in three employees from Software & IT (65 per cent), and three in five employees from Media & Communications (61 per cent) and Transportation & Logistics (61 per cent) feel exposure to those not taking safety guidelines seriously is a serious concern with returning to the workplace.

In fact, one in three logistics (33 per cent) and one in for software & IT (25 per cent) employees also say lack of workplace sanitisation or cleanliness is dissuading them from going back to their offices.

The survey also reveals India's growing confidence towards personal finances, with nearly one in three professionals anticipating their personal savings to increase, while two in five expect their personal spending to stay the same in the next six months.

As restrictions in lockdown slowly lift, small business employees are witnessing a lift in their overall individual confidence levels as well as confidence towards finances, according to the survey findings.

However, this optimism fades when it comes to job security, as the survey shows SMB employees (1-200 workers) are less confident about holding on to their jobs than large enterprise workers (10,000 or more employees).

"With low cash reserves and on-off lockdowns across several cities, business sustenance for SMBs continues to be a challenging affair", the statement added.