India is on the Verge of a 'Flexidus,' with Many Women Quitting Jobs Owing to a Lack of Flexibility: LinkedIn

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 13 April 2022

LinkedIn, the leading online professional network, released its latest consumer research on Tuesday, based on 2,266 respondents in India, to identify the problems women face at work.

According to the study, employers' attitudes regarding flexible working and career breaks are preventing women from requesting more flexibility and re-entering the workforce.

According to LinkedIn's research, 8 out of 10 working women (83%) have realised they want to work more flexibly as a result of the pandemic's impact.

According to the study, 72% of working women reject employment that don't enable them to work flexibly, and 70% have already quit or are considering resigning because they weren't given the right flexible policies.

When asked about the advantages of flexible working, nearly two-fifths of women said it enhances their work-life balance and helps them advance in their professions, while one-third said it improves their mental health and makes them more likely to stay in their current jobs.

However, due to strong employer bias, India's working women are paying a high price for working flexibly, according to the report, with 9 out of 10 working women having to take a pay cut, 2 out of 5 having their flexible working request denied, and 1 out of 4 struggling to persuade their bosses to accept their request.

According to the study, women are hesitant to ask for more flexibility because they are afraid of being excluded, being held back from advancements, working extra, taking pay cuts, and being perceived unfavourably by their superiors.

"Flexible working is the top priority for all professionals today, particularly working women." In fact, according to our research, India is on the verge of a 'flexidus,' with seven out of ten working women departing or considering quitting due to a lack of flexibility.

"If employers and recruiters don't want to lose top talent, they must erase the stigma surrounding the need for flexibility and career pauses, and establish better flexibility policies," said Ruchee Anand, Senior Director, India Talent & Learning Solutions, LinkedIn.

Despite the benefits of sabbaticals, nearly four out of five (77%) working women in India who took one feel it harmed their careers. This is owing to the widespread stigma that exists among recruiters and employers regarding career pauses.

LinkedIn is introducing 'Career Breaks,' a new feature that allows individuals to add a career break to their LinkedIn profile and demonstrate how they may apply their learnings to professions they are interested in.

''This feature will de-stigmatise resume gaps as part of our professional journeys, and empower women to better communicate their unique experiences to their connections and recruiters,'' Anand said.