OLD DATA

Amidst the pandemic, jobs worldwide are taking a hit. A survey by the Centre for Monitoring
Indian Economy revealed that India’s unemployment rate could have risen to more than 20
percent as the economy lost jobs after the 21-day nationwide lockdown that began in the last
week of March1. 67% of those who cannot work from home, 64% of those who have an option to
work from home and 73% of those who can work from home are worried that longer lockdown
may affect their work related goals [Old data].

One study found that people who are more comfortable with ambiguity are better in coping with
things they are stressed about.2 At a very ground level, human behavior is governed by REWARD
PRINCIPLES. If what we do is followed by a perceived reward, we’re more likely to keep doing
it. In case of those who cannot work from home, 76% are not getting paid during the lockdown
& 60% are not getting paid who have an option to work from home [OLD DATA]. Whereas only
15% of those who can work from home are not being paid. Hence, as compared to 56% of those
who cannot work from home & 59% of those who have work from home as an option only 48%
of those who can work from home are stressed [OLD DATA]. Therefore, as compared to 46% of
those who can work from home & 48% of those who have an option to work from home, about
50% of those who cannot work from home have predicted the lockdown to end before 3 months.

Those can work from home are more worried (80%) that longer lockdown might affect their
work related goals as compared to 56% of those who cannot work from home & 85% of those
who have an option to work from home because digital divide creates yet another disadvantage
[NEW DATA]. Poor internet connectivity at home, in place of high-speed office broadband,
hampers work due to which the work flow pauses. Those who live in an area where internet
services are good are at advantageous position than those who have poor internet connections at
home. Also work from home also means working more from home. A lot of professionals
complain about working over 13 hours a day during the lockdown.3 Hence, more number of

1
https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/india-jobless-rate-swells-above-23-amid-coronavirus-
lockdown-survey-shows/75024463.
2
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-10-psychology-closure.html
3
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/why-work-from-home-is-full-of-
challenges-for-young-urban.
people who work from home is stressed (66%) as compared to 63% of those who cannot work
from home and 54% of those who have work from home as an option [NEW DATA].