^Employers who have grown accustomed to flexible employment arrangements may soon face an unpleasant surprise.

On LinkedIn's behalf, a study by YouGov surveyed nearly 3,000 executives from organizations with at least 1,000 employees and at least £250 million in revenue ($288.5 million).

According to these statistics, remote job postings are declining. In India, for example, the number of remote job postings decreased by five percentage points since April, when they peaked at 20% of all job postings.

While this is still a good deal higher than pre-pandemic averages of 2%, it is still a stark contrast to what workers would like to see.

"Flexibility is an essential component of a successful work environment, enabling employees to find a balance between their professional and personal lives." - Stuart W. Crabb

Workplace flexibility is ranked as one of the most important objectives for workers after remuneration, alongside work-life balance, skills development, and compensation.

Even though the number of jobs requiring remote work has decreased in the United States, these advertisements still garner more than half of all applicants as of September.

Data shows that remote employment accounts for 14.6% of employment possibilities globally but receives 20.2% of application submissions. The number of remote jobs in India is 11.3%, while the number of resumes is 20.3%.

Remote Job Posts vs. Applications, September 2022

Why are businesses cutting back?

LinkedIn polled its users about remote employment options and found that the trend towards remote employment was correlated with the current economic environment.

As part of a survey of executives, they were asked if the Coronavirus outbreak would force their companies to adopt more flexible working practices. In response to this question, more than 68% of executives said yes.

The current economic uncertainty has resulted in corporations in all parts of the world freezing their recruitment efforts. As a result, business leaders are under tremendous pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiency to pursue these goals.

‍Trends in workforce confidence

In the absence of an epidemic leading to a move toward flexible working and corporate wellness programs to help workers, the balance of power is now in the hands of employers.

This report also found that the current economic uncertainty adversely affects other employee benefits. In other words, 70% of CEOs agreed that skill development might need to be emphasized less in the future, and 75% said that employee well-being would likely receive less attention.

The survival of businesses depends on their ability to adapt to changing conditions. Some companies might think they can save money by reducing benefits like flexible scheduling, but they could suffer long-term consequences.

In companies that lag behind in adopting flexible and remote working, employees risk becoming demotivated and leaving for rivals who offer more attractive options. In order to survive, businesses will have to be more adaptable.

Businesses are beginning to offer a broader range of perks as a way to keep and attract workers—many still recovering from the Great Resignation. There have even been some employers who have adopted a four-day workweek.

We at TheWellnessTribe believe that businesses must be able to adapt and be flexible in order to succeed in the future.

In the long run, the winners will be those who recognize this as an opportunity, adapt and iterate, and explore new working methods.

^It's no secret that stress has become a ubiquitous part of our lives, especially in the workplace. From meeting tight deadlines to dealing with a demanding boss, work-related stress is taking a toll on our mental and physical well-being. 

In fact, according to a recent survey by Hush, one in five Indian workers suffers from workplace depression. This not only affects an individual's performance and productivity, but it's also a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases. 

But what if we told you that there's a solution to this problem? A groundbreaking tool that can assess and measure work-related stress accurately and quickly.  

Breaking the Chains of Work Stress

An innovative tool has been developed by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS) to Assess and Classify Work Stress-16 (TAWS-16), an innovative tool that integrates three critical aspects of work stress - stressors, coping mechanisms, and symptoms. 

TAWS-16 is not just any ordinary stress assessment tool. It's a game-changer! Let's take a closer look at what makes TAWS-16 so special.

Unpacking the Unique Components

This tool is specifically designed to tackle work-related stress in the Indian workforce. With two sets of 16 questions, TAWS-16 takes into account not just stressors at work but also coping mechanisms and physical symptoms. The tool categorizes individuals into three colour-coded risk categories ( yellow, red, and green ) to help employers offer targeted interventions.

Streamlining the Administration Process

TAWS-16 is fast and easy to administer, taking only six to twelve minutes to complete. Taking the test can be done manually or electronically, making it accessible to everyone. And the best part? Results are provided instantly, so you can start taking action right away!

Extensive validation and reliability assessment: 

TAWS-16 is not just a quick solution but a reliable one too. It has been extensively tested and validated for Indian workplace settings, ensuring that the results you receive are accurate and trustworthy.

"No matter how much pressure you feel at work, if you could find ways to relax for at least five minutes every hour, you'd be more productive." - Dr. Joyce Brothers

No more outdated methods

The current stress assessment tools in the public domain may measure stress, but they often fall short by considering factors not related to work and are too lengthy to administer regularly. Moreover, they don't consider employees' coping abilities or the manifestation of physical symptoms.

But that's not all; these tools aren't even validated for Indian workplace settings, making them irrelevant to the unique challenges faced by the Indian workforce. This is where TAWS-16 comes in - a tool specifically tailored to the Indian workplace. 

The program identifies common work stressors that Indians face and addresses problems specifically associated with the Indian workforce. It assesses work-related stress in a given workplace and considers various factors - exposure to stressors, frequency of exposure, coping abilities, work-stress level, and symptoms.

The Power of TAWS-16

TAWS-16 is a closer look at work stressors and provides a unique approach to stress assessment. This tool identifies the common work stressors faced by the Indian workforce and provides a solution tailored to the Indian workplace. The administration of TAWS-16 is fast, simple, and effective. It only takes between 6-12 minutes to complete and can be done manually or through a web-based application.

Not only is TAWS-16 easy to use, but it also provides immediate results. The results are categorized into three color-coded risk categories (red, yellow, and green), which allows for targeted interventions. The fast and effective administration of TAWS-16, combined with its immediate results, gives workplaces the power to take control of their employees' stress levels.

TAWS-16 has undergone extensive validation and reliability assessment, so you can be confident in the results it provides. 

Leading the Way to Wellness

For too long, traditional stress assessment methods have fallen short of addressing the unique stressors that Indian workers face. TAWS-16 changes that by offering a fast, simple, and effective solution to the problem. This tool considers the challenges and pressures that come with the Indian workplace and provides immediate results that can be used to create targeted interventions.

Gone are the days of outdated stress assessment tools that fail to address the unique stressors of the Indian workforce. TAWS-16 takes a holistic approach by integrating stressors, coping mechanisms, and physical symptoms to accurately assess work-related stress in just 6-12 minutes.

As a corporate wellness company, at The Wellness Tribe we understands the toll work-related stress can take on employees' mental and physical well-being. That's why we are excited about NIMHANS' groundbreaking tool for measuring workplace stress: TAWS-16.

The Wellness Tribe is here to support you with AI-driven analysis and wellness solutions for your employees. Let's break the chains of work stress and prioritize employee well-being together.