Work from home over higher salary: Nearly 8 in 10 women willing to take pay cut for work-life balance: Report

Caregiving responsibilities continue to shape the way women make career decisions in India. A report has found that 83 per cent of respondents said they had skipped applying for certain roles because they felt it would be difficult to balance work with family duties.

Nearly 8 in 10 women in India said they avoided applying for jobs due to caregiving responsibilities, pointing to the continued impact of unpaid care work on career choices, according to a report by Indeed.

The report is based on responses from 1,141 women across India, including working mothers, women on a career break, and those who have returned to work after a break. The respondents were from major cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata.

Flexibility emerged as a key factor shaping job choices. The report said 53 per cent of women prioritised flexible working hours when choosing a job, while 48 per cent preferred hybrid or remote work options.

It also found that compensation expectations are changing, with nearly 8 in 10 respondents saying they would either accept lower pay (45 per cent) or consider doing so (34 per cent) in exchange for better flexibility and work-life balance.

For working mothers, hybrid and remote work remained especially important. The report noted that 37 per cent of respondents said hybrid or remote work would be the most impactful workplace change for them.

Overall, 59 per cent of respondents felt workplace flexibility has genuinely improved career opportunities for mothers in India, while another 30 per cent said it has helped to some extent.

The findings also showed that return-to-office expectations are influencing job decisions. More than 51 per cent of respondents said they had turned down a job interview or offer because of office attendance requirements.

Full-time office mandates were cited as the biggest barrier by 37 per cent of respondents, followed by lack of flexibility in roles at 34 per cent.

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