Microsoft India has announced the results of a special  Work Trend Index report detailing insights, challenges, and opportunities for frontline workers across industries. The report also highlights the role technology can play in reducing the workload.

 Twenty one percent of Indian frontline workers feel they do not have the right technological tools to do their job effectively. 63% of frontline workers worry that they could lose their jobs if they don’t adapt to new tech. 

Frontline workers in India cite Covid protocols (44%), high workload (42%), managing the needs of customers (38%), long workdays (38%), and having a fixed work schedule (36%) as the top five reasons for their work-related stress.

Money, upskilling, and employee benefits were the top three reasons cited by the frontline workers in India for considering a job change.

For years, a good chunk of frontline workers feared technology―especially automation and AI―would make their jobs redundant. According to the research, 88% of frontline workers are looking forward to the job opportunities technology can usher in.

Tech scored high (64%) on the list of factors that could reduce work-related stress, behind better pay (67%) and ahead of flexible schedules (60%). As many as 64% value technological tools over mental health support and wellness benefits.

The use of Microsoft Teams among frontline workers saw a spike of 400% from March 2020 to November 2021 globally. The monthly usage of Teams by the healthcare industry globally has increased by 560%. Financial services and media and communications clocked similar spikes.

The Work Trend Index Special Report survey was conducted by an independent research firm, Edelman Data x Intelligence, among 9,600 full-time or part-time employed frontline workers across eight industries and eight markets, between October 28 and November 19, 2021. A total of 1,200 frontline workers were surveyed within each industry.