Majority of BPO and KPO firms surveyed by Assocham have said they have witnessed a 40 per cent decline in productivity at work in the last 15 days as women employees have either reduced working hours or quit jobs in the backdrop of the horrendous Delhi rape incident.

About 82 per cent of women respondents, mainly working in National Capital Region (NCR), said they have started leaving early after the sunset on account of security concerns, the industry chamber has said in a survey.

The anxiety is more among those women who travel by buses, three-wheelers and metro after it gets dark, it added.

The unfortunate incident of Delhi gang-rape has sparked national outrage.

"Women employees working in BPOs and KPOs have long working hours and shift jobs which make them more vulnerable to both physical and non-physical attacks," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

This has caused high anxiety among them, leading to high attrition rate in these sectors, he added.

The chamber claimed that it has surveyed 2,500 women engaged in the BPO and KPO industries not only in the NCR but also in other cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad.

The study stated that a large number of respondents feel that the atmosphere in NCR is not comfortable enough for them to work in these sectors.

The surveyed women said in the absence of proper transport facilities by the organisation, commutation becomes a difficult task involving long hours in local buses, trains or cars.

These respondents said they fear travelling in public transport at odd hours, especially at night.