Stress at work: India Inc begins to take action

When Sonia Ganguly, a HR professional, quit her high paying job in a multinational last year, people around her were shocked. “They asked in disbelief, ‘How could you!’ But only a few asked ‘why’,” the 35-year-old single woman recounts.

Explaining the reasons behind her decision, she said: “There were various challenges and I couldn’t separate my emotions from my work.”

She points out that the chronic stress was caused by heavy workloads, a long commute, little autonomy and long work hours. “As a result, I had no time to unwind as I could never let go of work thoughts. I couldn’t sleep as I would mostly dread getting up and going to work the next day.”

She adds: “I am not sure whether my workplace qualified as truly toxic, but I would have appreciated and stayed longer had there been more work-life harmony, mattering at work, and opportunity for growth.”

Ganguly spent more than 10 years at the organisation, and, although she is jobless now, she is content and “no longer gets the feeling of having a pit in the stomach”.

So, if you think your workplace is toxic and this causes you to feel almost permanently stressed, you are not alone. With people facing more intense working days than ever, and less time for their personal lives, stress and burnout are all too common for even the most resilient professionals who feel the strain of long hours, high job demands and keeping up with the latest technologies. 

And research shows that workplace stress continues to mount – a recent survey found a staggering 76 per cent of Indian workers complained about a stressful work environment and 49 per cent reported that their poor mental health was having a negative impact on their productivity at work.

The study, People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View, by the ADP Research Institute, throws light on employee attitudes towards their work environments and their expectations. Globally, 65 per cent of workers reported that stress is adversely affecting their work and 47 per cent have similar concerns regarding their mental wellbeing, according to the survey of more than 32,000 workers, including those in the gig economy, across 17 countries.

In addition, a 2021 survey of 3,881 professionals revealed that 55 per cent of India’s workforce experiences job stress.

Stress can lead to poor mental health

Although stress is not an illness, if workers experience it frequently it can lead to poor health and even injury, and increase the risk of mental health conditions such as depression.

Another study, All in the Mind - The State of Mental Health in Corporate India, by Gi Group found that approximately 42.5 per cent of people in ‘corporate’ India (i.e. leading small, medium and large-scale businesses) are suffering from an anxiety disorder or depression.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of illness or infirmity. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on both the physical and mental wellbeing of people. Globally, an estimated 264 million people suffer from depression and anxiety, and WHO estimates that India accounts for nearly 15 per cent of the global mental health burden.

Work-related stress can be a major cause of employee ill health. Anxiety, panic disorders and depression are common ailments caused and aggravated by occupational stress.

Loss of concentration, poor decision-making, anxiety and depression caused or aggravated by occupational stress have a negative impact both on the individual’s performance and development at work and the organisation itself – for example, causing poor productivity, staff absence and high employee turnover. A 2022 Deloitte report estimated that “poor mental health amongst employees costs Indian employers around $14 billion per year due to absenteeism, presenteeism, and attrition”.

Experts say that to prevent, or minimise, the impact of work-related stress it is essential managers are trained to spot the signs of stress among their teams and understand how factors such as excessive job demands, inadequate management support and poor relationships among people at work can cause or aggravate stress and poor mental health.

They add that where there are signs of stress in teams, it is vital the company’s management and HR practitioners review and where necessary improve their initiatives to remove or reduce the causes of stress and reduce the impact of pressure at work.

Destigmatising mental health problems

Punit Renjen, Deloitte’s Global CEO, says it is essential that senior leaders play a major role in destigmatising mental health challenges within their organisations. “We need to take the necessary steps to create an environment where employees’ wellbeing is prioritised, and they have access to the support they need so that everyone can thrive,” said Renjen.

Bensely Zachariah, Global HR Head at Fulcrum Digital, says the first step towards supporting workers’ mental wellbeing is to create a working environment that is free of fear and anxiety. He adds that employers also need to educate and encourage staff to adopt a good work-life balance (which can help both prevent and reduce the negative health impacts of work-related stress), and have company policies that support and facilitate workers’ ability to achieve a good work-life balance.

GOQii’s Annual India Fit Report 2022-2023 found that 26 per cent of Indians reported feeling stressed by their current work situation, with long working hours, lack of job security, low wages and growing competition cited as some of the major causes of stress. 

Since 2021, worker layoffs, pay cuts and mental health conditions have become more common, according to GOQii’s research. With the economy in a state of flux, many people are worried about their future prospects and therefore feel unable to deal with or find ways to tackle the situation. This has led to a lot of anxiety and stress, says GOQii.  

GOQii’s gender study also revealed that women are more stressed than men. Compared to 2021, the report found that stress levels among women have increased from 25 per cent to 27 per cent in 2022. Some of the major reasons for this high level of stress among female staff include pressure to balance family, work and health issues, says GOQii.

Commenting the findings, GOQii’s founder and CEO, Vishal Gondal, said: “Our study indicates that ​​the current economic and financial instability is creating unprecedented stress among people who are struggling to stay afloat in a rapidly changing world.

“The mounting uncertainty is the basis of the high stress levels which can be controlled with a balanced diet, changes in lifestyle and appropriate sleep patterns.”

Gondal believes that preventive healthcare is the future and the only viable and long-term solution given the huge strain that India’s healthcare system is already under. “Stress and mental health have a huge impact on physical health and overall quality of life, hence addressing it sooner with a healthy and wholesome lifestyle is the only way ahead,” he says.

Workers ‘want a better work-life balance’

Meanwhile, ITC’s Feel Good with Fiama Mental Wellbeing Survey found that 87 per cent of respondents who reported feeling stressed at work would appreciate better work-life balance policies from their employer. For young people in India, whether millennials or GenZ, men or women, stress and anxiety is a reality, warns the ITC report. The survey also found that GenZ’s surpass millennials by 18 per cent in their feelings of career anxiety. Furthermore, the survey concluded that 31 per cent of Indians attribute pressure at work as one of the main worries they feel could cause mental health conditions, while 50 per cent of millennials say a poor work-life balance is a reason for their concerns about their mental health. Fifty-eight per cent of Indians turn to yoga, meditation and exercise to combat stress; however, music is the preferred choice for 86 per cent of Indians looking to cope with stress and negativity. 

Commenting on the survey, Sameer Satpathy, divisional chief executive for the Personal Care Products Business at ITC Lim ited, said: “It is heartening to note some of the positive shifts that have taken place in understanding mental health with the gradual increase in awareness campaigns and discussions.

“The Fiama Mental Wellbeing Survey continues to provide the spotlight on India’s youth and their attitude towards mental health and wellbeing. In its third edition, the survey unveils some critical facts that can definitely be a catalyst for more widespread conversations, a more nuanced understanding of the issue as well as enhance mental health support.

"Our endeavour to make mental wellbeing a more proactive conversation goes beyond just provoking a thought. In collaboration with MINDS Foundation, it also enables access to subsidised virtual therapy.”

Minimising the impact of stress

With studies showing that happy employees are 13 per cent more productive, India Inc is now taking additional steps to help employees minimise the impact of stress, such as organising meditation and yoga sessions and providing access to in-house counsellors.

Medical professionals state that taking care of your body and mind is essential for maintaining good mental health. This includes eating a healthy diet, sleeping well and exercising regularly.

If employees feel stressed during the working day, medical professionals recommend trying some common and tested strategies, such as briefly leaving the workplace and going for a walk; taking a coffee/tea break; and talking to a trusted co-worker who may be experiencing similar problems and feelings. 

Dr Samir Parikh, a psychiatrist and director of the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, at Fortis Healthcare, said: “Regarding mental health it is important to remember that prevention is key. If you are feeling stressed, taking a break to relax can help prevent burnout. Whether taking a short walk, listening to music or reading a book, you should explore activities that help you relax and take your mind off work.”

Dr Naresh Gupta, a medical consultant at Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, urges workers to try different self-care practices to identify those that most effectively enable them to cope with workplace stress. “We live in a volatile, uncertain world and there appears to be a lot more pressure on employees today by employers,” he says. “Time for family and social life has been cut sharply and stress levels have increased, bolstered by feelings of job insecurity.”

Dr Gupta, who has been participating in marathons for nearly two decades, adds that ‘runner’s high’ is scientific proven to reduce stress and enable people to cope better with pressure, because while running the body releases endorphins (good hormones) that cause the runner to feel upbeat and energised. 

“Running provides a short respite from your worries and gives you a focused opportunity to think through things,” he says.