How Organisations Can Support Employees’ Mental Well-being in Uncertain Times

As businesses reopen in the midst of an economic slump, lakhs of Indians are returning to work.
But shrugging off the psychological strain of the last few months won’t be easy. Studies show
that longer working hours, less time off, and sustained uncertainty have been taking a mental
toll on workers.

A survey by Microsoft found that Indians, who work the longest hours among the Asian
countries surveyed, saw their work-day lengthening by an hour on average. As a result, nearly
30% of workers experienced increased burnout, while 41% felt that their well-being was being
impacted by the “lack of separation between work and personal life”. A study by LinkedIn also
found an increase in work-life conflict. While 2 in 5 Indian professionals are experiencing higher
stress and anxiety, it found, only 1 in 5 have been able to take time off work. And 40% of
professionals felt financially unstable, which is not surprising, given that over two crore salaried
jobs have been lost during the pandemic.

In a nutshell, a workforce that’s more burnt-out, stressed and anxious is returning to the office
under the shadow of a pandemic and an economic slowdown. How can employers address this
challenge? Here are some ways to put your employees’ mental health front-and-centre in the
coming months.

Double down on workplace safety

As people emerge from the relative security of their homes to work side-by-side in offices once
more, health will be one of their biggest concerns. Hence, addressing people’s concerns about
safety should be paramount on employers’ list of priorities right now.

To start with, special care must be taken to protect the health of vulnerable (e.g pregnant
women, older workers or those with pre-existing medical conditions). If possible, safer transport
options like a company bus should be provided so that employees don’t have to rely on crowded
public transport. Similarly, employee benefits like Mediclaim should be extended to COVID-19
so that people don’t have to worry about the costs of treatment, should they need it. And finally,
employers should create awareness about safe workplace behaviours, and highlight successful
examples of adherence to such behaviours.

Offer counselling and support resources

Most people are reluctant to seek psychotherapy due to the stigma involved. Therefore,
organisations play an important role in normalising therapy and linking it to better workplace
outcomes.

Recognising the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental well-being, many organisations
today are creating avenues for employees to talk to therapists or counsellors. This can open the
doors to healthy discussions about mental health, and ensure that people get timely attention for
issues that, if left unchecked, could affect the entire workplace. It is also important for employers
to spell out that employees’ privacy will be safeguarded at all times, and that attending therapy
will have no bearing whatsoever on the latter’s perception or career growth in the organisation.

Let people decouple from work

Owing to budget and job cuts, many organisations today are working with leaner teams. For
existing employees, this could mean working overtime to deal with the additional burden. While
occasional overwork is to be expected in any job, functioning under sustained pressure for
weeks or months is not conducive to either physical or mental well-being.

Since certain employees—like parents of young children, or lower-rung staff who are the
breadwinners of their families—might be afraid to ask for time off due to the fear of losing their
jobs, organisations should address the issue proactively. Leaders should stress the health and
productivity benefits of decoupling for short intervals and coming back to work recharged.
Placing mutually-agreed limits on daily or weekly work hours, allowing people the freedom to
work from home, and making leave mandatory for employees who are noticeably overworked,
are some measures that can be taken.

Use the opportunity to revisit company culture

For the foreseeable future at least, it is likely that in-person gatherings will reduce, digital
communication will increase, and workforce teams will remain distributed. This makes it
important for teams to communicate seamlessly and with shared values and purpose, while also
avoiding the pitfalls that come with this milieu.

For instance, trust issues can crop up in distributed teams, with certain employees feeling like
they’re being unfairly stuck with most of the work. Others might feel isolated or excluded from
the rest of their colleagues, especially if they happen to be working in a different city or country.
With reduced office attendance, informal chats between co-workers, which are crucial for team
bonding, could dwindle. Stressed-out workers may also not think twice before sending rude or
dismissive emails to colleagues—something they would never do if they had to discuss the
matter face-to-face. Organisational leaders will need to address all these cultural aspects,
because in the long run they can lower trust and camaraderie and make the workplace feel like
a ‘colder’, more impersonal place.

The end of the lockdowns has brought hopes of a return to normalcy and ‘business as usual’
conditions. But with workers still facing considerable stress and uncertainty, it is becoming clear
that employers must step up to support them on the long and challenging path that lies ahead.
- Dr Ashwin Naik

Ashwin Naik is a healthcare entrepreneur (Manah Wellness) and author of The

Healthcare Gamechangers.