A Study of Impact of Pandemic Covid-19 on

Employees’ Mental Health With Respect To

Mumbai City

A Project Submitted to
University of Mumbai for Partial Completion of
Master in Commerce
Under the Faculty of Commerce

By
Mr. Akshay Anil Kelkar
Roll No. 120 (Management)

Under the Guidance of

Dr. Kanchan S. Fulmali

M L Dahanukar College of Commerce, Dixit Road

Vileparle east, Mumbai-400057

January 2021
A Study of Impact of Pandemic Covid-19 on
Employees’ Mental Health With Respect To
Mumbai City

A Project Submitted to
University of Mumbai for Partial Completion of
Master in Commerce
Under the Faculty of Commerce

By
Mr. Akshay Anil Kelkar
Roll No. 120 (Management)

Under the Guidance of

Dr. Kanchan S. Fulmali

M L Dahanukar College of Commerce, Dixit Road

Vileparle east, Mumbai-400057

January 2021
 Parle Tilak Vidyalaya Association’s
M. L. DAHANUKAR COLLEGE OF COMMERCE
(Affiliated to University of Mumbai)
Accredited with ‘B+’ Grade by NAAC
Dixit road, vile parle (east) Tel: 2617 / 9580 (Degree college)
Mumbai – 400057 26136/48 (SFC)
Email: mldc@rediffmail.com 26183614 (jr. College)
Website: www.mldcc.com

Date:

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Project Report Titled

“A Study of Impact of Pandemic Covid-19 on Employees’ Mental Health
With Reference To Mumbai City” is prepared by Mr. Akshay Anil Kelkar
Student of Master of Commerce Degree Part II / Semester III of University of
Mumbai conducted by our college.

Important sources used in this have been duly acknowledged in this report. The
report is submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Commerce
(Management) degree curriculum as per the rules of the University of Mumbai.

Mr. Samrat Gangurde Dr. D.M. Doke

(Co-ordinator) (Principal)

Internal Examiner External Examiner

(College Seal)
 DECLARATION

I the undersigned Mr. Akshay Anil Kelkar here by, declare that the work
embodied in this project work titled “ A Study of Impact of Pandemic Covid-
19 on Employees’ Mental Health With Respect To Mumbai City” forms my
own contribution to the research work carried out under the guidance of Dr.
Kanchan S. Fulmali is a result of my own research work and has not been
previously submitted to any other University for any other Degree/ Diploma to
this or any other University.
Wherever reference has been made to previous works of others, it has been clearly
indicated as such and included in bibliography.
I, here by further declare that all information of this document has been obtained
and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct.

Akshay Anil Kelkar

Certified by
Name and signature of the Guiding Teacher
 Acknowledgment

To list who all have helped me is difficult because they are so numerous and the
depth is so enormous

I would like to acknowledge the following as being idealistic channels and fresh
dimensions in the completion of this project.

I take this opportunity to thank to the University of Mumbai for giving me

chance to do this project.

I would like to thank my Principal Dr. DM Doke for providing the necessary
facilities required for completion of this project.

I take this opportunity to thank our coordinator Mr. Samrat Gangurde, for his
moral support and guidance

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude towards my project guide Dr.
Kanchana S. Fulmali whose guidance and care made the project successful.

Lastly, I would like to thank each and every person who directly or indirectly
helped me in the completion of the project especially my Parents and Peers
who supported me throughout my project.
 INDEX

SR.NO TOPIC PAGE NO

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Historical background 12

1.2 Relevance of the study 14

2 Research Methodology 15

2.1 Objectives of the study 15

2.2 Hypothesis 15

2.3 Limitations of the study 15

2.4 Significance of the study 16

2.5 Sources of data 16

3. Review of literature 18

4. Primary data analysis 30

5. Findings, Conclusion and Suggestions 48

5.1 Findings 48

5.2 Conclusions 50

5.3 Suggestions 51

Bibliography 53

Annexure 55
 1. INRODUCTION

The World Health Organization (WHO) on 11th March 2020 declared Novel Coronavirus as
Pandemic COVID 19. Which means global disease outbreak threatening whole planet. It put
whole world into panic and fear. WHO had already declared (on 30th March 2020) the
outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Since then almost
every country had started paying serious attention to it and took urgent and aggressive
actions. The outbreak was sudden and unexpected in most of the countries. The first known
case occurred in late December 2019. However some reports say that first case was found in
3rd week of November. Whenever Pandemics happens it does not only affect Physical health
of people but there are more dangerous implications of it on Society, Economy, Culture,
Education, Science and Technology and even Political sector. When people talk about
coronavirus they normally talk about its physical symptoms. It’s implications are also
measured in terms of mortality rate, stigma after treatment etc. From macro economic
perspective its economic impact, political impact, is considered. But here one of the
important factor seems to be overlooked which is MENTAL HEALTH. This paper helps to
broaden scope of workplace mental health., examining impact of pandemic on mental heath
of employees in terms of psychological distress and depression with specific to Mumbai city.
Sooner or later, health system will be faced with widespread demand to address these Covid
19 related mental health issues. International organizations including WHO is insisting for
integration of mental health and psychological support as COVID19 response. And UN
policy brief suggest that investments now will reduce the mental health effects later.
However, the pandemic related economic breakdown could impede an adequate mental
health response.
The virus was spreading at lightning speed to curb cases and flatten the curve many countries
including India imposed lockdown in whole country. And world was stuck totally.
During the lockdown there were 3 categories of employees.
1- Employees who were working in essential sectors like medical, food, bank etc.
2- Employees who were working in non essential sectors like accounting, finance,
information technology etc. During lockdown this people were not working in traditional
way. They were working remotely
3- Employees from this category were working before pandemic, but were not able to work
during lockdown. They were just sitting at home. They already had lost source of income
for few months. And many of them even lost their well paying job permanently.
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According to 2016 National Mental Health Survey of India which was conducted on a
nationally representative sample from 12 states of India, states that people from age group
30 to 60, which is working age group were already most affected from mental disorders.
Prevalence of disorders peak in this age group affecting work productivityand earning
potential and quality of life. And this case worsened during this pandemic. Employees from
above mentioned 3 categories were going from different mental health issues. Before going
into detail lets understand what is mental health and importance of it.

1.1 MENTAL HEALTH :

Health is important for the growth, development and productivity of a society and is vital for
a happy and healthy life anywhere in the world. Mankind generally focus more on physical
health. They take efforts to be physically fit. However people tend to ignore the fitness of
their mind. Man’s superiority lies in superior mind. Its because of exceptional mind he is
called superior among all animals. In fact man can control life due to highly developed brain.
Both physical and mental health is important in order to perform better and get good result
not only at workplace but in any field. Emotionally fit and stable employee always feel
vibrant and truly alive. He can easily manage challenging situations. To be physically strong
one has to be mentally strong also. Mental health contributes to person’s inner ability to be
self determined. Today the term mental health is being used increasingly. The World Heath
Organization definition of health includes physical, social, spiritual and Mental Health and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Since ancient times, India has given
importance to the health of people and has highlighted need for physically and mentally
healthy society. For instance in Rigveda in chapter 1- the speed of mind, curiosity, for
methods of mental happiness and methods of increasing intelligence have been described.

2
Also it has been stated that purification of mind prevents diseases in human beings,
2Therefore one should have noble thoughts. In ayurvedic a detailed description of various
mental disorders and there treatment has been described in Charak Samhita and Sushrut
Samhita. All this convey that mental health was considered and treated as one branch of
overall health since long.

Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral and emotional well-being. It is all about how
people think, feel and behave. People sometimes use the term Mental Health to mean absence
of Mental disorder. There is correlation between mental health and physical health. Both are
interdependent on each other. If mental health is not good it may affect physical health and
vice versa. However this link also works in the other directions. Factors in people’s lives,
interpersonal connections and physical factors can all contribute to mental health
disruptions. Looking after mental health can preserve a person’s ability to enjoy life. Doing
this involves reaching a balance between life activities, responsibilities and efforts to achieve
psychological resilience.

According to World Health Organization- “Mental health is a state of well being in which
an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can
work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” WHO stress
that the mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorder or disabilities. It
means mental health is about not only avoiding active conditions but also looking after
ongoing wellness and happiness. They also emphasize that preserving and restoring mental
health is crucial on an individual basis, as well as through out different communities and
societies the world over.

Its not that we can fall sick only physically, we can also fall sick mentally. Mental illness is
the instability of one’s health, which includes changes in emotion, thinking ability and
behaviour as well.

1.2 Covid -19 and Employees’ Mental Health :

The impact of this pandemic on business and economy as expected has been enormous.
Unsurprisingly the pandemic has had a massive impact on the world economy which some
experts claim mirrors the global financial crisis of 2008. Unemployment rates are soaring in
even the most developed countries. Nations have revised their growth rate forecast to reflect
the impact of the pandemic on their economy. In India, an estimated $4.5 billion were lost

3
daily during the lockdown. Looking at the impact of pandemic lockdown on such a large
scale, it is not possible to lose sight of how it affects individuals. As business stopped
operation, many people lost their source of income. A survey carried out by Azim Premji
University reports that about 2/3 of workers lost their source of income during lockdown.
But those are not only aspects of life One aspect that is overlooked but is of major concern
to many business is the mental health of employees during this pandemic. Having been in
lockdown for several weeks, the uncertainty and concern around our current situation and
the longer term outlook has generated a whole mix of emotions and related physical
symptoms. For many this extended period of isolation changed working conditions and lack
of social life has created stress, anxiety, boredom, and abnormal situations which were
previously manageable.

Before the pandemic employees mental health has been a point of concern for business
leaders and government. According to National Mental Health Survey of India 2016, the
weighted prevalence of depression for current and life time was 2.7% and 5.2%, respectively,
indicating nearly 1 in 40 persons suffers from past pandemic and nearly 1 in 20 persons
suffers from current depression. And it was highest among those residing in urban areas. We
can see that from following figure.

The mental health concern is not only caused by unemployment as many work related risk
factors contribute to poor mental health problems among workers. Mental health risks are

4
 often related to an interaction between the nature of work, the organizational and managerial
environment, the skills and the support available for employees to carry out their work.

This mental health risks that contribute to a reduction in employee productivity can manifest
in a variety of ways: inadequate health and safety policies, poor communication and
management practices, insufficient participation in the decision making process, lack of
control over the work area, inadequate employee support rigid or fixed working hours etc.
During this pandemic however, anxiety become and the uncertainty that surrounded future
expectation is the most prominent cause of disruption in employee mental health.

Since the pandemic began, cases of mental illness have spiked globally. A survey carried
out by Indian Psychiatric Society reveals that cases of mental illness have increased by 20%
since the beginning of the outbreak. For employees how the lockdown affects their mental
well being is pretty straightforward. However there are more causes to it. The major stressors
were as follows :

1.3 STRESSORS :

1. LOCKDOWN :
It is found that lockdown was the major stressor for all the people including employees.
Lockdown of people has been used as an efficient public health measure to curb spread of
coronavirus. It was done based on guidelines issued by WHO. It was good measure to allow
time to health system to prepare themselves and expand intake capacity.
The lockdown mainly applied to 3 main areas.
- Physical movement out of home
- Social distancing outside home
- Restricted availability of most public services

The prime minister of India declared complete lockdown of nation from 24th March 2020
to curb spread of virus. It was very sudden and unexpected. That increased panic and fear
among all. No one has neither experienced such lockdown nor was ready for it. Our lives
suddenly turned upside down. Newspapers were missing, Tea time with colleagues, Meet
with boss or juniors, socializing was major part of their routine before lockdown. Sudden
withdrawal from all this caused restless mental state. Employees who were alone at home

5
 felt lonely and isolated. In isolation find it difficult to perform ‘reality check’ for example
if their feelings and thoughts are congruent or different from their colleagues. Loneliness
and feeling of vulnerability promote fear which results in fearful speculations. Employees
whose work / project was near to complete, felt anger and exacerbation. Employees suddenly
had to change their plans, they had to spend energy and time on it. That increased the stress.
Some employees had gone outstation were stuck there only. One survey done in UK reveals
that almost 25 % of respondents experienced significantly worse anxiety and depression
during lockdown. Although lockdown was imposed for the public good, it took heavy toll
on psychological, emotional and financial burden for employees.

It is widely believed that impact of lockdown will be the most dangerous for poor individuals
as well as employees who living in densely populated urban areas. On 1st day of lockdown
some experts predicted that the resulting economic collapse would be especially devastating
for the bottom 50 % of workers in the informal sector. Which seemed to be true. Many
employees found it difficult to get food to eat. Employees who had migrated to Mumbai for
work wanted to go their home because of this. Employees who were not permanent resident
of Mumbai started walking towards their hometown. A research by EPIC India shows that
during lockdown weekly income and days worked fell by 56.5 and 73.3 % respectively.
Paper also shows that although relatively high rates of depression, challenges in food supply
chains and dwindling levels of saving pose serious threat to mental health.

2. PERCEPTION OF SAFETY, THREAT OF GETTING INFECTED :

The pandemic itself and safety measure taken for it lead to widespread fear and panic. Urban
people were likely to face higher rates of transmission risk. It was not because of density of
population but also because the quality of life there tends to be poor. Due to fear of infection
many employees who were working in essential sector were also trying to avoid going to
work. Employees feared that if they get infected, they have to be quarantined for 15 days. If
so happens they would have to miss work for those days. And situation was so critical that
there were chances of loosing job. And no employee wanted to play with fire. Feeling unsafe
and vulnerable to pandemic are according to some authors, predictors of poor mental health.

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3. JOB INSECURITY AND FINANCIAL LOSS :

Pandemics lead to macroeconomic disruptions. The outbreak caused closure of workplaces

as well as shortening working hours. As a measure to mitigate spread of disease. Business
were unable to operate on their previous full capacity. So either they have to close business
or reduce staff. So many employees were removed from their work. It is estimated hat more
than 10 million job were lost in India only. Rate of unemployment was highest since great
depression. A survey done conducted by brookings found that 24% respondents lost job or
income due to pandemic. Most of these job or income losses were due to being furloughed
and reduced working hours. Lower income groups and employees from age group of 18 to
24 were affected most. Those who managed to keep their job were also felt insecurity about
their job.

Some companies were operating or work from home. As companies had not predicted such
lockdown they were not ready for that, neither do employees. The facilities required for work
from home like PC/Laptop, High speed internet connection were not available to each
employee. Such employees were not able to do office work. This situation had negative
impact on employees’ financial capacity due to loss of income. Financial loss was also an
issue for employees who were infected because they had to admit in hospital for around 2

7
 weeks. Also employees who had travel history or contact with covid positive patient had to
live in institutional quarantine for 15 days. All such employees lost income for those days.
One study conducted in China among employees working in office, working from home and
employees who stopped working due to pandemic shows that the employees who stopped
working reported worse health and mental stress issues. A study done on SARS infection
showed that income reduction highly predicts psychological disorder. In addition, some
authors identify inadequate insurance and compensation as one of the risk factors for poor
mental health.
Job insecurity is stressful experience associated with distress and negative feelings. Little
research has examined the possible psychological implications of job insecurity during
pandemics, given the rarity of such events.
Similar to job insecurity, many people may also be experiencing greater financial concerns
due to the pandemic. Pay cuts were common response by employers during the pandemic.
I have met few Employees who were doing Driving job before pandemic. Earlier they were
getting somewhere 50 thousand rupees package for their car, but now they are only getting
32-35 thousand rupees for same car. Its not just pay cut that is affecting mental health but
timing of payment is also major cause. Employees are already getting lower payment but
that payment is also delayed by 2-3 months after completion of billing period is putting
additional stress.

4. COPE UP WITH WORK FROM HOME :

After declaring lockdown, home working has given some employers the flexibility they need
to continue their business operations while prioritizing employees’ health and well being as
part of their public health responsibility. Many employees liked this concept, they were
saving their commuting time from 1 hour to 3 hours per day. Along with time it also saved
their energy, as travelling in Mumbai local trains during peak hours is such a challenging
task and requires energy. That energy employees could utilize for work. And that time they
saved , now they could spend with family.
However working from home doesn’t suit everyone. In initial days employees found it good.
But in long term it a not a suitable option. Work from home requires physical infrastructure,
which was not available to all employees, and most of them were not able to even afford it.
We know that in Mumbai there is big issue of room/ flat. The employees who were living in
chawl had not even dedicated space to keep table chair. Its not comfortable for employees

8
to work whole day sitting in chair / bed or floor. In quiet place employees can focus well on
work. At home where joint family is there or kids are there, something will always happen
in house. Because of such things employees could not concentrate on work, their efficiency
decreased. Employees especially women employees found it difficult to manage both work
of house and office work. Being good wife they had to serve their family and manage work
also. Women employees were missing ME TIME, in this work from home. And that ME
TIME is important for mental health, according to Harjeet Khanduja, Vice president , HRM,
Reliance Jio. During summer season when temperature is so hot in Mumbai. Every employee
had not facility of AC in room, working in such temperature was not comfortable for
employees. It caused physical and mental stress.
Employees working from home felt disconnected from their and organization. Employers
felt isolated. Although through video call they could meet, it cannot match up with in
personal meeting. Video meeting cannot replace hugs while meeting which was most
required during such critical situations. The informal activities conducted in office help to
relax and release pressure or stress. But in work from home there is no such facility
available.

Office provides a clear physical distinction between work and home life. Offices are
designed in such a way that it creates suitable environment for work. Also there are vibration
that helps to increase productivity. When employee is in office his total focus lies on work
he forgets problems in home for that time. And when he is in home he spends quality time
with family. While working from home all his family problems were in front of him.
Employees were easily getting distracted by it and noise in home. Also even after being
home they were not able to spend time with family. That made mind confused. Employees
found it difficult to know when to switch off from work leading to longer hours. Some
employers were seen taking advantage of this situation. They were giving more work telling
employees use your travel time for work. All this led to addition of working hours and stress
and inevitable burn out.
Work from home was not suitable for group projects, where constant improvement is
required and constant feedback is taken from each others or seniors. That creativity and
improvement comes easily when all members working on project work together. In office
face to face meetings gives break to eyes from computer screen but in work from meetings
were taken in online mode only. Sitting in front of screen for long duration created eyes
irritation, resulting in mental irritation.

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5. HEALTH OF FAMILY MEMBERS.

Everyone loves his/her family more than him/herself. No doubt during pandemic employees
were concerned about their own health but along with that they were more concerned about
health of their family members, especially small children and senior citizens in family.
Being regularly bombarded by information about rising cases was adding more fear.
Employees who were working in healthcare sector were found more worried about family.
Though they were wearing protective gears while working, they were not sure whether this
will provide them complete safety or not. Such health workers when went home they were
intentionally staying away from their family members. Giving hug to son or daughter was
their distance dream. Staying away from parents, and children made employees isolated and
increased boredom. It was found in various reports that death ratio was higher among senior
citizens and people who already had some diseases like hypertension, diabetes. The
employees who had such disease were worrying for themselves, resulting imbalance in
mental health.

6. OVERFLOW OF NEWS AND MISINFORMATION

Coronavirus outbreak is a global crisis and has spread through out the world at unimaginable
speed. During such critical time mass media has played a huge role in circulating
information, spread awareness among public and influence the public behavior and to curtail
the spread of disease. It was media team who were doing ground reports, ground surveys
kept informed to people about reality all over the country which was necessary for panicked
public. However there was too much flow of information of coronavirus on all types of
media. Each time there was something to watch related to covid like TV coverage, news
stories, articles an even memes too.
A study done by Greater Good Magazine observed that – Taking in a constant stream of
alarming news increases your stress and anxiety. People were too sensible towards news,
They were watching news with some hope. It was found that during work break also
employees were watching news. Major TV channels were covering only covid related news.
Almost all the time they were showing data of infected people and death ratio. However
watching such news from time to impacted negatively and increased stress. People were
imagining what would happen to their family if they get infected. News were adding more
fear among them.

10
A Survey by greater good magazine among 500 people showed that more than half, around
58% people felt more stressed after reading or watching news. It had negative impact on
their mental health.
We can see that from following graph.

As Covid 19 was spreading all over the world so was the Tsunami of misinformation. At
time when reliable information was vital for people, fake news were spreading faster even
than the virus. Tedros Adhanom, director of WHO said “We are not just fighting an
epidemic. We are fighting an infodemic. Fake news spread faster and more easily than this
virus and is just as dangerous.”
Many conspiracy theories were spread and cures for virus like – taking dosage of
GOMUTRA (cow urine), drinking lemon bicarbonate etc. Holding breath for 10 seconds to
check if lung is healthy, seeping hot water that washes virus down to stomach and many
more. Before lockdown fake news was spread that virus spreads through chicken and fishes
which caused sudden downfall in demand of it. Many poultry owners buried chicks in their
farm house. Later in lockdown people were eating chicken with delight. Such was the irony.
Such fake news created dilemma before employees whether to believe in news or not. Such
confused state of mind had negative impact on work.

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 1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Covid 19 is a contagious disease caused by coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of

viruses that causes illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. It is a newly
identified human coronavirus and has been named SARS-COV-2. And disease caused by it
is called COVID-19.
Now virus is spreading at lightening speed and has affected almost all countries in the world.
In march considering magnitude of pandemic many countries imposed lockdown and
restricted movements of people as per advisory by WHO. Whenever pandemic happens
human life get largely affected. If we look into history of pandemic we will get to know that.
We will study few of them here.

1. The Black Death (1346-1353)

The Plague was the deadliest Pandemic recorded in human history. Also known as the Great
Mortality and was right to say that as it was very dangerous. To sense that what was black
death really like one has to imagine that – a third of population you know, or of the people
walking down the street, suddenly vanish. During the onslaught, there would be no place to
bury all the bodies; people would lie abandoned in the street, or curled up on the sidewalk,
choking the air until they died. You would meet a friend for lunch; by night he would be
dead. Such deadly was pandemic. This pandemic resulted in deaths of up to 75-200 million
people in Eurasia and North Africa. On eve of the first wave of the black death, England
and France went into war. Malnutrition,
poverty, disease and hunger coupled with war, growing inflation other economic concerns
made Europe in the mid 14th century ripe for tragedy.

2. The third Plague pandemic (1855)

It was major Plague pandemic that began in China. It led to death of around 12 million people
out of which 10 millions were from India alone. India was under british rule that time. The
repressive actions by government to control pandemic were criticized by nationalist. Activist
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was even charged with sedition and sent to jail. In June 1897 Chapekar
brothers killed officer rand who was chairman of Pune Special Plague Committee.

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3. Spanish Flu (1918-1920)
It infected around half a billion population – about a third of world’s population that time.
In 4 successive waves. The death toll have been somewhere between 17 million and 50
million. Making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. Many scholars argue that
because of 1st World War and subsequent peace treaty was influenced by this pandemic.
During that time there was no healthcare facility as it is today. Hospitals in most of the areas
were overloaded with flu patient that schools, private homes and other buildings had to be
converted into makeshift hospitals, some of which were staffed by medical students.
Officials in some communities imposed quarantine , ordered citizens to wear masks and shut
down public places including schools, churches. Libraries put a halt on lending books and
regulations were passed banning spitting.

The flu took heavy toll, wiping out entire families and leaving countless widows and orphans
in its wake. Funeral parlors were overwhelmed and bodies piled up. Many business and
entertainment industries suffered losses whereas healthcare industry reported gain. Basic
services such as mail delivery and garbage collection were hindered due to flu stricken
workers. In some places there weren’t enough farm workers to harvest crops. Even state and
local health departments closed for business. A 2018 study found that pandemic has reduced
education attainment in population

4. Swine Flu (2009) :

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the H1N1 pandemic in June 2009. It was
influenza pandemic that lasted about 19 months and was the second of 2 pandemics
involving H1N1. Some studies estimated that the actual number of cases could be 700
million. And deaths are estimated to around 284000. It also observed quarantine and school
closure.
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 1.2.RELEVANCE

“Good mental health is absolutely fundamental to overall health and wellbeing.” Said dr.
Tedrose – Director General WHO. When WHO declared coronavirus pandemic countries
started adopting measures such as curfew, lockdown or shutdown. As per WHO reports by
April 2020, about half of population of world was under lockdown, with more that 3.9 billion
people in more than 90 countries. From past we can see that pandemic can lead to sharp
shocks to the worldwide economies and societies. According to the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development’s latest interim Economic Outlook (2020), “The
pandemic presents the global economy with its greatest danger since the 2009 financial
crisis. A slowdown in world growth is expected. Even in India government estimates GDP
to contract by 7.7 % in 2020-21 financial year. This situation has affected negatively on
business and individual employment. Many employees already have lost their job position.
But what about their mental health in this context ? COVID19 has resulted in an increase in
known risk factor for mental health problems together with unpredictability and uncertainty,
lockdown and physical distancing have lead to social isolation, loss of income, loneliness,
inactivity, limited access to basic services. Down turn in economy has led to unemployment,
financial insecurity. Employees have to suddenly cope up with Work From Home. Thereby
having deterious effect on physical and mental health and quality of life. Government, media
and even organizations are making efforts to spread awareness how to remain safe and no to
get infected. However we are not seeing such efforts for mental health even though it is at
par or sometimes more important than physical health. So It is necessary to study main
stressors for employees during pandemic, after pandemic , moderators and possible solution
to reduce stress. Steps needed to be taken from Human Resource Management perspective /
organizational perspective, From policymaking and administrative perspective. And what
care employees can take to be mentally healthy.
14
 2.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

• To understand the implications of pandemic on mental health of employees.

• To understand major stressors affecting mental health.
• To understand major moderators which reduced stress of employees.
• To understand how change in working condition is affecting mental health of
employees.
• To know measures taken by organizations for employees’ mental wellbeing.
• To know importance of mental wellbeing of employee.
• To know if closure of entertainment industry has any co relation with employees mental
health.

2.2 HYPOTHESIS
• H0 : Covid-19 had no impact on mental health of employees.
• H1 : Covid-19 had impact on mental health p

2.3 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

• This study has limited the study area only to Mumbai city. It can be further extended to
other cities to study national and global level impact of pandemic on employees’ health.
• This study has analysed few stressors such as lockdown, financial insecurity, job loss,
work from home, work pressure. Other stressors are left to be covered.
• There is possibility of getting varied / poor responses depending upon respondents work
profile and there ability to assess pandemic and its effect on their mental health.
• The study scope has limited its data gathering to individual employees as respondents
this can be further extended to corporates, employers, government officials, financial
institutions and mental health institutions.
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• This study is based on current pandemic situation and its related factor. Responses may
differ in future studies
• The study is based on data provided by different sources, any incorrectness or biasness
in same might have affected study.
• The primary data is collected by the method of questionnaire, which lacks the sense of
personal touch and communication with the respondent
• Any misinformation provided by the respondent knowingly or unknowingly may
impact the study.
• The study does not include any change in government policy which may directly or
indirectly impact mental health on employee.

2.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

• The study will reveal information about stressors that have impact on employees mental
health.
• This study is important from organizational point of view to help them understand
causes behind employees lower mental health, it’s relation with productivity and
measures required to be taken for mental wellbeing of employees.
• The study will provide understanding to readers about mental health. It will make them
aware about health importance And it will help them to take care of their both physical
and mental health. It will help to reduce their probability of being victim of mental
health issue.
• This study will work as tool for expert while framing policies for employees and
guidelines for organizations.

2.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Sources of Data :

• Primary Data : Market research through survey :

In this method a structured questionnaire is used to get responses from
respondents. The questionnaire was shared across social media platforms. It was

16
 extensively applied to p[resent the respondent with fixed choices in Google Form,
which encouraged respondents to share their perspective in an easy and organized
manner.
Sample Size : 92
Area : Mumbai

• Secondary Data :
Sources of secondary data were broad based and easily accessible. It provided a
deeper insight into existing knowledge and information of the current pandemic
impact on employees.
Following external sources were used :-
1. World Health Organization Reports
2. Newspapers
3. Articles and Blogs
4. Internet

17
 3. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

IT IS NORMAL TO FEEL BAD RIGHT NOW. – Dr. Samantha Meltzer, chair – department
of psychiatry , University of north Carolina.

On world mental health day she explained that – many people feel like their sense of stability
has changed and that their lives look quite different this days. As a result they feel like they
walking on shifting sands and feel highly unsettled, anxious or depressed. Uncertainty about
the future and a persons inability to shape it. She further explains that our brains and bodies
are wired to respond to threats and when they are activated, our brains ability to concentrate
decreases. According to her If anyone feels this way, this means his body is doing what has
been wired to survive. It does not mean he is broken or poorly wired. This feeling might also
be something we are surviving for a long time. While we need to cope up with the depression
and anxiety we are experiencing.

MAINTAINING GOOD MENTAL HEALTH IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT FOR

DRIVING QUALITY OF LIFE.
Article by PAYCHEX WORX, Dated 22nd July 2020

They surveyed more than 1000 full time employees in US to learn how the COVID-19
pandemic affected their work ability and state of mind.

According to survey disorders like depression can take toll on individuals, affecting their
immune system to their sleep and interpersonal relations. Adults are thought to have at least
one depressive episode annually. Lockdown due to pandemic, loss of lives and economic
toll are expected to deeply impact workplace mental well being. Out of the total survey
respondents majority of their respondents were working from home. Many of them think the
social isolation was affecting their mental health.

18
About half of all respondents said their mental health worsened during pandemic. This
percentage was higher in employees who were working on site. It includes health care
workers and employees who were working in essential sector. Mental health is related to
many other factors like motivation, productivity. Decline was found in this factors also.

Take a example of productivity

About 1/3 of employees were found to have difficulties working at their typical level of
productivity due to their current state of mental health. It was not just case of employees who
were working remotely but employees working on site also agreed to it. In fact their number
was higher than remotely working people.

19
36 % OF INDIAN EMPLOYEES BATTLING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES SINCE
BEGINNING OF PANDEMIC.

The Economic Times, 29 September 2020

A survey by the HR and well being firm – 7th Fold, highlights the impact of the current
pandemic on the mental and physical wellbeing of employees in India. It found that 36 %
of India Inc employees reported that their mental health has worsened more than double of
physical health ( 17 %). Employees with less than 5 lac annual income were more vulnerable
to it. Their major reason of stress was personal finance and career prospect. Survey found
employees working from home were more worried about self and family’s mental health.
28% employees reported burnout with 48 % feeling stressed due to task deadlines. Mental
health of unemployed was worst. Half of respondents reported anxiety with 61 % of them
feeling stressed and 42 % feeling anger.

Survey observed that physical and mental well being are co related, one cannot be managed
at the expenses of other.

THE SECOND BIGGEST IMPACT OF COVID- 19 IN INDIA AFTER TOLL ON

HEALTH HAS BEEN JOB LOSS.

Money control, 15 August 2020

Data compiled by money control based on industry estimates showed that 10.8 million jobs
have been lost across sectors since the lockdown.

20
This is worst ever job loss since 2009 economic crisis when about 5 million jobs were lost.
Now around double of that jobs have lost.

TRAVEL AND TOURISM : Travel and Tourism industry was largely hit. It was obvious
as due to lockdown no one was able to step out of home. Travel agents, drivers and tour
guide were among worst hit.

HOSPITALITY : Size of Indian hospitality industry is estimated to be $ 10 billion with

around 35 million employees. Till August, industrial estimates suggest hat 3.8 million jobs
have been lost in hospitality sector. Till august about 60 eateries closed permanently only in
Mumbai. Restaurant named Mirchi & Mime in Powai which had hired hearing challenged
staff through tie ups with NGOs announced its permanent closer. There are many examples
like this which. But all of them may not have announced.

AUTOMOBILE AND TRANSPORT SECTOR : The transportation sector has jobs related
too truck driver, autorickshaws, buses, taxis. During lockdown due to travel restrictions and
adoption of remote working about 9,90,000 such workers are out of job. As per repots of
Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) 150,000 bus staffers were in financial
distress. So they tried to get financial help from Maharashtra Government.

RETAIL : It includes street vendors, small stores. Retail sector employs about 6 million
people across India. According to the Retail Association of India small retail sector is
estimated to lay off 30 % of manpower. It said that 20 % of workers who have gone to village
are unwilling to get back to work due to fear of infection.

IT SECTOR : IT sector provides employment to around 5 million people in India. This

sector has been relatively less affected than other traditional sectors. However as per industry
estimates this sector has let go off about 1,50,000 jobs till August. This includes client facing
roles, where projects have been withdrawn , new projects dried out along with BPO jobs.
Many IT service providing companies is laying off employees dur to less work.

STARTUPS : Startups were among the early victims of the pandemic. Major food delivery
apps like Swiggy, Zomato said that they would lay off around 10 % employees and also shut
down some of its business due to crisis. Ride aggregation platforms Ola and Uber had also
announced plans to lay off 1400 and 600 employees respectively.

BFSI : Banking, Financial Services, Insurance sector employs around 9 million people in
services. Even though this sector came under Essential service it is estimated that around

21
30000 jobs were lost till August 2020. Many people give too much importance to job and it
should because they get to required money to sustain from it. And due to some reason if they
lost it will create big problems especially during such ongoing crisis. Job losses in all this
sector resulted in decrease in mental wellbeing of employees as well as their family.

CHALLENING TIMES ARE TAKING A TOLL ON PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH

Article by OnSite Wellness, 4th January 2021

As per this article the impact of covid-19 and life in a pandemic has affected many employees
mental health. It has caused increase in anxiety and depression symptoms. Which has tripled
from 2019.

These mental struggles has affected personal life as well as work life negatively. It was
reported that 51% people thought that their mental health was worse at work since covid 19
started. Its especially affecting younger generations.

In total around 1/3 of employees said they were having difficulties working at their typical
level of productivity due to lowered mental health.

22
JOB INSECURITY AND FINANCIAL CONCERN DURING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC ARE ASSOCIATED WITH WORSE MENTAL HEALTH.

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, September 2020.

JOEM conducted research to determine whether job insecurity and financial concerns due
to COVID-19 pandemic, were associated with worse mental health.

Job insecurity is a stressful experience associated with distress and negative feelings. There
are many research which have shown increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms related
to experiencing job insecurity due to epidemic. During the equine influenza outbreak, people
whose main source of income was on horse related industry, were going through
psychological distress.

Similar to job insecurity , many people were also experiencing financial concern due to the
pandemic. Pay cuts were a common response by employers and many people saw pandemic
as a major threat to personal finance. Those who reported pandemic as threat to their finance
about half of them reported experiencing medium to high levels of psychological distress
along depression and anxiety. Recently experts have proved that the relation between
economic hardship and mental well being explained by concern regarding one’s financial
situation. Like economic hardship, individuals experiencing job insecurity during the
pandemic also reported poorer mental health due to greater concern about personal finance.
The research examined the extent to which job insecurity and financial concern were related
to mental health.

Research found anxiety and depressive symptoms were positively co related. Greater anxiety
symptoms were corelated with greater job insecurity, financial concern, concern about
covid- 19, daily life being affected by covid 19, perceived likelihood of contracting covid
19, following media coverage and lockdown and isolation. Finding demonstrate independent
links between greater financial concern with greater anxiety symptoms and greater job

insecurity with greater anxiety symptoms. Not financial concern but job insecurity was
associated with depressive symptoms may be due to sense of hopelessness. Hopelessness
represents an important risk factor of depression which consist of negative expectations
about a highly valued outcome.

23
MENTAL HEALTH IS HEALTH

Dr. Rona Hu, Clinical professor of psychiatry and Associate Dean Stanford University
school of medicine, Forbes Magazine, 10 October 2020

A system that avoids or discriminates against mental healthcare is a system that ignores who
we are as human beings. There is no Health without Mental Health. Stigma and lack of
access prevent with many mental illness from getting the treatment they need to decrease
their suffering. As such, she emphasized that attention and access to mental health care needs
greater prioritization in this country.

In this advocacy, it is important to work to make physical health and mental health equivalent
and recognize that there are continued disparities in who has access to good mental health
care. While 2020 has been a unique and hard year, one thing that has not changed is how
critical mental health access and delivery is particularly for most vulnerable populations.
She remarked as health care for millions of populations remains in peril amidst an escalating
covid-19 . public heath crisis, We must continue to sound the alarm for increased awareness
advocacy, and investment in mental health worldwide.

COVID-19 DISRUPTING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE IN MOST COUNTRIES.

WHO Survey, on World Mental Health Day 2020,

The pandemic has disrupted mental health services in 93 % countries worldwide as per new
WHO survey. The survey was conducted in 130 countries, which provides data showing the
devastating impact of covid-19 on mental health on access to mental health services and
underscores the urgent need for increased funding. The survey was published ahead of World
Mental Health day, 10 October 2020.

The survey was conducted from June to August 2020 among 130 countries. It evaluated how
the provisions of mental neurological and substance use services has changed due to covid-
19, the types of services that have been disrupted, and how countries are adopting to

overcome these challenges. Over 60% reported disruptions to mental health services for
vulnerable people, including children and adolescents. 30% reported disruptions to access
for medications for mental, neurological and substance use disorders. Although 89% of

24
countries reported in the survey that mental health and psychological support is part of their
national covid-19 response plans only 17% of these countries have full additional funding
for covering these activities.

WHO has previously highlighted the underfunding of mental health. It was observed that
before pandemic countries were spending less than 2% of their national health budgets on
mental health and struggling to meet their citizens’ needs.

During critical situations like pandemic demand for mental health increases. Lockdown,
isolation, loss of job, financial insecurity fear were triggering mental health conditions or
exacerbating existing ones. Many people were facing increased level of drug use, alcohol
use, insomnia and anxiety. WHO says that Covid-19 itself can lead to neurological and
mental complications, such as delirium, agitation and stroke. People with pre existing
mental, neurological or substance use disorders are also more vulnerable to coronavirus
infection. They have higher chances of severe outcomes and even death.

HOW HAS COVID-19 AFFECTED MENTAL HEALTH, SEVERITY OF STRESS

AMONG EMPLOYEES ?

Matthew Gavidia, American Journal of Managed Care, 21 April 2020.

A survey by AJMC shows that, nearly 7 in 10 employees agreed that pandemic is the most
stressful time of their entire professional career which has aligned with stark increases in
new prescription like depression, anxiety. The findings in survey indicate stress induced
impact on employees also it indicates major implications for employers.

According to survey 9 out of 10 workers reported experiencing moderate to extreme stress

over past 4 to 6 weeks. Among those reporting stress, 62% noted losing at least 1 hour a day
in productivity and 32% lost at least 2 hours a day due to Covid-19 related stress. Research
confirms that employers need to make mental health support a critical aspect of that plan, or
risk an impact on productivity.

Stress have a profound impact on employees. Its frequent association with depression,
insomnia, anxiety are clearly noticeable during pandemic. Researcher highlighted that that

25
from February 16 to March 15, during period of one month, prescription filled per week for
antidepressant, anxiety medications increased by 21%. The rise in new cases indicated a
troubling association with Covid-19 related stress. Research tells that Both frontline workers
and employees working from home are urgently in need of accessible, equitable mental
health benefits during such critical situation than ever.

WORK SPACES AT HOME COULD POTENTIALLY HARM OUR MENTAL HEALTH

The Indian Express, 7 October 2020

Working odd hours, sometimes between episodes on Netflix, compromising on family time
and Me time, has resulted in diluting the sanctity of each area. Among the many changes
and challenges that have been brought about by the pandemic, forced employees to adjust
with work from home. 90 % of employees working in private sector have turned to remote
working. Offices made sure that by socially distancing their employees, they are keeping
them from spreading virus.

But the new culture has also brought about some uncomfortable adjustment that employees
are having to deal with at the cost of their mental health. Researcher says that families have
been thrown together and restricted into a space that was earlier called home. He warns that
the fallout of this could range from sleeplessness to anxiety, chronic fatigue, lack of focus,
substance abuse, anger , drop in immunity, failing relationship and even depression and
suicide.

65 % INDIANS STRESSED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Survey by YourDost

We are living in unprecedented times. The covid-19 pandemic and resulting safety measures
have completely taken over our lives. That this will affect our mental and emotional wellness
is a given. The only question is how ?

26
YourDost is online emotional wellness coach. They say that they have been approached by
numerous clients for support since the Covid-19 outbreak started in India. Along with
general pubic many working professionals approached their experts, seeking support for
dealing with loneliness and concentration issues with work arising due to work from home.

To further explore they conducted a survey whose respondents were students, working
professionals, retired employees, house wives. In short it has diverse set of respondents.

As we can see nearly 1/3 of respondents reported experiencing very high to extreme high
stress. Over all 65 % of the survey respondents reported feeling stressed because of the
pandemic.

24 % DOMESTIC WORKERS LOSE JOB PERMANENTLY TO COVID-19

Mumbai Mirror, 7 September 2020

National Domestic Worker’s welfare Trust and Maharashtra Gharelu Kamgar Sanghatana,
have conducted survey after lockdown was lifted. The union spoke to more than 5500
families of the domestic workers in Mumbai and other urban areas. Despite Maharashtra
government’s directive to allow domestic workers on duty, 24% of them have lost jobs

27
permanently and 62 % of them lost their employment partially. They found that due to job
loss, 46% of workers facing housing issues as they do not own a house. 43 % have lost food
security as they have no ration card. 66 % facing Education related problems- they are not
able to pay fees for their children for the new academic year started from June. Even after
unlock, there was still a bias towards the domestic workers and many families have not
allowed them to resume duties.

JOB LOSS AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE

Research paper published in EPIC INDIA, May 2020

The paper studies the impact of almost 2 months of India lockdown on poor and non migrant
workers of Delhi. They conducted survey of more than 5000 individuals residing in Delhi.
Data was collected before and during the crisis, it highlights 3 patterns

• Lockdown resulted in significant economic cost

• Lockdown resulted in widespread compliance with public health directives
• Lockdown resulted in hunger.

Data suggest that, the India lockdown imposed harsh financial consequences. At the same
time, it induced substantial compliance with public health directives important in limiting
the spread of Covid-19, and these changes were driven by high levels of fear and media
exposure. With diminishing level of savings, there remains serious concern about alarming
rate of hunger.

28
Data also shows that among non-economic costs experienced during lockdown, challenges
in accessing food supply chains tops in list. On 2nd number there is struggle with mental and
emotional well being.

Research concludes that despite the debilitating economic costs of the India lockdown, the
potential value of the lives saved from social distancing and lockdown may also be large.
This is especially the case in setting with underlying vulnerabilities, such as high levels of
pre existing health conditions, poor water and sanitation and high population densities.

29
 4. PRIMAY DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATIONS

1. GENDER

Objective :

To know the male : female :others ratio and thereby analysis data.

Analysis

Gender Respondents Percentage

Male 45 48.9 %
Female 45 48.9 %
Other 2 2.2 %
Total Sample 92 100 %

Interpretation:

It can be interpreted that both male and female respondents are equal in survey. So survey would
display equal opinion of both male and female.

30
2. AGE

Objective :

To know about general demographics of the sample surveyed. It would help in further
understanding age group which was largely affected by pandemic.

Analysis:

Age group Respondents Percentage

20 – 30 58 63%
30- 40 21 22.8%

40 – 50 12 13%
50- 60 1 1.1%
Total Sample 92 100%

Interpretation :

It can be interpreted that the sample survey mainly consisted of age group 20-30 years and
following data would be representing the responses in proportion of the age groups.

31
3. TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT

Objective:

To know about general employment of respondents.

Analysis:

Employment Respondents Percentage

Full time 55 59.8 %

Part Time 19 20.7 %
Self Employed 8 8.7 %
Independent Contractor 4 4.3 %
Other 6 6.5 %
Total 92 100 %

Interpretation:

From the above table it is evident about 60 % respondents were working full time and about 20 %
employees working part time. As more employees are full time which is our focused group.
Following analysis will show real impact on employees.

32
4. DO YOU THINK PANDEMIC COVID 19 HAS IMPLICATION ON MENTAL HEALTH ?

Objective:

To know in general implications of pandemic on mental health of employees.

Analysis:

Has Implications on mental Respondents Percentage.

health
Yes 60 65.2 %
No 25 27.2 %
Not sure 7 7.7 %
Total 92 100 %

Interpretation

About 2/3 of respondents felt that Pandemic has implications on mental health. So it is clear that
pandemic has affected mental health. However about a quarter respondents feel that it has not any
implications and 7.6 % respondents are not sure whether there are implications on mental health or
not.

33
5. KIND OF IMPLICATION

Objective
To know what kind of implication pandemic has on Mental health of respondents.

Interpretation

With lack of concentration and feeling of stress gaining popular opinion, its clear that
pandemic has negatively affected on work of employees. Some employees were also feeling
Anxiety (34.8%) Sleep disturbance ( 33.7 %) Lacking motivation ( 40.4 %) and depression
(37.1 %).

34
6. DO YOU THINK YOU WERE UNDER MENTAL STRESS BEFORE PANDEMIC COVID-
19

Objective

To compare mental health of employees before pandemic and after pandemic, it was
necessary to know how many respondents were already dealing with mental stress.

Analysis

Were under mental stress Respondents Percentage

Yes 18 19.6 %
No 50 54.3 %
Maybe 24 26.1%
Total 92 100 %

Interpretation

More than half of respondents were not going through any mental stress. They were mentally
healthy before pandemic. Signifies that major cases of mental stress during pandemic were
new, who were mentally strong before. Around quarter of population were not sure about
their mental health. Around 1/5 population already going through mental stress and
pandemic worsened their situation.

35
7. DO YOU THINK YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IS AFFECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC ?

Objective

To know if pandemic has impact on mental health in general especially negative impact.

Analysis

Mental health affected Respondents Percentage

Yes 36 39.1 %
No 42 45.7 %
Not sure 14 15.2 %
Total 92 100 %

Interpretation

Before pandemic around 20 % respondents felt that they were not going through any mental health
issue but during pandemic around 40 % employee felt that their mental health is affected due to
pandemic. The number was almost doubled during small span of time. Some respondents felt
pandemic has not any impact on mental health (45.7 %). 15.2 % respondents were not sure whether
pandemic has affected on their health or not.

36
8. IF MENTAL HEALTH IS AFFECTED, REASONS BEHIND THAT.

Objective

Pandemic was such situation that people’s normal life got affected. There was not just a
single change but employees had to face many challenges at a time. There are various factors
that affected mental health of employees. To know which factors affected on large scale on
mental health.

Interpretation

From above diagram we can interpret that work pressure was major cause (45.6%) behind
mental stress. Due to lockdown employees had to work from home, employees found it
difficult to cope up with work from home. And it was second reason behind mental stress
(38%). On third number there comes financial insecurity (36.7 %). All other factors were
on similar line in the range of 25 to 30 %. We can clearly interpret that all the mentioned
factors had some share in causing overall negative impact on mental health.

37
9. HAS YOUR ORGANIZATION TAKEN ANY MEASURES FOR MENTAL WELL BEING
OF EMPLOYEES.

Objective

Its clear from the above analysis that employees mental health was affected during pandemic. It
was necessary to know whether organization had taken any measures to reduce that stress.

Analysis

Whether measures taken Respondents Percentage

Yes 43 46.7 %
No 49 53.3 %
Total 92 100 %

Interpretation

More than half of organizations had not taken any measures for employees mental health. It was a
critical time for all during such times it was moral responsibility of employers and promoters to
take care of employees mental health. But they failed to do so. However 46.7 % respondents tell
that their organization took positive measures. Which is good one.

38
10. WERE YOU GETTING TIMELY PAYMENT FOR YOUR WORK DURING AND AFTER
LOCKDOWN ?

Objective

During pandemic economy was not doing well. So to know how employees were getting paid, and
whether they were getting paid timely and had their own money to spend when need arised.

Analysis

Timely payment Respondent Percentage

Yes 64 69.6 %
No 28 30.4
Total 92 100 %

Interpretation

About 2/3 of employees were getting timely paid during pandemic for their work. Still there were
some employees who were not getting timely payment around 1/3 (30.4% ). It created regular
money problem before them. And added one more burden of stress on them.

39
11. ACCORDING TO YOU HOW WORK FROM HOME HAS AFFECTED MENTAL
HEALTH

Objective

To know whether work from was savior for employees or not. Whether it has more positive
outcomes or negative outcomes. And its overall impact on mental health according to employees.
It was also objective to know, if given the choice employees would prefer to work from home or
work from office.

Analysis

Impact of work from home Respondents Percentage

Positive 23 25 %
Negative 56 60.9 %
Not affected 13 14.1 %
Total 92 100 %

40
Interpretation

In our introduction part we already have discussed that how pandemic has more negative
impact than positive one. Even here 70% of respondents feel that work from home has
affected negatively on their mental health. Though it was viable option for short time as both
employers and employees had no choice but to work from home or leaving job. But given
the negative impact it cannot be a good option for long term. If employers want to continue
work from home, then they have to research more on that and find measures which will
increase positivity.

However there are still some employees who like work from home , About quarter of total
respondent feel work from home has affected positively on their mental health.

14 % respondents say that there is no connection between work from home and mental health
and mental health stands unaffected.

41
12. DO YOU THINK UNAVAILABILITY OF LOCAL TRAINS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC HAS
INCRESED STRESS OF WORKING EMPLOYEES IN MUMBAI.

Objective

Local train of Mumbai is called Lifeline of Mumbai. After Unlock most of the sectors and other
means of transport were opened up but local tarins were not started for general public. To know
whether it was adding stress on employees who stated working outside home. And if trains were
opened up for general public whether it would have helped reduce stress on employees who were
travelling to go to office and other work.

Analysis

Unavailability of local trains Respondents Percentage

increased stress
Yes 56 60.9 %
No 21 22.8 %
Not sure 15 16.3 %
Total 92 100 %

42
Interpretation

Local Trains in Mumbai are major means of communication for people in Mumbai. As trains were
not available for general public, travelling time was increased. Which was adding physical and
mental stress. 60 % of respondents feel that unavailability of traains increased stress. However
Around quarter of people ( 22.8 %) respondents don’t agree with it. May be because they feel it
was required for preventing spread of virus. 16.3 % respondents are not sure whether it increased
stress or not.

43
13. DO YOU AGREE THAT IF INSTRUMENTS OF ENTERTAINMENT LIKE THEATRE,
PARK SHOWS WERE OPEN, IT WOULD HAVE REDUCED MENTAL STRESS.

Objective

Entertainment is meant to reduce stress. To know opinion of employees if such means of

entertainment would have been available would that have reduced stress

Analysis

Availability of Respondents Percentage

entertainment would
reduce stress
Strongly agree 12 13 %
Agree 20 21.7 %
Neutral 18 19.6 %
Disagree 22 23.9 %
Strongly disagree 20 21.7 %
Total 92 100 %

Interpretation

From above analysis we can say that more people were disagree (45.6 %) that entertainment
industry would have reduced stress. It may be because opening up entertainment would have
increased infection rate. However 34.7 % respondents agree to it.

44
14. DO YOU AGREE THAT PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED NEGATIVELY ON
PRODUCTIVITY DUE TO LOWER MENTAL HEALTH.

Objective

To know opinion of employees if productivity decreases when mental health is not good.

Analysis

Pandemic affected Respondents Percentage

negatively on productivity
Agree 35 38%
Disagree 20 21.7 %
Neutral 24 26.1 %
Agree but reason is different 13 14.1 %
Total 92 100

Interpretation

More than 1/3 of respondents (38%) feel that Pandemic has affected negatively on productivity
due to lower mental health. It also tells that mental health is one of the important factor when it
comes to productivity. However 21.7% respondents don’t agree with that. 14 % respondents feel
their productivity is decreased but its due to other reasons.

45
15. ARE YOU AWARE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDING
INSTITUITIONS ?

Objective

To do reality check if employees are aware about mental health service institution or not.

Analysis

Aware about mental health Respondents Percentage

care institutions
Yes 56 60.9 %
No 36 39.1 %
Total 92 100%

Interpretation

Majority of respondents (60.9%) are aware about mental health institutions. It means if
required they may approach to institutions for help. However there are still 39.1 % of
respondents who are not even aware about that such institutions exist. There is need to spread
awareness among employees.

46
16. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING YOU ARE / WERE WORRIED ABOUT DURING
PANDEMIC

Objective

To know what were factors that employees were worrying and which factors were major
stressors for employees.

Interpretation

From above chart it can be interpreted that respondents were more worried about their
physical health. And it was obvious. Second most worrying factor was health of family
members. People were worried about economy also. The data clearly doesn’t show that
respondents were worried about their mental health. However worry about other factors
resulted in mental stress.

47
 5. FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 FINDINGS

• There is no doubt that pandemic Covid-19 has affected mental health of employees

• While mental health has been impacted by many factors expert believes nationwide

lockdown, work from home and job loss are top factors behind decreasing mental health

of employee.

• Before pandemic also employees were experiencing mental stress but ratio of employees
talking about it openly was much lower.

• After unlock many domestic workers found it difficult to get previous job. Many

employees experienced pay cuts or have to work in lesser salary.

• Work from home cannot totally replace regular office work. People prefer to work in

office over work from home in long term.

• Mental health and physical health are co-related. Good mental health is required for good

physical health and vice versa.

• Mental health is one of the important factor when it comes to productivity of employees

at work place.

• Many employees feel embarrassed to talk about mental health issues openly with their

colleague or boss.

48
• Non availability of local trains for regular commuters has resulted in more physical and

mental stress.

• The proportion of budget allocated for mental health in organization as well as by

government is very low compared to its importance.

49
 5.2 CONCLUSION

The current pandemic due to the novel Coronavirus (covid-19) has resulted in considerable
stress to the health system throughout the world. In both developed and developing countries,
the health resources are prioritized to handle the pandemic. Covid-19 pandemic is unique in
terms of other pandemic that have occurred in history in many aspects. One noteworthy
factor is the availability of technology that has potential to handle several challenges.

The mental health issues in the context of the Covid-19 in India are more complex due to
large proportion of socially and economically vulnerable population, high burden of pre
existing mental illness, constrained mental health service infrastructure, less penetration of
digital mental health solutions, and above all scare created due to tremendous
misinformation on social media. Thus, intervention should also be specific and relevant to
circumstances in India. There is definite need for specialized psychological intervention and
proper and consistent risk communication. An updated, timely, uncomplicated guidelines
should be put forth in order to avoid confusion and anxiety among people. Hence keeping a
positive approach, effective communication strategies and understanding problem statement,
will help in dealing with the mental health issues faced by the world in this hour of crisis.

Pandemic like other natural disaster, negatively affect the mental heath of community in
general and employees being part of community they also get affected. Employees are
considered as asset of organization. To work efficiently they require fuel in terms of good
physical and mental health. In a global pandemic like Covid-19 each organization have to
look after employees’ health especially mental health. They have to create and promote
culture where employees can comfortably talk if they face any mental health issue.

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 5.3 SUGGESTION

• To start with, each of us needs to develop a better understanding of the importance of

good mental health.

• We need to understand its intricate connection with our physical and emotional health.

• It is essential for policy makers to ensure that mental health is integrated into the broad
framework of Covid-19 heath care response to ensure adequate and appropriate care to
employees who are mentally disturbed following the pandemic.

• Yoga and meditation appears to be suitable strategy for enhancing mental wellness.
regular practice of it has been shown boost to immunity, improve lung capacity and to
stabilize hypertension status. Organization can keep few minutes for this activities from
their routine work

• Digital platform is helpful to experts in providing training, mentoring. hence technology

can be great savior

• Employees need to build more empathy and be more kind and compassionate towards
ourself and others.

• Organizations can encourage employees to take mental health days off. Part of
preventive health involves giving your mind and body a break every now and then, and
allowing your staff to miss work in order to recharge can help them stave off more serious
health issues down the road.

• Organization should provide helpline numbers, counselling facility and conduct various
sessions from time to time for increasing mental well being of employees.

• They should be given surety and confidence regarding their job that would make
employees relax and increase morale.

• Research has shown productivity, engagement, and overall wellness increase when
people feel comfortable in work spaces with natural lighting, plants and other positive
features. Employers should try to add those features in organization.

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• Focusing on positive things like rather than thinking about number of deaths, narratives
should be shifted to number of recoveries.

• Communication is crucial following the pandemic. Managers in collaboration with

human resource management professionals need to develop a communication plan

• Training is essential during and after the pandemic. It is considered as a protective factor
against mental health issues. It helps to educate employees about the necessary behaviors
and their importance in the prevention of viral spread.

• The development and implementation of mental health support and services are crucial
to prevent mental health outcomes of Covid-19. So social support programs need to be
developed during and after Covid-19.

• Government and organization need to allocate more funds for mental health.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEB LINKS

https://www.benefitnews.com/list/employee-benefits-that-boosted-mental-health-this-year

https://www.bdo.com/insights/assurance/employee-benefit-plan-audits/benefits-outlook-
for-2021-telehealth-mental-
health?utm_source=Employee&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=BDOConnector&ut
m_content=None

https://blog.onsitewellnessllc.com/covid-19-workplace-well-being-employee-mental-
health?utm_content=149893184&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_chann
el=lis-kP4zQVPIMu

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/10-8-million-and-counting-take-
a-look-at-how-many-jobs-covid-19-has-wiped-out-5704851.html/amp

https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/coronavirus/news/24-per-cent-domestic-workers-
lose-job-permanently-due-to-covid-19/articleshow/77971474.cms

https://pdfs.journals.lww.com/joem/9000/00000/impacts_of_working_from_home_during_
covid_19.98021.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/27/covid-poses-greatest-threat-to-mental-
health-since-second-world-war?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/workplace/work-spaces-at-home-could-
potentially-harm-our-mental-health-heres-how-6705305/

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/covid19-pandemic-mental-health-jobless-
stress-tips-assocham-experts-6571880/

https://www.ajmc.com/view/how-has-covid19-affected-mental-health-severity-of-stress-
among-employees

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7342058/

http://feeds.hbr.org/~r/harvardbusiness/~3/2q0IDmY2AsQ/lessons-from-chinese-
companies-response-to-covid-19

https://m.economictimes.com/jobs/uncertain-future-over-100-million-jobs-in-danger-
across-the-country-due-to-covid-19/articleshow/77232289.cms

https://hbr.org/2020/05/3-behavioral-trends-that-will-reshape-our-post-covid-world

https://www.who.int/news/item/05-10-2020-covid-19-disrupting-mental-health-services-
in-most-countries-who-survey

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/10-8-million-and-counting-take-
a-look-at-how-many-jobs-covid-19-has-wiped-out-5704851.html/amp

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 ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE :-

1. Gender
o Female
o Male
o Prefer not to say

2. Age group
o 20-30
o 30-40
o 40-50
o 50-60

3. Type of Employment
o Full time
o Part time
o Self employment
o Independent contractor
o Other

4. Do you think Pandemic Covid-19 has implication on mental health

o Yes
o No
o Not sure

5. If yes what kind of implications

o Stress
o Depression
o Anxiety
o Sleep disturbance
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 o Lack of motivation
o Lack of concentration

6. Do you think you were under mental stress before pandemic Covid-19
o Yes
o No
o Maybe

7. Do you think your mental health is affected during this pandemic

o Yes
o No
o Not sure

8. If yes reasons behind that

o Fear of infection
o Financial insecurity
o Job loss
o Quarantine
o Cope up with work from home
o Work pressure
o Fall in work life balance

9. Has your organization taken any measures for mental well-being of employees
o Yes
o No

10. If yes what kind of measures

o specify

11. Were you getting timely payment of your work during and after lockdown
o Yes
o No

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12. According to you how work from home has affected mental health
o Positively
o Negatively
o Not affected

13. Do you think unavailability of local trains for general public has increased stress of
working employees in Mumbai
o Yes
o No
o Not sure

14. Do you agree that if instruments of entertainment like theater, park, shows were open, it
would have reduced mental stress
o Strongly disagree
o Disagree
o Neutral
o Agree
o Strongly agree

15. Do you agree that pandemic has affected negatively on productivity due to lower mental
health
o Agree
o Disagree
o Neutral
o Agree that pandemic has affected negatively on productivity due to lower mental
health but it’s due to some other reasons and not mental health

16. Are you aware of mental health service providing institutions

o Yes
o No

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17. Which of the following you are/ were worried about during pandemic
o Your physical health
o Your mental health

o Health of family members

o Job loss/ financial loss
o EMI of loan/ insurance
o Economy

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