NEW DELHI: A staggering 88 per cent of employees working in the corporate sector in Delhi reported difficulties in striking a good work-life balance, higher than other major cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, the latest survey released on Tuesday said.
Personal health and family obligations emerged as the top priorities that tend to be affected when employees cannot achieve a work-life balance, with 81% and 75% of respondents, respectively, reporting this issue.
The survey, ‘Mental Health and Wellness Quotient @Workplace 2023,’ was conducted among 3,000 employees -- from managerial to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) level -- across ten sectors and eight Indian cities.
What was worrying was that nearly 80% of employees took approximately two weeks of leave from work in the past year due to poor mental health.
The survey, which was conducted in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru, also found that 90% of them face work demands during leave, exacerbating work-life balance concerns.
Moreover, 94% of employees are expected to work on their leaves, and 67% are expected to work every time they are on leave, emphasising the need for employers to promote a healthier work culture.
Personal health (81%) and family obligations (75%) were the top priorities affected by poor work-life balance, said the survey, which MPower, an initiative by the Aditya Birla Education Trust, conducted.
Delhi also reported the highest diabetes rate among the respondents, with 38% citing this as a concern.
The survey indicates that over 48% of corporate employees are ‘at risk’ of poor mental health, and this is more common among female employees, 56% of whom are prone to poor mental health risk.
Amongst those surveyed, over 50% strongly agreed that stress significantly impacts their work productivity.
The study focussed on ten specific sectors -- FMCG, Automobile, Durables, BPO, Banking, Education, IT, Healthcare, Hospitality, and E-commerce.
These sectors were selected based on the workforce they employ in the Indian corporate world and their diverse job profiles.
The sector which bears the maximum brunt of mental health risk was found to be e-commerce at 64%, followed by FMCG at 56%, automobile and healthcare at 55%, hospitality at 53%, BPO at 47%, banking at 41%, education at 39%, IT at 38%, and durables at 31%.
The age group between 35 to 45 -- known for their productivity -- is at a higher risk of suffering from these issues, as approximately 50% of these employees strongly agree that stress impacts their work, posing a challenge to the country’s overall economic growth due to increased absenteeism and reduced productivity.
“1 out of 2 corporate employees is at risk of poor mental health today and among the most vulnerable group are mid-level employees, with 56% of them reporting poor mental health,” the study said.
Employees in higher positions, such as senior Associate Vice President/Vice President, also exhibited elevated levels of mental health distress with 70% and 61%, respectively, falling in the ‘at risk’ category.
Dr Neerja Birla, founder and chairperson of Mpower and Aditya Birla Education Trust, said corporate burnout and mental health stress among employees had reached alarming levels in India.
“We urge policy changes at both the government and corporate levels, focusing on mental health as a real challenge that requires attention. Employee well-being programs must be implemented to support those in need, and the destigmatisation of mental health is urgently required to ensure equitable support to all employees,” he said.
"A physically and mentally healthy workforce is crucial for a country like India, which relies on its youth for economic growth. Let's prioritise mental health and take the necessary steps to create a healthier, more productive workforce for the betterment of our nation," he added.