40% Of Indian Professionals Are In Silent Distress, Says Workplace Study

A new survey by LinkedIn maps the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the professional workforce in India. As per the survey, 2 in 5 professionals are experiencing increased stress or anxiety due to COVID-19.

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As part of the World Mental Health Day 2020, LinkedIn released its findings on the survey that it has been conducting from April to September this year. The survey was meant to highlight how ¡°pandemic stress and remote work burnout have adversely impacted the mental health of professionals in India.¡±

The findings from the survey show the economic repercussions of the ongoing pandemic. As per LinkedIn, the pandemic has made Indian professionals vulnerable to job uncertainty, financial instability, and bleak company outlook. All this while, the workforce continues to work remotely in social isolation.

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The findings were shared in a special ¡®mental health¡¯ edition of the fortnightly LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index. The results highlight the need for stronger employer support in these times of distress, and complements the vision of World Mental Health Day 2020 - easy access to mental health services.

Work stress from home

As per the findings from the survey by the Microsoft-owned platform, 51% of the Indian workforce is working remotely due to COVID-19. Amid the growing number, the effectiveness of remote work is still under question.

Findings show that 60% of Indian professionals had felt lonely at some point while working remotely, out of which 37% still feel lonely. More than 1 in 3 Indian professionals also believe that working remotely is slowing down their career progression (41%), it is making them feel more lonely (37%), and harming their work-life balance (36%).

The results further reveal that 2 in 5 (39%) professionals are experiencing increased stress or anxiety due to COVID-19. Out of these, only 1 in 5 professionals were offered more time off for well-being.

Today, as industries attempt to bounce back, close to 40% of Indian professionals continue to experience financial instability, signaling towards high levels of financial stress and uncertainty prevalent amongst India¡¯s workforce.

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As for working parents, findings show that around 1 in 3 working mothers in India are currently providing childcare full time (28%), and working outside their business hours to provide childcare (33%).

Data further suggests that working mothers are more likely to cope with distractions from childcare, as 36% say they are unable to focus on work with children at home, compared to 25% of working fathers. Men are also more likely to seek support from friends and family as only 23% of working mothers rely on a family member or friend to take care of their children, compared to 31% of working fathers.

As India begins to return to work, 50% of professionals still express concerns about the risk of exposure to those who don¡¯t take safety precautions seriously. More than 1 in 3 professionals are also worried about workplace sanitation (36%), exposure to large groups of people in meetings or in public (34%), and uncertain workplace safety guidelines (34%), which further compounds their distress towards an uncertain future of work.