Two in 5 Indian professionals experiencing increased stress due to COVID-19: Survey

COVID-19 has taken a toll on working professionals in India as two in five professionals are experiencing increased anxiety due to the pandemic, according to a survey.

New Delhi: COVID-19 has taken a toll on working professionals in India as two in five professionals are experiencing increased anxiety due to the pandemic, according to a survey.

Leading professional network LinkedIn on Thursday released key survey data from April to September 2020 to highlight how pandemic stress and remote work burnout have adversely impacted the mental health of professionals in India.

Findings of the latest LinkedIn survey showed that two in five (39 per cent) professionals are experiencing increased stress or anxiety due to COVID-19, and as the pandemic took hold only one in five professionals were offered more time off for well-being.

Moreover, the economic repercussions of the ongoing pandemic have made Indian professionals vulnerable to job uncertainty, financial instability, and bleak company outlook, while continuing to work remotely in social isolation, the special ‘mental health' edition of the fortnightly LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index said.

More than one in three Indian professionals also believe that working remotely is slowing down their career progression (41 per cent), it is making them feel more lonely (37 per cent), and harming their work-life balance (36 per cent).

LinkedIn data showed that the employees' appeal for stronger well-being support as findings show that only one in four (23 per cent) Indian professionals were being offered emotional well-being initiatives and flexible work hours by their employers in the early months of the lockdown.

As India begins to return to work, more than one in three professionals are also worried about workplace sanitation (36 per cent), exposure to large groups of people in meetings or in public (34 per cent), and uncertain workplace safety guidelines (34 per cent), which further compounds their distress towards an uncertain future of work.

"The ongoing stress around the 3 Rs — Remote work, Return to work, and Risk of exposure — are adversely impacting the mental health of Indian professionals," Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, LinkedIn said adding that companies in India are beginning to bolster their mental health programmes to support their employees in such times.

Gupta noted that LinkedIn has enhanced its people initiatives to include increased professional counselling sessions and other well-being programmes.

"Your professional community can also be a pillar of strength right now, and we encourage our members to continue to reach out and seek help from others on the platform," he said.

All findings around the mental health of Indian professionals are based on the online survey responses of 16,199 professionals over the past six months as part of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, which is a fortnightly pulse on the confidence of the Indian workforce.

(PTI Report)