05 May 2021 /

INDIA – EMPLOYERS BLAME LONG WORK HOURS FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, EMPLOYEES BLAME LEADERSHIP

Most employers in India feel long erratic working hours is the top factor leading to mental health issues, while the majority of employees have put the role of leadership as the top factor, according to a survey from Gi Group India and Devdiscourse.

The study polled employers and employees from small-, medium- and large-scale businesses based out of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Pune.

Gi Group’s study showed that employers and employees contradict each other on factors of influence, as 77% of the employers surveyed point to long, erratic and always-on-work hours as the top factor and play down the role of leadership. At the same time, 79% of employees put the role of leadership right on top of the factors.

A third, or 29%, of employees surveyed suffering due to erratic work schedules and 21% said they suffered due to reduced salaries, the study found.

Meanwhile, the employers interviewed stated that they understood the fall-out of mental health issues as 70% of all employers believed that mental health has a serious (45%) or significant (25%) impact on organisational performance or growth. Nevertheless, about 30% believed that there is insignificant or negligible impact on either performance or growth.

The study found that organisational policies and mechanisms do not effectively address mental health concerns in an overwhelming majority of cases.

Gi Group’s study found that 14% of the employers surveyed were found to have policies and mechanisms receptive to mental wellness cases. About half, or 54%, of the respondents have not put formal policies and mechanisms in place and deal with mental wellness concerns in informal ways, it added.

A large proportion of the employers surveyed (82%) are sensitising their organisations to be receptive to mental health concerns, with 63% opening up multiple channels for people to speak up and 51% encourage healthy interpersonal equations between people, the study added.

Click on the link to read article: India – Employers blame long work hours for mental health issues, employees blame leadership (staffingindustry.com)