Maintaining a work-life balance has become one of the most serious issues after the corporate industry shifted to remote working in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has become a difficult job to maintain work productivity and a healthy personal life simultaneously. A recent report says the pandemic is taking a toll on the psychological well-being of those who currently work from home (WFH).
According to a survey conducted by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd, only 34% of Indian employees are currently happy with their mental health status after the pandemic while it was 54% before the coronavirus outbreak. The company claims, “We have found that 89% of workers are not satisfied with what is being offered to them by their employers. They want their employers to implement mental health wellness programs.” Another report has revealed that 59% of male and 56% of female employees are experiencing chronic stress while working remotely. Meanwhile, their personal lives are also being affected because of this situation. With the ongoing pandemic, the importance of people’s mental health has been increasing day by day. Several renowned organizations have conducted different surveys and interviewed numerous employees. Most of them have admitted that their workload has increased after the work from home norm.
“I feel extremely terrified most of the time. Due to this pandemic, I have been working remotely since last year. Many corporate sectors are now focusing on laying off their employees. Sometimes, I feel extremely stressed out because of the fear of losing my job. I am the only earning member in my family and have a lot of financial responsibilities. After I started working from home, my workload has also increased. It is very difficult to manage everything together,” said Umesh Patnayak, a 37-year old corporate employee. A company named SCIKEY Market Network surveyed 2500 Indian employees across the metro cities during 20th-26th June 2021. The survey has found that 36% of employees feel that their work environments are not supportive enough. Remote working has disrupted people’s personal lives as they hardly get time to spend with their family and friends. Lack of personal time and fear of losing a job are the two main contributing factors that cause chronic stress. Report says that several commitments at home have proved to be another challenge faced by employees, mostly women.
The current statistics of most surveys have claimed that maintaining good mental health has become a challenge for both working men and women during the pandemic. “Due to extreme work pressure, people are experiencing severe headaches, frequent episodes of aggression, and mood swings. They are unnecessarily yelling at their loved ones and even suffering from chronic physical tension”, says Mrs. Rashmi Banerjee, senior psychologist of the World Mental Health Organization.
*(Names and places changed due to privacy concerns)
