What is stressing out corporate employees?

Anxiety, decision fatigue, burnout, stress and eating disorders are among the major mental health problems corporate employees are facing. 

Earlier this week, it came to light that a 26-year-old woman employed at a major accounting firm in Pune had died in July because of work stress. Per reports, the company has since said she had worked for four months, and had not been given extra work.

“Everything stems from anxiety,” says T Sunil John, vice president of a corporation, who also works as a therapist on the weekends.

The anxiety translates to physical symptoms, relationship problems and feelings of inadequacy. “Expectations are unrealistic, there is always a time crunch and the demands are unreasonable,” he says.

A counsellor for over 15 years, he says many corporate employees report panic attacks, and most are in a new city with no support system in place. He advises young people to pick careers or jobs aligned with their personalities and interests. 

Psychologist Nithya J Rao recommends setting boundaries. “Think of what is okay and what is not okay for yourself and communicate that with your manager,” she says. Documenting everything is key. “Use task trackers, document conversations and reach out to the HR team when things are not working the way they should,” she explains. 

Kala Balasubramanian, psychotherapist, points out that saying ‘no’ is frowned upon in our culture. And this results in a reluctance to set boundaries. “You are replaceable at the workplace, but you are irreplaceable to your family and friends. Boundaries keep you
safe,” she says.

Fix root cause

Most companies have employee assistance programmes (EAP) through which counsellors can be contacted. “But having EAPs is not enough. The root cause, which is toxic work culture, has to be addressed first,” she says.

A 32-year-old content editor says most of her acquaintances, in their 30s, struggled with stressful jobs early on in their careers. Now, they have moved on to less taxing jobs in line with their interests. 

Loreto Basumatary was working at an MNC before shifting to a career in education. The work pressure in addition to the mental and financial strain of caring for a terminally ill sister was hard to cope with. “I was burnt out. I locked myself in my room for two weeks,” she recalls. She felt compelled to leave when a manager said she had to perform at the highest level though she was mourning her sister’s death. 

Alex Mathew, a PR professional, worked in a global accounting firm a decade ago before switching careers. He says long hours and a toxic work environment made him lose weight.

As a queer person who was yet to come out, he found it alarming that though there were policies for the protection of LGBTQIA+ employees, they were not followed. “There was a queer person who was out officially. He was ostracised,” he says. Fat shaming was common at a prominent hotel he worked at previously. 

Only in India 

A 38-year-old employee at a global tech firm says the lack of a work-life balance is unique to India. “The benefits that our colleagues have in terms of work-life balance across the world are not afforded to us,” she says. 

A lot of the pressure comes from India being seen as a hub for cost-friendly resources. Companies are always trying to get the most work done out of people here, she observes. 

Long hours

Over 50% of IT employees are facing mental health problems because of extended work hours, says Sooraj Nidiyanga, secretary, Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union.

“We met the labour minister in June. He directed companies to give him a report of the work hours of their employees. When we last checked, not even one company had submitted such a report,” says Nidiyanga.

The problem in Karnataka is worse as the government is planning to increase work hours from eight to 14 hours. “They have held back passing this bill after protests, but it will come up again during the winter session in Belagavi,” he says.

Stress-busting tips

*Break tasks into smaller bits.
*Seek help from colleagues, HR.
*Document your work.
*Don’t hesitate to seek therapy.
*Don’t neglect your well-being.
(Compiled from what counsellors interviewed for this story said.)