New Delhi: The death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant with Ernst and Young India, allegedly due to cardiac arrest following work overload, the incident has taken the country by storm. Amid the major outrage, the Union Labour Ministry said that they have taken up the complaint and will be investigating the matter and conditions that led to the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil. After the death of the young girl, her mother Anita Augustine wrote a letter to the EY India chairman Rajiv Memani and described the circumstances and the exploitative work environment at the company that led to the death of Anna.
In the letter, she mentioned, that due to a major workload, Anna started to experience, chest constriction, anxiety and other health issues. According to a survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), it was found that people working 55 or more hours per week experience a 35 per cent higher risk of stroke and a 17 per cent higher risk of dying from heart attack as compared to the ones who work for 35 to 40 hours per week. Let’s understand the side effects of overworking.
Debasmita Sinha, Chief Psychologist and Clinical Director of Excellence at Manah Wellness shared with News9, “Work-life is a complex construct, that includes the work, the physical, social and psychological environment, the support provided by teams and superiors, the work culture, the psychological safety, years of experience, and the resilience of the individual to name some. Holistic measures towards employee wellbeing needs to assess all these elements.”
Side effects of overworking
“Work pressure can have a major impact on our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Physically it can result in cardiovascular problems and digestive issues. It can also weaken the immune system. Similarly, mental wellbeing can be affected, resulting in anxiety and stress, depression, irritability and emotional exhaustion. Work pressures can also result in strained relationships and social connections with decreased overall well-being and quality of life,” said Sinha.
Here are a few steps an employee mental wellbeing program should take:
• Team leads and managers need to be sensitised on the impact their behaviour has on the individual’s mental health
• Younger employees should be given space to articulate their well-being needs, which should be heard and reasonable actions taken by management
• Warm and hotlines to be provided and promoted for support
• Educate all employees on personal safety and mental capacity. (physical, mental) recognizing signs of distress in self and taking action in time.
• Embed destressing in the workflow, to build healthy habits.
• Enhance capacity at all levels to identify early signs of distress and act fast
• Most important is to listen to the people, with regular surveys and town halls etc.
Amid the massive outrage for the death of a 26-year-old employee of Ernst and Young India, the country is taken by storm. As per reports, the young girl allegedly died due to cardiac arrest after suffering extreme work stress. But do know you the side effects of overworking? Check here Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
