New Delhi: The Anna Sebastian Perayil case, has sparked debate in the corporate world ever since her death. The 26-year-old was an employee of Ernst and Young (EY) who reportedly died because of extreme work pressure. According to reports, after her death, Anna’s mother wrote a letter to the company’s CEO mentioning how she struggled to work so much and experienced mental and physical health issues. The incident triggered the need to pay attention to the rising issue of mental health problems among employees.
In a conversation on the same, Prakriti Poddar, mental health expert and Global Head of Mental Health & well-being, RoundGlass Living app shared some solutions to manage anxiety and stress and enable workplace well-being and answered some frequently asked questions by people.
Q: How does normalising poor mental health at work impact individual work productivity?
A: If people believe it’s normal to feel exhausted, stressed, and anxious at work, they’re more likely to try to stick it out than seek support. Research shows that mental health and productivity are closely linked. People feel less motivated and focused, and their physical health can suffer, leading to slower turnaround and more missed days.
Here are just a few ways poor mental health impacts productivity:
1. Poor Concentration and Focus: Trouble concentrating and difficulty staying motivated are classic symptoms of mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, and burnout.
2. Low Energy Reserves: When employees are drawing from an ever-depleting well of energy and motivation, performance and engagement will continue to decline.
3. Increased Absenteeism and Presenteeism: The impact of mental health on productivity is two-fold: struggling employees take more time off work and are less present and engaged when in the workplace.
4. Impaired Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: Mental health challenges can cloud decision-making, reduce efficiency, and slow response times way down.
5. Increased Work Stress: Work stress can become an unrelenting cycle. Employees fall further and further behind as their productivity continues to decline.
Poor mental health can also impact collaboration and teamwork, weakening relationships at work, which can be a prime source of mental health support.
Q: What are the long-term consequences of viewing poor mental health as a natural part of the work environment?
A: 1. Low Employee Retention: What starts as a lack of motivation in the short term can become complete disengagement over time. A work culture that normalizes poor mental health will end up driving employees away.
2. Reduced Productivity
3. Increased Absenteeism and Presenteeism: Much of the enormous economic cost of mental health challenges stems from reduced productivity, especially missed days at work. Normalizing poor mental health is not only extremely harmful to employees. It’s also incredibly costly to employers.
4. Negative Work Culture: When employees feel undervalued and unsupported it can fuel distrust and conflict with management. It also perpetuates stigma and impairs communication, all adding up to a toxic work culture.
5. Legal and Ethical Consequences: Employers not only have a moral responsibility to support the health and well-being of their employees but they may also be legally obligated. Failure to provide a safe and healthy work environment, which includes addressing mental health concerns, can lead to legal action and a damaged reputation.
Q: Can the normalisation of poor mental health lead to an increase in employee burnout and stress?
A: People are more vulnerable to burnout in a workplace that normalizes feeling depleted and overwhelmed. When we’re running on empty — sleeping poorly, socialising less, skipping the movement practices that sustain us — we can only keep our forward momentum for so long. But employees won’t recognize that they desperately need support If they believe how they’re feeling is normal or expected.
That’s why it’s so important to recognize the warning signs of poor mental wellbeing:
• Feeling moody or low for an extended period
• Increased anxiety and irritability
• Trouble falling asleep or excessive sleepiness
• Changes in appetite or weight
• Loss of interest or enjoyment, including withdrawal from social activities
• Fatigue or low energy; feeling physically and mentally drained
• Increased reliance on alcohol or other substances to cope with emotional distress
It’s important to note that everyone’s experience with mental health is unique, and these signs can vary from person to person. But if you are experiencing some or most of these warning signs, it’s best to seek help from a healthcare provider.
For everyone, finding practices that ease stress and fatigue is critical. Meditation and mindfulness have been proven to help reduce stress, anxiety, and emotional reactivity while improving sleep and enhancing feelings of joy.
Q: What role do employers have in promoting mental health awareness and addressing the normalisation of poor mental health in the workplace?
A: Employers are responsible for creating a work environment that empowers employees to look after their mental well-being and speak up when they’re struggling. Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety are treatable, and everyone benefits when employees get the help they need.
When they look at the research, employers should be excited. Not only do they have the opportunity to do better for their teams, but they can positively impact performance, retention, and the company’s bottom line. Workplace mental health is that powerful.
The death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, the EY employee sparked debate on the rising issue of mental health problems in the corporate world. It’s important to note that everyone’s experience with mental health is unique, and these signs can vary from person to person. But if you are experiencing some or most of these warning signs, it’s best to seek help from a healthcare provider. Mental Health Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
