Shifting Employee Support Dynamics Influence Work Productivity and Wellbeing
17 August, 2023
- New research reveals that 76% of Indian workers report that stress is still negatively impacting work and 49% mention that it impacts their mental health
- Indian employees who feel supported by their managers has fallen slightly from 80% to 71% this year
Chennai, August 17, 2023: Stress and poor mental health remain a persistent issue in the workplace, but worryingly, workers say they are getting less support from their managers than last year, reveals the ADP® Research Institute’s People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View. The report explores employees' attitudes towards the current world of work, examines their expectations, and hopes for the workplace of the future.
Almost two-thirds (65%) of global workers say stress adversely affects their work and almost half (47%) echo similar concerns regarding their mental well-being, down slightly from 53% last year, according to the survey of over 32,000 workers in 17 countries.
Delving into regional perspectives, 76% of Indian workers indicate that stress has a negative impact on work performance with 49% expressing similar sentiments about their mental health.
However, what’s particularly striking, is the proportion of workers who say they feel supported by their managers when it comes to mental health at work - globally this has fallen from 70% in 2022 to 64% in 2023. Similarly, in India, the percentage has decreased from 80% to 71% within the same timeframe.
Rahul Goyal, MD, ADP, comments: “Numerous employers showed tremendous support for mental health and stress during the pandemic, but it is crucial for them to continue their vigilance. Workers still face significant levels of strain. A compassionate workplace culture holds immense value for both employers and employees. When individuals feel safe and supported, they are significantly more likely to perform better in their roles, require fewer sick leaves, and develop a positive outlook toward the company they work for.”
Even though 71% employees in India mention that they can openly talk about their mental health at work, but almost six in 10 (56%) also believe that their managers or colleagues may lack the necessary tools to engage in mental health conversations without preconceived notions. This delicate balance underscores the evolving dynamics of mental health discourse within India's professional landscape.
Rahul further adds, “Implementing measures like employee assistance programs and wellbeing initiatives can indicate that employers are rationalizing and formalizing their wellbeing support initiatives, potentially even outsourcing them, which can be beneficial. However, they must also integrate support into their daily work practices, and educate and train managers on how to manage stress and alleviate mental health issues in the workplace.”
The research also emphasizes how organisations are attempting to implement employee assistance programmes and team-building exercises that keep mental health in mind, but it seems like more effort has to be done to improve continuing employee support.
ENDS
For more insights, please read the ‘People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View’ report.
About the research
People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View explores employees’ attitudes towards the current world of work and what they expect and hope for from the workplace of the future.
ADP Research Institute® surveyed 32,612 workers in 17 countries around the world between 28 October and 18 November 2022 including over 8,613 working exclusively in the gig economy. This included:
- 7,721 in Asia Pacific (Australia, China, India and Singapore)
- 15,290 in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK)
- 5,751 in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil and Chile)
- 3,850 in North America (USA and Canada).
Within the worker sample gig workers and traditional workers were identified. Gig workers were identified as those who work on a contingent, temporary, or seasonal basis, or as a freelancer, independent contractor, consultant, gig worker, or use an online platform to source work. Traditional employees were identified as those who are not working in the gig economy and instead have a permanent full or part-time position.
The survey was conducted online in the local language. Overall results are weighted to represent the size of the working population for each country. Weightings are based on labour force data from the World Bank,[1] which is derived using data from the ILOSTAT database, the central statistics database of the International Labour Organization (ILO), as of February 8, 2022.
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[1] Source: The World Bank, Labor force, total, World Development Indicators database, February 8 2022
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