55% of India's employed professional report feeling stressed: LinkedIn

This was despite drastic work transformations. keeping up with these changes the past 18 months has adversely affected the mental health of the country's working professionals

More than half of India’s (55 per cent) employed professionals are feeling stressed at work as well-being measures become a luxury for many, said a report by LinkedIn.

The Workforce Confidence Index reveals India’s overall workforce confidence remained steady with a composite score of +55 from July 31 to September 24, 2021, despite drastic transformations in the world of work. But keeping up with these times of change for the last 18 months has adversely affected the mental health of working professionals in the country.

When asked to share their primary reasons for work stress, employed professionals cited ‘balancing work with personal needs’ (34 per cent), ‘not making enough money’ (32 per cent), and ‘slow career advancement’ (25 per cent) as the top 3 stressors at work today. Amid such stressful times, 1 in 3 professionals are also seen drawing optimism from the availability of jobs (36 per cent) and improved control over expenses (30 per cent) in today’s recovering, yet competitive jobs marketplace.

“Our survey reveals a wide gap between what employees need and what employers are offering to cope with stress. While nearly half of (47 per cent) employed professionals wish to end work at reasonable hours, only about one-thirds (36 per cent) were actually able to do so. And while 41 per cent planned for time-off, only 30 per cent could take time off in the past two months. These alarming statistics reflect the urgency for companies to understand how creating a culture that encourages work-life balance and prioritises well being is critical moving forward,” said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, LinkedIn.

The survey is based on the responses of 3,881 professionals from July 31 to September 24, findings reveal that.

As workforce priorities continue to change in these transformative times, findings go on to indicate that flexibility and work-life balance will serve as critical talent drivers across the Indian professional landscape for years to come.

While greater flexibility remains a mutual need across generations, younger professionals found it easier to take a break than their older cohorts. Findings reveal that Millennials were 2x more likely to take time-offs, while Gen Z professionals were 1.5x more likely to take breaks during the day, when compared to Baby Boomers. Interestingly, Boomers were 1.5x more likely to be open with their colleagues about mental health and stress when compared to millennials as well as Gen Z professionals.