Pandemic blues: New survey shows three in five employees are stressed-out in India

A new survey has revealed that three in five employees in India have reported feeling extremely, highly, or somewhat stressed on a daily basis during the pandemic.

According to a survey report by Marsh India, the largest insurance broker in the country, 59% of employees reported feeling extremely, highly, or somewhat stressed on a daily basis, a higher level than both the global and Asia region averages.

However, 27% of employees in India viewed the pandemic as a “mostly” or “entirely” negative impact, a lower level than the global average, revealed Health on Demand India 2021 survey report, which was released on Monday.

Globally, 33% of employees viewed Covid-19 as a mostly or entirely negative impact, while the figure was 28% for the Asia region.

The survey report said 50% of employees globally and 51% of employees in Asia reported feeling stressed in everyday life. Notably, the 2021 MMB Health on Demand survey asked 14,000 employees across 13 countries across the globe about what they want when it comes to their health and well-being.

“Employees who felt well-supported by employers were less likely (21%) to view their pandemic experience as mostly negative compared to employees who did not feel supported (44%),” survey results showed. The support provided during the pandemic had a direct bearing on employee well-being and loyalty, with flexible working now desired by more people.

The survey showed in India, 53% of employees felt their employer cares about their well-being in 2021, while in pre-pandemic 2019, 58% of employees had felt their employer cared about their well-being. Globally, the figures are 46% and 49% for 2021 and 2019, respectively.

“Employees who had access to ten or more well-being resources through their employer were 20 percentage points less likely to move to another employer, 18 percentage points more confident they can get the healthcare they need and 8 percentage points more energized than those offered no resources,” the survey said.