It’s a new age when it comes to juggling mental health with remote employment

“Prior to the epidemic, finding the correct balance between work, domestic duties, childcare, and, in some cases, financial insecurity, were key concerns. “However, mental health has become the focus of most ’employee wellbeing’ conversations in the last year and a half,” says Jiten Vyas, Regional Group Chief Operating Officer at VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide.

“According to the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, the greatest concerns influencing the mental health of employees in India are ‘balancing work with personal needs,’ ‘not making enough money,’ and ‘slow career development.'”

“If not addressed at the appropriate time and in the right way, burnout, anxiety, and a sense of isolation can snowball into more significant, long-term repercussions that are destructive not just to the person but also to the organisation.”

Working in the same location as your home might make you feel like your life is on repeat. While restricted to the confines of their homes, most remote workers follow a schedule. According to Vyas, such a lifestyle, when combined with difficulties such as job stability, the loss of a loved one, and being entirely alone, has further exacerbated mental health issues.

He feels that the merging of personal and professional life, which leads to employee burnout, is another factor contributing to employee mental health difficulties.

According to Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index poll, one out of every five worldwide survey respondents believe their company is unconcerned about their work-life balance, while 54 percent believe they are overworked and 39 percent believe they are weary.

“The concept of working from ‘home’ made people feel obligated to work longer hours in order to demonstrate that they can be productive from the comfort of their homes without wasting time travelling.” With hybrid work patterns becoming the new normal, it’s more important than ever for companies to take a more holistic approach to employee welfare, rather than focusing exclusively on their return on investment (ROI).

Furthermore, it is critical for firms and executives to consider the shifting paradigm of how they see employee productivity and to build a resilient workplace that prioritises mental wellness.”