In today’s fast-paced corporate world, many employees face relentless deadlines, long working hours, and constant pressure to perform. As a result, maintaining a healthy lifestyle often takes a backseat, with poor nutrition and lack of physical activity becoming common.
Workers today deal with a variety of societal issues, from geopolitical unrest to worries about the economic. Not to mention the stress of managing work-related stressors like long hours, career anxieties, and toxic work environments, on top of the stress of juggling personal and professional obligations. It is understandable why worker stress levels are at an all-time high today.
“Mental wellness among corporate employees stands at 60, significantly lower than the overall population score of 69. Financial wellness for corporate workers is at 54, compared to 63 for the general population, highlighting a critical need for workplace wellness initiatives,” reveals ICICI Lombard's 7th Annual Wellness Index Report.
According to a recent survey done by Genius Consultants, RP Yadav, the chairman states from the findings that, “having done a survey on stress on employees its been found that while working more than nine hours along with huge amount of workload given even on holidays, the stress level amongst employees have surpassed 79% people. As a result, there have been heighted cases of suicides has been suicides and people have also been admitted into the hospitals.”
Is Back To Office Culture, Creating Stress Amongst Employees?
Well, YES to be honest!
Reports are emphasizing on “back to office culture,” as one of the very prime reasons for heightened stress amongst the employee base, apart from the regular strenuous working hours they are putting in.
“After pandemic people have been mostly working from home and less from office, calling in of the great HYBRID WORK CULTURE. Completely working from home creates a lot of stress in the family and so does working from the office completely, since people have been able to save on travel cost and time working in hybrid setup,” explains Yadav.
The recent move by Amazon to discontinue its flexible work policy is a reflection of a larger trend at work. Paradoxically, a lot of companies that at first supported flexibility are now advocating for more stringent office presence.
According to 2023 Gartner Future of Work Trends report, 44 per cent of companies in the tech sector have implemented hybrid models, but the percentage of fully remote roles is shrinking fast.
Strict return-to-office procedures may result in higher job turnover, particularly when flexible workers start seeking for other alternatives. 54% of workers stated they would think about quitting their job if they were unable to work remotely or in a hybrid model, according to Owl Labs' State of Remote Work 2023 study.
The tendency of going back to work signifies a shift in the culture of the workplace. Companies such as Amazon may alienate employees who have grown to appreciate the advantages of remote work even while they emphasise the benefits of face-to-face communication and improved team relationships.
The Need for Health-Conscious Work Environments
For employees under tight deadlines, healthy food options help avoid the common pitfalls of relying on quick-fix solutions like junk food, sugary snacks, or excessive caffeine. These options may provide a temporary boost but often result in energy crashes, poor concentration, and reduced performance.
By offering employees access to healthier choices, such as salads, lean proteins, fruits, and whole grains, employers are investing in their workforce’s sustained energy and focus throughout the day.
Studies show that 80% of executives vowed to make employee well-being a top priority. Unfortunately, during the same period, 90% of workers felt their work life worsened. Somewhere, there seems to be a disconnect between employers' desire to boost employee wellness and their ability to make a real impact.
According to a report by Randstad titled THE STATE OF WELLNE-BEING ACROSS GLOBE; “80% of global companies are now prioritizing employee wellness. In fact, the global workplace wellness market is expected to grow to over $93 billion by 2027.”
When asked Malik upon the ongoing debate of working over 70 hours a week to increase employee productivity at work, he explained that “working more than 55 hours a week has been associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease compared to a standard 35-40 hour workweek. A 70-hour week far exceeds this threshold, intensifying these dangers.”
If an employee is putting in 70 hours but is not achieving his goals, those hours are not benefitting anyone. “Moreover it could create a stressful work environment for the employee. For me, it is never about the hours but the end result. If an organization emphasizes on performance metrics and clear outcomes, then the number of working hours does not take center stage,” states Divya Mohan, CHRO, InsuranceDekho.
Therefore, most of the companies are taking steps particularly where large number of people are working in various shifts and the job needs to be completed with the deadlines.
“They are providing healthy and vibrant cafeteria, restaurants for them to have nutritious intake of food while at work and are even focussing on creating fitness centre, cozy atmosphere, playing zones and many more such recreational spots so that the people come and relax have food have fun after the work so that they can do away stress,” sites Yadav.
According to Amit Vasistha, Founder and CEO, GALF, “companies are realizing that to retain top talent, nutritional intake at work needs to be ingrained in the corporate culture rather than just a one-off initiative. A thoughtful, comprehensive wellness strategy—implemented at both the HR and leadership levels—creates a workplace where employees feel valued and supported.”
Some companies like Pepsico India have gone a step further by integrating exercise into the workday itself. For instance, "standing or cycling work stations" are helping their workers reset mentally while also promoting physical health.
When employees see that their well-being is prioritized and their efforts to maintain a healthy work-life balance are recognized, it encourages a deeper sense of loyalty and motivation.
Road Ahead
When spoken to Amit Malik, Wadzpay, he suggested some measures to address the mental health issues and employee wellbeing include:
1. Provide access to mental health resources and support, such as counselling services, employee assistance programs, or subscriptions to mental wellness apps.
2. Train managers to recognize signs of mental health struggles and have supportive conversations with team members.
3. Encourage clear boundaries between work and personal time, including policies around disconnecting after work hours.
4. Schedule regular check-ins between managers and employees to discuss both work performance and wellbeing.
5. Organise virtual and in-person social events to foster connection among remote and hybrid workers.
80% of Indians experience at least one symptom of stress regularly, with women reporting a higher prevalence. Those free from stress or depression symptoms show significantly higher mental and family wellness scores.
The pressure to work excessively long hours is unsustainable and harmful to both mental and physical health. Leaders need to champion work-life balance rather than perpetuate a culture of burnout.
As the demands of modern work environments continue to grow, employers are recognizing the importance of supporting their employees’ physical and mental health through access to good nutrition and opportunities for exercise. These initiatives are essential for promoting sustained productivity, reducing stress, and improving overall job satisfaction, particularly for employees working under tight deadlines.
By fostering a culture that prioritizes health and wellness, companies can ensure their employees remain energized, engaged, and better equipped to handle the pressures of the modern workplace, ultimately benefiting both the workforce and the organisation as a whole.
Hence, “it is extremely commendable of organisations to be taking various initiative towards mental health of employees and providing optimum nutritional intake, by bringing doctors in the office, getting health regular health checkups done, giving guidelines on nutrition and food consumption, providing fitness centres, good canteen, and wellness centre is in right direction to provide maximum life work-life balance among the employees,” states Vasistha.
