59 pct Indian workers experience burnout symptoms at work

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About 59 per cent of Indian employees experience burnout symptoms at work, while workers in Cameroon experience the lowest (9 per cent), a new study has shown. According to the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI), the burnout symptoms experienced by employees globally stand at 22 per cent.

The study surveyed more than 30,000 employees from 30 countries and found that employees with positive work experiences reported overall better health, were more innovative, and performed better at work. "For employees, good holistic health is most strongly predicted by workplace enablers, while burnout is strongly predicted by workplace demands," the researchers said.

Moreover, the study showed that more than half of employees across 30 countries reported positive overall holistic health -- but there were substantial variations between countries, with the lowest overall percentage of positive scores in Japan (25 per cent) and the highest percentage of positive scores in Turkey (78 per cent).

"Among respondents, the largest proportion of positive scores was for physical health at 70 per cent, and approximately two-thirds of global employees reported positive scores on mental and social health. The lowest proportion of positive scores were on spiritual health, at 58 per cent," the study mentioned.

As per demographic, those aged 18 to 24 had the lowest holistic health scores.

Employees in larger companies (more than 250 workers) had higher holistic health scores than those in smaller companies. Within role, managers had the highest holistic health scores, while all other workers reported lower holistic health.

Tailoring mental health programs as per employees

Programs for employees

1. Employees and individual contributors as well as managers can seek tailored interventions through these steps shared by Roy:
2. Policies around mental health initiatives, for instance, mental health leave can be part of sick leave under company policy.
   2. Availability of qualified and verified mental health practitioners and making contact information available for employees to reach out to (we do not recommend anonymous platforms).
   3. Awareness programs by experts talking about physical, mental, emotional and workplace health can make sure that employees identify when they need to seek help and reach out to management, HR or mental health practitioners at the right time. This can help in reducing attrition and improve well-being at work.

Programs for managers and leadership
Mental health initiatives for managers should be designed with two two-fold impacts in mind:

1. Strategies for managers to recognise if their team members are suffering from any mental health issues. Managers can also be equipped with communication strategies on how to empathetically speak to team members. This enables a more supportive environment and builds a more resilient team.
2. Secondly it is also important for leaders to recognise their own mental health challenges. Awareness programs by experts can help them identify their own tipping points. Managers should also be encouraged to take the help of mental health practitioners in order to be more productive and lead teams without burning out.

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