The tragic death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant working with a member firm of EY Global in Pune, on July 21 is a rude awakening for corporate culture in India.
Four months into joining the company, Anna began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress. The workload and long hours quietly took a toll on her health, but she dismissed it as a price one pays to become successful.
“She kept pushing herself, believing hard work and perseverance were the keys to success,” wrote Anita Augustine, her mother, in a mail to the EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani.
Anita’s doleful mail, available on social media, further revealed, “Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without changing her clothes, only to be messaged asking for more reports.”
Sadly, Anna’s story is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a more significant, systemic problem in India’s corporate culture. Many employees face similar pressures to meet demanding targets and deadlines, often at the expense of their health and happiness.
Several studies highlight that Indian companies have largely overlooked this alarming trend, and the government has done little to address the systemic issues causing mental health problems.
Falling behind
The McKinsey Health Institute’s 2023 survey of more than 30,000 employees across 30 countries released last November found India reported the highest rates of burnout symptoms at 59 percent.
What’s more disheartening is that the study pointed out that younger workers aged 18 to 24, employees from smaller companies, and nonmanager workers reported higher burnout symptoms.
The survey findings underscore a critical pattern: demands or aspects of work that require energy, such as dealing with toxic behaviors, explain the most variance in burnout symptoms.
“But burnout is only the starting point: employers have a critical role to play in addressing a range of negative (mental) health outcomes at work beyond burnout,” said Jacqueline Brassey, the study’s first author.
“It’s time to reframe how we think about employee health. Employers need to support the health of all employees — supporting those in ill health, taking preventative measures to avoid negative health outcomes, and actively building a work environment where more employees have positive holistic health,” said Brassey.
Globally, high-stress corporate cultures have also led to tragic consequences, with cases of suicides linked to overwork and harassment. For example, the former CEO of Zurich Insurance, Martin Senn, took his own life in 2016 after resigning under high pressure.
According to World Finance, Senn had resigned from the company the previous year after a major explosion in China had forced the company to pay out $275m in claims, leaving it in financial jeopardy.
The story cited a startling piece of statistics. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sales representatives for financial and business services are 39 percent more likely than other members of the workforce to take their own lives.
“Work stress has been identified as a risk factor for hypertension, diabetes, upper extremity musculoskeletal problems, back problems and cardiovascular disease,” said the American Psychological Association in its recent findings.
Corporate Welfare Vs. Employee Wellbeing
Further compounding this problem, India’s regulatory framework lacks robust labor protection laws prioritizing mental health. For instance, The Factories Act of 1948 and a few state laws stipulate that adult workers should not work more than nine hours a day or 48 hours a week. But is the present governance framework robust enough to prevent corporate burnout?
The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 provides a framework for the treatment and care of individuals with mental health issues. While it does not directly mandate employer responsibilities regarding burnout, it recognizes mental health as a critical aspect of overall health, encouraging workplaces to adopt supportive measures for employees experiencing stress or burnout.
“The landscape of employee well-being is evolving rapidly; traditional wellness initiatives, while valuable, are no longer enough,” said Satish Kannan, co-founder and CEO of digital platform Medibuddy, in a joint research report with the CII.
The report’ Mapping India’s Corporate Health and Wellness Landscape’ released in July this year found out around 62 percent of Indian employees experience burnout, triple the global average of 20 percent, due to work-related stress and poor work-life balance.
People are silently struggling with depression and mental health issues while trying to juggle work, family, and personal dreams, often making enormous sacrifices. It’s high time companies implemented comprehensive measures to promote work-life balance, reduce stress, and foster a positive work environment.
The case of Anna Sebastian Perayil is a wake-up call for corporate India. It is a stark reminder of the human cost of a culture prioritizing productivity over people. By taking action to address the issue of employee burnout, organizations can create a more sustainable and ethical workplace that benefits both employees and the company as a whole.
