In India 42% of urban corporate employees are suffering from mental health issues

Dr. JAY SOORYA, Chief Happiness Officer at Happified presents his views on Employee Wellbeing programs run by corporates across India, how in the current COVID-19 pandemic Employee Wellbeing as a subject be used to spread cheer among employees, kind of training programs they run across the country and the ways in which they help organisations, industry verticals they focus on as well as the comparison between the Indian industry and the rest of the world as far as focus on Employee Wellbeing is concerned.

Interviewed by Adeesh Sharma

1. What are your views on the Employee Wellbeing programs run by corporates across India?

As per ASSOCHAM report (2018), In India 42% of urban corporate employees are suffering from mental health issues. According to another fitness company report, wellness programmes are being offered in only 18% of corporate companies in comprehensively and in other companies in bits and pieces.

The story is simple –
One - Corporates are yet to realise and relate the significance of employees health to their profits. The tangible results are now being compared only to their health care costs and sickness absenteeism, whereas there are numerous invisible benefits which are not well understood by organisations. While many organisations offer wellbeing as perks, few MNC’s carryout just because their counterparts in western world mandate and others do it, just not to be left out in the competition. Secondly content of the wellbeing programmes offered are not holistic in nature.

2. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic how can Employee Wellbeing as a subject be used to spread cheer among employees?

In India there was a great demand for wellbeing programmes, even before Covid 19 as lifestyle diseases were on raise. Now that employees are stressed due to uncertainty and adversity, it is the perfect time to spread smiles through holistic wellbeing approach.

3. What kind of training programs you run across the country and how they help organisations?

We conduct onsite happiness workshops, happiness survey and culture management & stress management programmes for organisations. Our programmes built on science of happiness engage employees, educate, entertain and empower with tools to develop skills to thrive in their life.
Though our domain being mental and emotional health, we also incorporate physical, nutritional health elements through our partners.
Nationwide lockdown has pushed majority employees to work from home. Unfortunately these were unexpected, even the organisations had not planned for it, nor their employees were trained. This has created stress among organisations and employees, managers are struggling to manage their workforce, employees are suffering from mental and emotional health issues.
Currently we are delivering virtual happiness engagement programmes to keep their employees physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy and productive as earlier.

4. Any industry verticals you focus more on?

Employees are same everywhere, their problems are similar, now situation is also similar. We propose the online employee engagement programme to every industry. Our moto is to support organisations to keep their employees safe, healthy and be resilient to face adversity with confidence and return fit to office after the lockdown

5. How does the Indian industry compare to rest of the world as far as focus on Employee Wellbeing is concerned?

Off late, Wellbeing are been key drivers of economic growth for emerging markets like India after MNCS are adopting sustainable development goals agenda promoted by UN.
As compared to western world wellbeing industry is still evolving and fragmented. There are no common standards and quality is an issue as there are no regulations.

According to WHO, India is the most depressed country in the world and lifestyle diseases are affecting employees more than ever. Corporates are feeling the brunt as the productivity is affected and their insurance costs are raising. As a result, corporates are slowly but are vying the options of employee assistance programmes and wellness initiatives at workplaces.
This is good news for Wellbeing industry as it is evolving and in demand. The upward momentum is expected to continue as institutions offering wellness courses, robust funding and big players entry should propel this highly unorganised industry.