A mentally healthy workforce could drive an organization towards perpetuity

India Inc’s acceptance of the importance of employee mental well-being is much higher post the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, but it still has a long way to go, says Neerja Birla, founder and chairperson, Mpower. “India Inc needs to take sustainable steps towards ensuring the mental well-being of its employees. It needs to be a cultural, systemic change.”

In the recent past, quite a few organisations have talked about giving their employees week-long mental health breaks. According to Birla, these are knee-jerk reactions, the need of the hour is not just to institutionalise mental health leave, but also to empower employees so that they can express that they undergoing anxiety or stress. “The employees shouldn’t be judged, they should feel empowered enough so that they go to their bosses and say, I am having anxiety issues and I need a break. If someone is applying for mental health leave it should be given to her/him without any questions asked.”

The Mpower founder firmly believes that a mentally healthy organisation will play an important role in ensuring perpetuity. “Mental wellness is at the crux of perpetuity. If you are well mentally, you will be able to take on many more challenges.”