Support Mental Health in the Workplace or Risk Losing Your People

Imagine heading into work and feeling as exhausted as when you left 12 hours ago. For millions of workers in India, that's not imagination, but truth. Workplace mental health is no longer a taboo topic. It is a fundamental business driver, impacting productivity, retention and ultimately, the sustainability of all businesses. If companies want to thrive and not just survive, there is one governing rule-  create a pathway to mental health support in the workplace, or risk falling behind.

Why mental health at work is important

• 80% of Indians experienced mental health issues in the past 12 months.
• The principal contributors to workplace mental health issues are workplace stress, the pressure to work excessive hours and a lack of support.
• Poor mental health costs India's businesses $14 billion dollars annually.
  
  

The corporate reality in India

Boardrooms have started discussing major work-related incidents which have occurred. Work environments characterized by extreme pressure together with tight deadlines and minimal separation between professional life and personal life have produced fatal consequences including employee burnout and workplace-related fatalities. The Economic Survey 2024-25 establishes that mental health directly impacts economic productivity while warning that neglecting this priority would obstruct national development goals.

What Does "Creating Space" Mean?

The process extends past the usual wellness initiatives and sporadic mental health discussions. Organizations which genuinely support their employees through mental health initiatives perform the following actions:

• Workplaces which support mental health need to encourage employees to discuss their mental health issues without hesitation. The practice helps break down prejudices while providing opportunities for early treatment.
• Confidential Support Services: Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer 24/7 professional counseling confidential, accessible, and practical. Employee usage of these programs remains between 5-10% because workers do not know about them and face ongoing discrimination.
• Flexible Policies: Mental health days together with work-from-home possibilities and reasonable workloads serve to minimize stress while improving employee morale.
• Trained Managers and Peers receive Mental Health First Aid training together with manager education to identify distress signals early so they can direct peers toward professional assistance.
• When employees feel they will face stigma or job termination asking for help, workplaces have to establish an inclusive culture.
  
  

What’s the Cost of Falling Behind?

Metric	Statistic	Impact
Employees with recent struggles	80% of workforce (Deloitte, 2022)	Burnout, absenteeism, turnover
Estimated business loss	$14 billion annually	Lower productivity, high costs
EAP Utilization	5-10%	Most struggling employees remain unsupported
Seeking new jobs due to stress	Nearly 50%	Retention crisis, knowledge drain

• 25% of counseling cases now involve risks of self-harm or suicide, a 22% increase over the past year.
• Young professionals under 30 and women are especially vulnerable, reporting higher rates of depression, anxiety, and emotional strain.
  
  

Clinically Proven Interventions That Work

• EAPs reduce absenteeism, lower stress, and improve productivity.
• The combination of telemedicine platforms provides an effective and accessible healthcare solution to employees especially those working remotely and younger staff members.
• Organizations that establish work-life balance policies achieve better financial results and increased employee satisfaction according to research.
• The implementation of stigma reduction programs together with regular mental health workshops leads to increased service utilization and improved workplace morale.
• Support for employees exists as a non-negotiable requirement which stands on both legal and ethical grounds.
• Workplaces that implement Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training see measurable improvements in psychological safety, peer support, and early intervention creating a more connected and resilient culture overall.
  
  

Legally and Ethically, Support Is Non-Negotiable

The Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 in India mandates workplace mental health support along with non-discrimination protections and confidentiality safeguards for employees. The current situation demands that businesses fulfill their legal and ethical duties to maintain physically and mentally healthy workplace environments.

The Takeaway: Make Mental Health a Boardroom Priority

The 81% of workplaces that declare mental health as a priority must move beyond words because actual support that reaches all organizational levels determines the successful leaders. Your company needs to recognize that mental health denial could result in an imminent crisis or employee turnover that will happen sooner than expected.

Providing space for mental health at work is not an act of charity because it serves as the foundation for successful world-class teams. Organizations need to allocate resources toward mental health initiatives because failure to do so will result in losing their most valuable employees to competitors who prioritize mental health.

Key References Cited:

• Deloitte India, Mental Health Report 2022
• Economic Survey 2024-25, Ministry of Finance
• India Inc. Corporate Initiatives, Business Today October 2024
• Mpower India Mental Health Survey 2023
• WHO Estimates
• BMC (Poddar & Chhajer), 2024