Effect Of Covid-19 On The Mental Health Of Office Goers And Work Life In Chennai

Abstract

COVID19 paved way for the organizations to adopt new ways of working. The organizations are also in the place to reinvent the worker's style and office roles to provide a safe, enjoyable, and productive workplace. During this time, one needs to focus on the mental health of the workers since it is a turning point in improving the productivity of the organization. The main objective of this study is to analyze the effects of the COVID19 pandemic on workers' mental health. This situation is mainly analyzed by conducting interview surveys regarding the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of office goers with a total of 156 members in seven various organizations of different fields such as manufacturing, construction, and Information Technology from the cities of Chennai. We analyzed the data via quantitative and qualitative analysis with a random sampling approach. Out of 156 members, 69% responded that they were under stress, anger, exasperation, and anxiety during the COVID19 outbreak and the factors that affect their mental health tends to be insomnia, increased feelings of disappointment, burnout, difficulty in focusing on both the household and office chores. They sufficed their depression and stress in excess use of alcohol, nicotine, and others. The other factors that affected the mental and physical health of workers are mainly work schedules, salary, co-employee relationships, and lack of paid leave access. The workers minimized their stress levels with the help and support from their family members and friends by incorporating different coping mechanisms. The research findings show the urgency to transform the workspace to accommodate a portfolio of solutions that address the mental health of office goers.