Nearly three out of four Indian professionals still hesitate to be transparent about taking time off for mental health reasons, according to a new survey.
The reluctance shows up in different ways. Close to half—45%—said they would simply mark it as a general sick leave. Only 28% felt comfortable being explicit about the reason. As much as 19% would rather avoid taking leave at all, while 9% would make up a reason, shows the survey by Naukri, which had responses from 19,650 jobseekers across 80 industries ahead of World Mental Health Day.
The top fear is being viewed as incapable, a concern shared by 31% of respondents. Beyond that, 27% worry about judgment from colleagues, while 21% fear being dismissed as someone who makes excuses. Another 21% believe it could impact their career growth.
When it comes to what's actually affecting mental health at work, poor work-life balance tops the list at 39%. Micromanaging bosses aren't far behind at 30%, followed by lack of recognition at 22% and fear of making mistakes at 10%. Asked what single intervention would help most, 60% pointed to flexible work options—significantly ahead of stress-management workshops (22%), paid mental health days (10%), or managerial training (9%).
While work-life balance issues dominate overall, certain sectors tell a different story. In pharma, more than one in four professionals say lack of recognition is what's really hurting their mental well-being. In KPO and research roles, it's the micromanaging boss—cited by about a third of respondents at 33%.
The comfort level around transparency varies sharply by career stage. Freshers and early-career professionals (0-5 years) are the most guarded — only around 25% would call a mental health day what it is, while 43% would code it as sick leave. Among senior professionals, approximately 40% said they'd be open about it.
Career stage shifts the nature of these fears. Early-career professionals (around 30%) worry more about seeming incapable, while those with 15+ years of experience are more concerned about colleague judgment, at 40%.
When asked what would actually help, the answer is clear: flexibility. Over 60% said flexible work hours would make the most difference. The demand is highest in emerging technologies (71%) and BPO (61%) — sectors where long or irregular hours are part of the job.
Senior professionals with 15+ years show a slight preference shift, with around one in three favouring stress-management workshops. Still, among early-to mid-career professionals, 63% stick with flexibility as their top choice over formal training.
The reluctance shows up in different ways. Close to half—45%—said they would simply mark it as a general sick leave. Only 28% felt comfortable being explicit about the reason. As much as 19% would rather avoid taking leave at all, while 9% would make up a reason, shows the survey by Naukri, which had responses from 19,650 jobseekers across 80 industries ahead of World Mental Health Day.
The top fear is being viewed as incapable, a concern shared by 31% of respondents. Beyond that, 27% worry about judgment from colleagues, while 21% fear being dismissed as someone who makes excuses. Another 21% believe it could impact their career growth.
When it comes to what's actually affecting mental health at work, poor work-life balance tops the list at 39%. Micromanaging bosses aren't far behind at 30%, followed by lack of recognition at 22% and fear of making mistakes at 10%. Asked what single intervention would help most, 60% pointed to flexible work options—significantly ahead of stress-management workshops (22%), paid mental health days (10%), or managerial training (9%).
While work-life balance issues dominate overall, certain sectors tell a different story. In pharma, more than one in four professionals say lack of recognition is what's really hurting their mental well-being. In KPO and research roles, it's the micromanaging boss—cited by about a third of respondents at 33%.
The comfort level around transparency varies sharply by career stage. Freshers and early-career professionals (0-5 years) are the most guarded — only around 25% would call a mental health day what it is, while 43% would code it as sick leave. Among senior professionals, approximately 40% said they'd be open about it.
Career stage shifts the nature of these fears. Early-career professionals (around 30%) worry more about seeming incapable, while those with 15+ years of experience are more concerned about colleague judgment, at 40%.
When asked what would actually help, the answer is clear: flexibility. Over 60% said flexible work hours would make the most difference. The demand is highest in emerging technologies (71%) and BPO (61%) — sectors where long or irregular hours are part of the job.
Senior professionals with 15+ years show a slight preference shift, with around one in three favouring stress-management workshops. Still, among early-to mid-career professionals, 63% stick with flexibility as their top choice over formal training.
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