Bengaluru-based startup YourDost recently ran a three-day campaign in the city keeping in mind the IT layoff scenario. This IT startup asked people to call a toll free number during this time, and almost 260 calls were received, majority of them made by IT professionals who were under severe stress due to job losses. After the three-day campaign, YourDost representatives found out that 43 per cent of people, who called, were from the IT sector and 62 per cent of the calls were related to layoffs. Unsure of finding an alternate job, around 63 per cent of the people revealed that they had only three months of savings left. Due to social stigma, more than 57 percent had not reached out for any help from any family member and, therefore, chose to call the counselling helpline number.
With the slowdown in the IT industry, there is much anxiety and uncertainty in the minds of employees from the sector. Counselling companies such as YourDost claim that they have been instrumental in helping professionals cope with the stress and depression arising out of job-related pressures.
“We have a team of counsellors who help professionals with confidence-building measures and try to motivate them into developing their self confidence, which, otherwise, would have led them to depression. We have counsellors who also help professionals in taking proper career decisions. People can approach us through chats or phone calls etc. We have structured therapy sessions to bring out people from such lows,” Puneet Manuja, the co-founder of YourDost told THE WEEK.
Manuja, who hails from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, had started this counselling portal along with Richa Singh. Apparently, Manuja had been a gold medalist from NIT in Kozhikode, and despite being on top, was unable to get a job for more than a year after his graduation.
“I went through a hard time and when others got a job I personally felt downtrodden. I was in Kerala, away from my parents, who were in U.P., and lacked a support system. Sometimes, counselling is necessary to overcome depression when it's related to the pressures of a job. Ironically, in India, people are hesitant to talk to their family members or close friends about it,” added Manuja.
Similarly, LeanonMe Counselling Services, a new age start-up in Bengaluru, is offering emotional wellness counselling through mobile text chat, on an app that can be downloaded on smartphones. Instant help and anonymity are some of the things for which people connect with LeanonMe.
“We also offer emotional wellness health check-ups through the chat app administered by qualified, expert counsellors wherein people can assess how well they are doing emotionally and can reach out for help if they need support. The app is already on Google Play store,” Jennyfer J.S., chief executive of said.
She says that of late they have had people from different fields―both IT and non-IT―who have reached out on issues relating to work stress, job uncertainties and work-life balance. “In such cases, when our counsellors hear them out, we find that most of them are emotionally hurt and also do not have enough social support and, hence, go through severe psychological pain, fear and anxiety,” said Jennyfer.
Recalling one case, she says that a corporate executive had to return to work soon after her maternity leave and was under the pressure of having to keep her job and having to do stretched hours of work while her child was only a month old. Her work pressure spilled over into her family and personal time, and affected her emotionally. She was distressed that she could not give her time and care as a mother, and the lack of flexibility at work got her deeply frustrated.
Similarly recalling another case, Jennyfer says, “We had an IT executive who extensively travelled for work and had to be away from family for most part of the month. In the process, his spouse and daughter got so used to his absence that he felt he had lost his connection and bonding with them. This made him unhappy and emotionally drained, as he sought for their warmth and love, but didn't receive it. He could not accept and cope with this situation and, hence, reached out to us for help. We worked together on some of the steps he could take to improve the relationship that could bridge the gap caused by his work life. In fact, he came back after a short holiday with his family and expressed that reaching out to us helped him improve his situation and he was happy that he was moving forward in restoring the relationship.”
This counselling company provides people with an instant chat platform through the LeanonMe mobile app where they have anonymity and instant access from wherever they are. “Our technology is a robust app which is designed for our counsellors to respond in less than five seconds. Our counsellors facilitate ventilation, provide them the emotional support they require and help them identify their strengths to either deal with or cope with their situations,” adds Jennyfer.
Jennyfer recalls another case of an IT professional who had developed health issues largely owing to the stress at work. While keeping the job was absolutely necessary and important for him, continuing to work with same constraints was worsening his health condition. He needed help to sort this situation. We heard him and helped him explore various possibilities to reach out to the management and offer options that could help manage both his work and health without having to disrupt delivery. He was given help to gain confidence and become assertive to approach the management and get his situation resolved,” explained Jennyfer.
Mumbai-based Juno Clinic, an online counseling company has seen a surge in calls from IT professionals due to the layoffs. “We are getting almost 150 to 200 queries every month from IT professionals,” says Davesh Manocha the co-founder of Juno Clinic. “If a person loses a job, his self esteem is hurt and they develop anxiety as they have commitments to tend to. It is also never easy to sit out at home. We are getting maximum calls from the age group of 30-35-year-olds―the middle management people who are getting fired in IT firms.”
The company, besides having online sessions which include video sessions, also has facilities for face-to-face interactions with the counsellors as the company has three clinics in Mumbai. “In Mumbai, people are confident enough to come to our clinics and talk face-to-face with our counsellors,” Manocha says. “We have around 35 counsellors who help people restore their self esteem and bring positivity back into their lives.”
