Live Love Laugh Foundation unveils roadmap to transform workplace mental health

Nearly 59% of Indian employees reported burnout symptoms, and 50% of professionals cited workplace stress as the biggest factor affecting mental health, according to reports from McKinsey Health Institute 2023 and Deloitte India 2022.

The McKinsey report estimated that poor employee well-being could cost India $350 billion annually.

In light of these findings and responding to a growing workplace crisis, the Live Love Laugh Foundation (LLL) has unveiled a report on Monday, titled Transforming Mental Health in Corporate India: A Roadmap for Action, which outlines a four-point integrated roadmap for business leaders to embed mental health into organisational culture and performance.

These include:

Phase 1: Establishing a data-driven foundation: It recommends organisation-wide assessments to gauge mental health maturity, employee sentiment, and readiness for change.

It urges the use of surveys and focus groups to move from assumptions to actionable insights.

Phase 2: Leadership alignment and building a culture of care: The report emphasises creating organisation-wide awareness and aligning leadership around shared responsibility for mental well-being. It recommends trust through education, storytelling, and visible leadership commitment.

Phase 3: Embedding mental health into everyday work: It highlights the importance of integrating mental health into policies, leadership practices, and day-to-day workflows.

Phase 4: Building long-term resilience: It urges a shift from reactive support to proactive resilience-building by fostering empathetic leadership, inclusive communication, and continuous monitoring through pulse surveys and feedback loops.

“Evidence shows that progress on mental health takes more than short-term fixes. It requires leadership commitment, systemic integration, and a clear roadmap that effectively links well-being to performance. LLL’s report is meant to help leaders move beyond awareness - to act, to lead, and to build workplaces where people and organisations can truly thrive,” said Anisha Padukone, LLL’s Chief Executive Officer.

“For mental health efforts to truly take root, CEOs and senior leaders must champion the work. When mental health becomes an organisational priority, rather than a symbolic HR initiative, it drives real change,” said Dr Shyam Bhat, Chairperson of LLL.

LLL’s report is built on Indian data, real-world case studies, leadership insights, and on-the-ground experience. The report outlines three key organisational archetypes based on their current approach to workplace mental health:

Unaware or sceptical: Companies that still do not see mental health as a business priority or a driver of performance.

Interested but under-resourced: Companies that recognise mental health matters but lack clarity, capacity, or frameworks to act effectively.

Early movers: Companies that have launched Employee Assistance Programmes or awareness initiatives, yet struggle with low participation and limited impact.

The research shows that a majority of organisations are still at the early stages of this journey. Many are actively seeking structured guidance, credible data, and peer-led insights to integrate mental health into everyday processes.

Although symbolic efforts such as World Mental Health Day events or CEO-led conversations are more common today, mental health is still far from being a sustained, measurable, and integral part of organisational culture.