Two in five professionals in India are experiencing increased stress or anxiety due to the pandemic while one in three professionals believe remote working is slowing career progression, making them feel more lonely and harming work-life balance, a new LinkedIn survey revealed on Thursday.

The findings showed that only one in four (23 per cent) professionals in the country were being offered emotional well-being initiatives and flexible work hours by their employers in the early months of the lockdown.

"The ongoing stress around the 3 Rs -- remote work, return to work, and risk of exposure -- are adversely impacting the mental health of Indian professionals. Companies in India are beginning to bolster their mental health programmes to support their employees in such times," said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, Linkedin.

The economic repercussions of the ongoing pandemic have made Indian professionals vulnerable to job uncertainty, financial instability, and bleak company outlook, while continuing to work remotely in social isolation.

The fortnightly LinkedIn ‘Workforce Confidence Index' highlighted the need for stronger employer support in these times of distress. The findings reflect that 51 per cent of the Indian workforce is working remotely due to Covid-19, and continues to question the effectiveness of remote work as professionals experience increased stress and anxiety.

"While 60 per cent of Indian professionals had felt lonely at some point while working remotely, 37 per cent still feel lonely doing it now". The findings also showed that only one in five (21 per cent) professionals were getting more time off through paid or unpaid leaves, while 42 per cent think their companies will not continue to do so after the pandemic.

"Today, as industries attempt to bounce back, close to 40 per cent of Indian professionals continue to experience financial instability, signalling towards high levels of financial stress and uncertainty prevalent among India's workforce," the survey pointed out.

The pandemic has taken a toll on working parents, especially working mothers, as findings show that around one in three working mothers in India are currently providing childcare full time (28 per cent), and working outside their business hours to provide childcare (33 per cent).

As India begins to return to work, 50 per cent of professionals still express concerns about the risk of exposure to those who don't take safety precautions seriously. "More than one in three professionals are also worried about workplace sanitation, exposure to large groups of people in meetings or in public and uncertain workplace safety guidelines," revealed the survey based on the online responses of 16,199 professionals in the country over the past six months.