Toxic Boss And Workplace Top Reason For Indian Employees Quitting Jobs: Report

The report said that 86 per cent of Indian employees plan to resign within the next six months, while 61 per cent of them are willing to accept lower salaries to focus on their mental health

The Covid-19 pandemic saw a wave of resignations in India in 2021. The phenomenon which was later termed as the 'Great Indian Resignation', persisted into 2022 despite the easing of Covid-related restrictions. Initially attributed to the pandemic, the 'Great Resignation' in India has extended beyond 2021, indicating additional factors at play.

A recent report by Harappa Insights has revealed that toxic bosses, toxic workplaces, stagnant career growth, and value mismatches were key reasons for employees leaving. Surprisingly, better opportunities and higher salaries were not the primary drivers. Remote work options and the pursuit of higher education were minor factors.

Despite the pandemic's easing, a significant number of workers still plan to resign in the next few months, the report showed. 

The Harappa report says that 86 per cent of Indian employees plan to resign within the next six months, while 61 per cent of them are willing to accept lower salaries or forgo pay raises and promotions to focus on their mental health and a healthy work-life balance. 

A survey of 80 working professionals across India during the period May-June 2022 showed that toxic bosses and toxic workplaces are the top two reasons for resignation, contrary to the popular perception about employees quitting for better opportunities and higher salaries.

According to the survey, the top reasons for resignations among Indian employees were toxic bosses (58 per cent) and toxic workplaces (54 per cent), characterized by unhealthy competition and office politics. Stagnated career growth (42 per cent) and a mismatch between company and personal values (33 per cent) were also significant factors.

Only 20 per cent of respondents cited better remuneration as a reason for quitting, while 11 per cent mentioned the lack of remote work options. Pursuing higher education was the reason for only 6 per cent of resignations.

"All the reasons above have serious effects at the organizational level leading to conflict, increased tension, negative impact on employees mental, physical, and emotional health, productivity and work quality, the report said.