From PepsiCo to PwC – companies announce a four-day weekend to help beat WFH stress

• Clubbed with the national holiday on October 2nd for Gandhi Jayanti, companies are giving their employees an extra day off and turning it into a four-day long weekend.
• Employees have been complaining about extra working hours due to work from home.
• According to a recent survey, 36% of Indian employees are suffering from mental health issues.

It’s been over six months since Indian professionals have stopped going to work, and work from home has become the new norm. But along with work from home comes long working hours, endless meetings, additional home chores, and more.

Not just that, having been confined to their homes for such a long time, more Indians are reporting mental health issues during the pandemic. According to a recent survey, 36% of Indian employees are suffering from mental health issues.

Employers are taking note of this burnout, and some have been giving extra holidays. Since employees are not travelling or taking any leaves, companies are providing an ‘extra day off’ clubbed with the weekend. Google started the trend in May when it gave its employees an official holiday on a Friday.

PwC followed suit with a ‘pens down day’. And now, the company has announced another ‘long weekend’ benefit for its employees, with an additional leave on October 5, 2020.


Meanwhile, PepsiCo India has given its employees a holiday on October 1, turning it too into a four-day weekend. “Apart from ensuring “me time” through no meeting zones on regular days, we wanted to give our employees a long weekend and encourage them to rejuvenate, relax and spend quality time with their loved ones. The extension of October 1, 2020, as a holiday seemed ideal as it gives an extended break in one go, which they appreciate. It is also our token of gratitude to thank our teams for all their hard work during these difficult times,” said Pavitra Singh, CHRO, PepsiCo India.

Several other companies have been giving wellness breaks to ensure their employees get some time for themselves.

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