Mental Health and Digital Work Environments: Exploring Post-Pandemic Remote Work Experiences among Indian IT Professionals

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a rapid transformation of work practices in India’s IT sector, normalising large-scale remote and hybrid work. While this shift enhanced flexibility and business continuity, it also reconfigured the psychosocial dimensions of work in ways still unfolding. Drawing on Indian and international studies, industry reports, and frameworks such as the Job Demands–Resources model, boundary theory, and technostress research, this paper examines the mental health implications of post-pandemic digital work environments for Indian IT professionals. At the pandemic’s peak, nearly 90% of IT and ITeS employees worked from home, and a strong preference for hybrid models persists even as firms reinstate office-attendance norms. Research in India documents heightened stress, anxiety, loneliness, technostress, and work–family conflict, alongside benefits such as reduced commuting and greater autonomy. The paper synthesises how digital work features including constant connectivity, virtual meetings, digital monitoring, and cross-time-zone collaboration interact with India-specific factors like urban congestion, small housing spaces, gendered care burdens, and the digital divide to shape mental health outcomes. It argues that remote work acts both as a resource and a demand. While organisations have introduced wellness initiatives and hybrid policies, measures remain uneven. The paper proposes a multi-level agenda spanning digital work design, management practices, industry self-regulation, and labour policy.