Chartered accountants’ body to set up stress control & counsel group

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on Monday said it would set up a special support group that would help members of the profession with greater measures to manage stress. The group would form a desk for counselling, besides peer support networks for members to share workplace experiences and ask for advice.

The special counselling help desk is to be created under the purview of ICAI’s national call centre number (9997599975).

“The increasing demands placed on professionals across industries have raised widespread concerns regarding the detrimental effects of high pressure environments on personal health and professional efficiency,” said a press release from IACI, which has over 4 lakh members besides more than 8 lakh students.

The decision comes in the wake of the recent death of chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil, who was an employee of SR Batliboi and Associates, a network firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited. Perayil died owing to extreme pressure at work, according to media reports.

An important aspect of the special support group will be the responsibility to facilitate work-life balance of members, an ICAI statement said. The institute will form tie-ups with various health organisations to introduce programmes that will help members deal with stress.

Among the support group’s agenda is also the creation of more flexible work models for its member professionals. ICAI has also directed organisation bodies to ensure balanced work policies that safeguard mental and physical health of employees, besides fighting stress.

The release from ICAI said that the institute has been actively promoting measures to safeguard mental and physical health of members as well as students. These measures include web conferences on stress and stress control, besides wellness programmes. Right now, ICAI has a grievance redressal cell for members and students. The press release added that steps are being initiated to put in place a platform for more empathetic resolutions.