In the midst of the ongoing economic crisis and an increased rate of burnout, anxiety and depression in the workplace. Employers have realized the need to protect employees’ mental health and well-being which makes these efforts a part of companies’ attraction and retention programs.
Employees want to work in a place that cares about both their productivity and emotional well-being.
According to World Health Organisation(WHO), Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity. This is true based on the poor working environment, discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, low job control and job insecurity.
A healthy workplace should include 5 components:
I) Work-Life Balance
ii) Employee Well-being & Promotion
iii) Employee Growth, knowledge and skills Development
iv) People Management
v) Employee Engagement & Recognition
Work can protect mental health
Employees have the right to a safe and healthy environment at work. Decent work supports good mental health by providing
· a livelihood;
· a sense of confidence, purpose and achievement;
· an opportunity for positive relationships and inclusion in a community; and
· a platform for structured routines, among many other benefits.
A right work environment creates a positive impact on an employee’s health and well-being, job satisfaction and productivity levels. If employees are sick, overweight, stressed, sleep-deprived or disengaged, they prevent the company they work for from thriving and maintaining a competitive advantage in the workplace.
Prevent work-related mental health conditions
Preventing mental health conditions at work is about managing psychosocial risks in the workplace. WHO recommends employers do this by implementing organizational interventions that directly target working conditions and environments. Organizational interventions are those that assess, and then mitigate, modify or remove workplace risks to mental health. Organizational interventions include, for example, providing flexible working arrangements, or implementing frameworks to deal with violence and harassment at work.
Protect and promote mental health at work
Protecting and promoting mental health at work is about strengthening capacities to recognize and act on mental health conditions at work, particularly for persons responsible for the supervision of others, such as managers.
To protect mental health, WHO recommends:
· manager training for mental health, which helps managers recognize and respond to supervisees experiencing emotional distress; builds interpersonal skills like open communication and active listening; and fosters a better understanding of how job stressors affect mental health and can be managed;
· training for workers in mental health literacy and awareness, to improve knowledge of mental health and reduce stigma against mental health conditions at work; and
· interventions for individuals to build skills to manage stress and reduce mental health symptoms, including psychosocial interventions and opportunities for leisure-based physical activity.
In 2023, it is expected that more companies will embrace mental health care that fits their needs. While some individuals need medication management and one- one therapy, some employees have needs that are supported by self-paced programs or coaching.
