A Win-Win For Employer And Employee
Safety and mental health discussions necessitate the inclusion of mental health as mental disorders are the second leading cause of disease burden in terms of years lived with disability in the world. One in six people experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives. Such problems can range from mild in intensity to the more severe. Unlike physical illnesses they are invisible to the naked eye. As a result, any inefficiency caused on their account can be wrongly attributed to a choice being made by the employee, their “being lazy” or just “not caring” which could worsen their existing condition. 80 million work days are lost every year to stress, depression, and anxiety. People with mental illnesses are discriminated against, and not given jobs. Most times this discrimination is a result of the stigma surrounding mental illness. While the incidence and prevalence of mental illnesses do not change, what changes is it’s nondisclosure.
Can there be a different way of dealing with this issue that is more constructive, for both the employee and the employer? Are there gains for a company that allows for and does not discriminate on the basis of a history of mental illness? Can companies prevent their employees from lapsing into downward spirals? Can they act as protective factors and in fact play the opposite role? Turns out that Canada was among the first few countries, almost a decade ago, that recognised the economic burden of stress and mental disorders in their country as being upwards of 20 billion dollars per year. It put into play the “National standard of Canada for psychological health and safety in the workplace” that highlighted psychological health and safety standards and started providing tools to assist with measurable improvements in psychological health and safety for Canadian employees.
Ensuring Safety Of Stakeholders
When mental health and well-being are made an integral part of a company’s standard operations, it leads to enhanced cost effectiveness for the employer via reduced days in sickness and leaves, enhanced customer service, lesser attrition, lesser costs on re-recruitment and training and better goodwill over time. Such companies seem more attractive and non-discriminatory to both potential clients/ customers and future employees. The quality of life at such a workplace is also enhanced creating a culture of openness, respect and dignity. When there is improved risk management in an organisation, an early detection of stress or other mental health issues including addictions and impaired judgement leads to the focus being on prevention rather than cure. This has been known to thereby reduce grievance and discrimination claims and complaints. Moreover, a company is seen as being socially responsible when they make their workplace healthier. Workplace harassment incidents reduce greatly and the mental well-being of the staff is preserved. There is also a sensitization towards good mental health hygiene which helps employees balance the demands of their homes with their workplace.
The Way Forward
When the American psychological Association in liaison with Harris Interactive did a survey they found that one out of five American employees felt extremely stressed at work everyday. They started giving awards to “psychologically healthy workplaces” to “recognize organizations for their efforts to foster employee well-being while enhancing organizational performance.” Best practices included employee involvement, health and safety, employee growth and development, work-life balance and employee recognition. Additional factors that were considered included employee attitudes and opinions; the role of communication in the organization; and the benefits realized in terms of both employee health and organizational performance. The way forward is to give recognition to organizations and companies that value human capital and recognize that bottom-line results are driven by a culture in which employees feel safe.
The author is Dr. Radhika Bapat, Clinical Psychotherapist
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