Is workers’ mental health overlooked?
May 29, 2011
JACOB stares blankly at his computer monitor. Although he might be mistaken as someone concentrating on their work, a closer look will show a trouble mind.
By Haruna Nyanzi
JACOB stares blankly at his computer monitor. Although he might be mistaken as someone concentrating on their work, a closer look will show a trouble mind.
Jacob is just one of the thousands of workers who are suffering from depression or stress, but are not cared for by their employers. Because they have no choice, they continue to ‘work’, ignoring the mental disorders they may be suffering.
Some employers, however, ignore the fact that a company’s economic efficiency and competitiveness relies on mental and cognitive skills of its workers.
These include creativity, relationship and emotional skills, autonomy and exchange of knowledge.
These factors are important in individual and collective efficiency and are closely linked to the psychological wellbeing of an individual.
Although it is not possible to quantify the direct cost and potential savings to an employer due to mental ill health of his or her employees, evidence suggests that improved mental health has a positive impact towards increased productivity, creativity and quality of produce or service.
As an employer two issues would be of concern, namely, absenteeism and presenteeism.
Absenteeism
Stress and other mental health-related problems remain some of the major causes of long-term sickness-absence among employees.
An absent employee or one who quits their job creates ‘human’ costs on the collective workforce.
When an absent worker is not replaced, the workload spills onto his colleagues, creating extra work. This in turn puts them under pressure or stress that may in the long-run result into further absenteeism, thereby affecting productivity and quality of the product or service.
Presenteeism
This term describes a phenomenon where an employee is physically present at work inspite of health problems or being ‘burnt out’.
This is a common scenario given the stigma that employees attach to mental ill health, especially stress, anxiety and depression.
This situation is costly and counter-productive since it can lead to a drop in productivity and creativity, stress-related accidents or injuries and interpersonal conflicts between staff and sometimes against management.
Recent study indicated that loss in productivity due to presenteeism is assessed at nearly double that of the cost of mental health-related sick leave.
Work that is too demanding, lack of resources to achieve set objectives, poor working relationships, aggressive clients and management can have a negative impact too, towards the psychological well being of an individual, hence affecting their performance.
A company is, therefore, faced with one of two scenarios when psycho-social risks are present:
Either to show no awareness of these risk and, therefore, does nothing to solve them, leading to economic, social and human consequences.
Or it decides to tackle the problem by identifying, resolving and preventing the risks, hence spending more on problem-solving. Such an investment produces a positive impact on improved quality and increased productivity in the long-term.
The writer is a clinical specialist and senior mental health practitioner in the UK
nyanzihari@yahoo.com
JACOB stares blankly at his computer monitor. Although he might be mistaken as someone concentrating on their work, a closer look will show a trouble mind.
Jacob is just one of the thousands of workers who are suffering from depression or stress, but are not cared for by their employers. Because they have no choice, they continue to ‘work’, ignoring the mental disorders they may be suffering.
Some employers, however, ignore the fact that a company’s economic efficiency and competitiveness relies on mental and cognitive skills of its workers.
These include creativity, relationship and emotional skills, autonomy and exchange of knowledge.
These factors are important in individual and collective efficiency and are closely linked to the psychological wellbeing of an individual.
Although it is not possible to quantify the direct cost and potential savings to an employer due to mental ill health of his or her employees, evidence suggests that improved mental health has a positive impact towards increased productivity, creativity and quality of produce or service.
As an employer two issues would be of concern, namely, absenteeism and presenteeism.
Absenteeism
Stress and other mental health-related problems remain some of the major causes of long-term sickness-absence among employees.
An absent employee or one who quits their job creates ‘human’ costs on the collective workforce.
When an absent worker is not replaced, the workload spills onto his colleagues, creating extra work. This in turn puts them under pressure or stress that may in the long-run result into further absenteeism, thereby affecting productivity and quality of the product or service.
Presenteeism
This term describes a phenomenon where an employee is physically present at work inspite of health problems or being ‘burnt out’.
This is a common scenario given the stigma that employees attach to mental ill health, especially stress, anxiety and depression.
This situation is costly and counter-productive since it can lead to a drop in productivity and creativity, stress-related accidents or injuries and interpersonal conflicts between staff and sometimes against management.
Recent study indicated that loss in productivity due to presenteeism is assessed at nearly double that of the cost of mental health-related sick leave.
Work that is too demanding, lack of resources to achieve set objectives, poor working relationships, aggressive clients and management can have a negative impact too, towards the psychological well being of an individual, hence affecting their performance.
A company is, therefore, faced with one of two scenarios when psycho-social risks are present:
Either to show no awareness of these risk and, therefore, does nothing to solve them, leading to economic, social and human consequences.
Or it decides to tackle the problem by identifying, resolving and preventing the risks, hence spending more on problem-solving. Such an investment produces a positive impact on improved quality and increased productivity in the long-term.
The writer is a clinical specialist and senior mental health practitioner in the UK
nyanzihari@yahoo.com