Stress in workplaces

In News

• Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have issued guidelines to address mental health issues among the global workforce.

Major Highlights by WHO and ILO 

• Loss in economy and workforce
  • Depression and anxiety are thought to account for 12 billion lost workdays annually, costing the world economy close to $1 trillion, according to the WHO.
• Countries having national programmes 
  • Five per cent of the working-age population had mental illness and only 35 percent of countries had national programmes for work-related mental health promotion in place.  
• Increase in anxiety and despair 
  • COVID-19 caused a 25 percent increase in anxiety and despair, demonstrating how poorly governments anticipated its effects on mental health. 
• The pandemic highlighted a persistent lack of mental health resources globally. 
  • Governments globally allocated just 2 per cent of their health budgets to mental health in 2020, with lower-middle-income nations allocating less than 1 per cent.

Challenges

• Loss of productivity
  • The individual’s well-being is a reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also affect a person’s performance and productivity.
• Socio-economic problems 
  • An unhealthy work culture accentuates broader socio-economic problems, such as inequality and discrimination, which affect mental health. 

• Mobbing
  • One of the most common workplace harassment is bullying or psychological assault, commonly known as mobbing.
• Other major challenges:
  • Low salaries
  • Excessive workload
  • Few opportunities for growth or advancement
  • Work that isn’t engaging or challenging
  • Lack of social support
  • Not having enough control over job-related decisions
  • Conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations

Benefits of preventing stress in the workplace

• Reduced symptoms of poor mental and physical health
• Fewer injuries, less illness and lost time
• Reduced sick leave usage, absences and staff turnover
• Increased productivity
• Greater job satisfaction
• Increased work engagement
• Reduced costs to the employer
• Improved employee health and community wellbeing.

Way forward

• Training
  • WHO has suggested manager training to avoid stressful work settings and assist distressed employees.
• Investments
  • We need to invest in reshaping the working environment to stop stigma and social exclusion and ensure employees with mental health conditions feel protected and supported.
• Return to work
  • The guidelines also suggested improved approaches to meeting the requirements of workers with mental health disorders and prescribed interventions that promote their return to work. 
• Paid employment mechanisms
  • It also offered paid employment mechanisms for people with severe mental health conditions. The guidelines emphasised the need for actions to protect medical, humanitarian and emergency personnel.
• Work-related stress is a management issue:
  • Ensure a safe working environment.
  • Make sure that everyone is properly trained for their job.
  • De-stigmatise work-related stress by openly recognising it as a genuine problem.
  • Discuss issues and grievances with employees, and take appropriate action when possible.
  • Devise a stress management policy in consultation with the employees.
  • Encourage an environment where employees have more say over their duties, promotional prospects and safety.
  • Organise to have a human resources manager.
  • Cut down on the need for overtime by reorganising duties or employing extra staff.
  • Take into account the personal lives of employees and recognise that the demands of home will sometimes clash with the demands of work.
  • Seek advice from health professionals, if necessary.

Source:DTE