Mental health in workplace: Safety, health considerations of COVID-19

The World Day for Safety and Health in the Work Place is marked every year on the 28th April. The theme for this year is “Stop the Pandemic: Safety and Health at Work can save Lives”. This is especially pertinent in the face of the new global realities imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on how we do business.

Health workers who are currently at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 should have no cause to worry about their own personal safety while they are trying to provide care to others who are ill and in need of their services. Personal protective equipment (PPE), face masks, gloves all the necessary equipment and facilities should be provided to aid their service delivery.

Furthermore, their health needs – physical as well as mental health needs – should not be neglected, because they are especially at high risk of emotional burn-out and exhaustion; while others may fall into despair and depression on account of feelings of helplessness.

But this message is not pertinent for only health workers. Every work environment needs to ensure that the safety and good health of their employees are given utmost priority. Physical health needs will include provision of hand sanitizers, easy access for frequent hand washing, not exposing staff to large groups of people without adequate protective barriers, and so on.

Mental health needs include paying attention to the emotional needs of staff, creating a work ambience that is not anxiety provoking or threatening, and showing concern and empathy for issues that may be affecting them in their personal lives.

Indeed, there is a bi-directional relationship between the mental health of employees and the efficiency or productivity of the work place/organisation. We know that one in every four adults will have mental health challenges. And 20 per cent of all employees in the work force may experience a mental health condition. The estimated cost to the global economy of depression and anxiety alone is $1trillion US dollars…and this may be an under-estimate.

So, while it is not an unusual problem for people to have mental health challenges at the work place, we should be sensitised that we may witness a spike in the occurrence of mental health problems at work in this period of COVID-19 and in the immediate aftermath. But you may wonder why you don’t readily identify those with these problems in your work place.

For one simple reason only: It is often hidden and viewed as a source of embarrassment and shame. Which is unfortunate. Estimates show that up to 70 per cent of those with mental health problems hide it in their work place for a variety of reasons. There is shame and fear of being stigmatised, but there is also the real fear that they may lose their jobs or fail to ever secure one if it is known that they have had a mental health challenge. So human resources must never hear of it.

Work environment and mental health

A good work environment enables people to realize their full potential, helps them to cope with the normal stresses of life, to work productively, and to contribute to their communities. In such work environments, staff enjoy good self-esteem, they have positive social interactions with colleagues and their productivity is enhanced. Thus, it is a win-win situation which allows a happy employee to also improve earnings, thus leading to a happy employer.

A toxic work environment, on the other hand, is very unfriendly, enforces rigid working hours, has poor remuneration with irregular salary payments, no job security, high levels of mutual suspiciousness, and bullying behaviour from superiors – sometimes including sexual harassment. These conditions ensure that the staff will not be motivated to put in their best.

What can you do?

This year’s theme is pertinent to encourage us to discuss these issues with special considerations for COVID-19. Furthermore, since mental health challenges can affect anyone, including the head of human resources, or the Chief Executive Officer, should we sack anyone who suffers from these disorders? Most certainly not.

Even more importantly, we need to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, and encourage people to seek for treatment. We should provide support and encouragement for persons with these challenges, and not be seen to be making fun of them, either publicly or behind their backs in private.

Every work environment should make efforts to reduce work-related risk factors. Speak nicely to people and promote good inter-personal relationships. Don’t insult, harass or threaten people as a habit, in your work place.

Recognise and praise people when they do things well, and correct them in a humane manner, when they err. We all have a role to play in our respective work places. A lot of adjustments are required for COVID-19 and beyond.

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