WE spend a significant portion of our lives working.
It's no surprise then that the workplace has a strong influence on our mental health or wellbeing.
A toxic work environment can lead to a variety of mental health conditions while a supportive and nurturing setting results in increased employee satisfaction, better performance and ultimately, contributes to the success of an organisation.
These issues were highlighted recently at the Mental Health Experiential Conference (MHEC) 2.0 themed "Psychological Health for Employers and Leaders" organised by Emerging Journey Asia.
Mental health is interwoven into all aspects of life and mental wellbeing is profoundly impacted by the place where we spend a significant portion of our time, which is the workplace, says Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on health chairman Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who officiated the opening ceremony of the conference.
"Healthy and happy employees are not only more productive, but also more engaged and creative," he says.
Fostering a work culture that prioritises mental wellbeing, will contribute not only to the success of an organisation, but also the overall wellbeing of its employees, he explains.
However, in Malaysia, mental health is an issue that lacks attention and in the workplace, mental health challenges or support for mental health conditions are often viewed as a personal issue rather than something an employer or organisation can also be a part of.
In 2022, a study published by access technology firm, Kisi, ranked Kuala Lumpur as the third most overworked city in the world.
OVERWORKED AND UNAPPRECIATED
Being required to put in longer working hours than those stipulated in one's employment contract, or forced to take on a very heavy work burden due to lack of manpower in an organisation, often leads to deterioration of mental health among employees and the development of mental health conditions.
MediExpress (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd head of medical wellness Dr Tracie Gan, says most companies are inclined to hire mentally healthy people.
But what are the risks of an employee developing a mental health condition during employment?
That's not something most companies often consider, she says.
Dr Gan explains that someone who doesn't have mental health issues still has a 7 per cent risk of developing poor mental health during employment and this figure shoots up to 13 per cent if the person is stressed.
She adds that an astounding 51 per cent of workers in Malaysia face high occupational stress, and while 63 per cent of employers recognise the vital link between employee wellbeing and company success, only 13 per cent of employers know about wellbeing interventions.
"Mental health conditions in this context does not refer to things like depression or bipolar disorder but issues like burnout or apathy, things we go through on a daily basis."
Dr Gan says it doesn't make sense for one employee to do the job of ten.
But lack of manpower in an organisation often forces existing employees to deliver more and more and this constant pressure leads to burnout, tiredness and dissatisfaction.
As a result, one will start to observe a pattern of frequent medical leave or emergency leave among employees.
This in turn results in even less resources to run the organisation and ultimately, it becomes a vicious cycle.
Poor work-life balance, unreasonable bosses, lack of support from colleagues, and failure to recognise the contributions of staff or not adequately compensating them for their contributions also has an impact on the mental wellbeing of workers.
Emerging Journey Asia founder Dr Sangeeta Kaur adds that mental wellbeing in the workplace is crucial as lack of it can spill over and impact other aspects of life, including the family.
As employees, it's important to set boundaries, she says and to be clear about what we want to achieve and to take charge of what is within our control.
We also need to start from young and talk to children about mental health and help them build mental resilience so they are prepared to face the challenging journey of the working world.
Promoting A Mentally Healthy Workplace - Steps
*Encourage discussion on mental health and wellbeing.
*Promote work-life balance.
*Support flexible working hours/practices.
*Create a supportive/comfortable environment for employees to raise issues.
*Practise open communication.
*Initiate programmes/strategies that promote employee mental wellbeing.
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