Mental health for employees
Work-related risk factors for health
There are many risk factors for mental health that may be present in the working environment. Most risks relate to interactions between type of work, the organizational and managerial environment, the skills and competencies of employees, and the support available for employees to carry out their work. For example, a person may have the skills to complete tasks, but they may have too few resources to do what is required, or there may be unsupportive managerial or organizational practices.
Risks to mental health
include:
· inadequate health and safety policies
·
poor communication and management
practices
·
limited participation in decision-making
or low control over one’s area of work
·
low levels of support for employees
· inflexible working hours
· unclear tasks or organizational objectives.
Risks may also be related
to job content, such as unsuitable tasks for the person’s competencies or a
high and unrelenting workload. Some jobs may carry a higher personal risk than
others (e.g. first responders and humanitarian workers), which can have an impact
on mental health and be a cause of symptoms of mental disorders, or lead to
harmful use of alcohol or psychoactive drugs. Risk may be increased in
situations where there is a lack of team cohesion or social support.
Bullying and
psychological harassment (also known as “mobbing”) are commonly reported causes
of work-related stress by workers and present risks to the health of workers.
They are associated with both psychological and physical problems. These health
consequences can have costs for employers in terms of reduced productivity and
increased staff turnover. They can also have a negative impact on family and
social interactions.
Creating a healthy workplace
An important element of
achieving a healthy workplace is the development of governmental legislation,
strategies and polices as highlighted by the European Union Compass work in
this area . A healthy workplace can be described as one where workers and
managers actively contribute to the working environment by promoting and
protecting the health, safety and well-being of all employees
The steps organizations can take to create a healthy workplace
· Awareness of the workplace environment and
how it can be adapted to promote better mental health for different employees.
·
Learning from the motivations of
organizational leaders and employees who have taken action.
·
Not reinventing wheels by being aware of
what other companies who have taken action have done.
·
Understanding the opportunities and needs
of individual employees, in helping to develop better policies for workplace
mental health.
·
Awareness of sources of support and where
people can find help.
References
·
World health Organization (2021). Mental
health in the workplace. Mental Health and Substance Use. https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotion-prevention/mental-health-in-the-workplace
·
Greenwood, K (2021). It’s a New Era for
Mental Health at Work. Harvard Business review. https://hbr.org/2021/10/its-a-new-era-for-mental-health-at-work
·
Rajgopal, T (2010). Mental well-being at
the workplace. US National Library of Medicine
·
National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062016/
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