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READER'S REPORT:
Lawrence Smith
We must evolve our way of thinking and managing health and safety in order to focus on mental well-being to the same extent as safety physical.
I did not want to go to work the other day. It was Monday and I felt deeply depressed.
In recent years, I have lost a brother to suicide and my partner – the mother of my two grandchildren – decided that she wanted to separate and lay down her life at the same time. towards.
Unsurprisingly, this has had a serious and sometimes crippling effect on my mental health. Most of the time, I manage it well and I live a fulfilling life, but sometimes I feel handicapped by anxiety and depression.
So I decided to take a "day of mental health"
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I know my reasons for taking leave are perfectly justified, but I always felt guilty and I could not shake the throbbing sensation I felt.
I am not alone.
In New Zealand and elsewhere in the world, the cultural response to mental health at work is troubling. In recent years, much progress has been made in tackling stigma in mental health, but workplaces have not caught up with the important discussions taking place in society
. Often, they do not feel safe to do so and many employers do not attribute the same respect to mental safety as to physical safety.
The culture of the "concrete pill" is alive and well in our workplaces. Health problems are still not considered legitimate alongside the most obvious physical health problems.
The World Health Organization warns that mental illness will be the leading cause of disability and absenteeism by 2030 if we do not act now. It's scary.
It is well documented that we spend about a third of our lives at work. It's an awful lot of time to be immersed in an environment that harms your mental health.
So, what can we do about it? I have some suggestions
We need more days of sickness
Mental health days without guilt should be an accepted practice in the workplace. Employers should encourage (verbally and contractually) their staff to take an "illness" when their mental health is not bright and that employees should give up the "hardening" attitude and use their sick leave when things are difficult.
While we are there, five days of sickness per year as a minimum entitlement are simply not enough. Five out of 365 days in a year for physical and mental afflictions!
This is particularly relevant for parents who must use their sick days to look after their children when they get sick, and are left without for themselves when they
Good Employers should offer more sick leave paid on a contract basis.
The government should help by legislating a higher minimum entitlement and explicitly referring mental health to the appropriate legislation in order to provide legal grounds for the use of sick leave for patients.
We Should Spend Less Time In
Recently, the New Zealand-based Perpetual Guardian Company experienced a four-day workweek with a full-time salary for its staff. As a result, they reported increased happiness, less stress, and higher productivity – a win all around.
This change was so effective that the CEO wants to implement it permanently. This type of mindset, focused on productivity rather than a dogmatic set of precise hours, gives people more balance between work and home life and greater mental energy to be more productive at work.
We all want our work time to be productive and for employers, productivity is equal to profit. But rigid work schedules are not a fertile structure for productive workplaces.
Increasingly, research and experimentation show that a flexible approach to working hours allows employees to have a better balance between work and home life. For the same pay, you have to do more work at a better level.
Flexibility around working time should also be taken into account where possible. Some people are more productive at different times of the day, others have to drop off their kids at school in the morning, while others work better at home or at the cafe.
Having flexibility in our working conditions would allow us to live our lives without the anxiety that a rigid workplace can cause.
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We all want our time to be productive, and for employers, productivity is synonymous with profit.
No more mandatory holidays would not hurt either.
How about a Matariki party? In New Zealand, culture is "living at work" whereas it should be "working to live".
Regarding Our Mental Health and Safety, We Must Change the Way We Think and Manage Health and Safety
Workplace Leaders Should Get Training on Mental Health and Employers should establish policies and guidelines to manage the mental health needs of employees.
These guidelines would give recommendations and responsibilities to all those who
Sponsor employee access to the EAP (Employee Assistance Program) or other counseling services constitutes an excellent mechanism to support workers. By offering subscriptions to reduced gyms, introducing voluntary mindfulness training and optional mediation practices in the workplace.
All of these tools can help cultivate dynamic workplaces. these toxic problems are vital. We do not deal well with bullying in our workplaces and this contributes enormously to stress and mental illness.
Our health and safety regulator, Worksafe, needs to take a more proactive approach to countering bullying. They have investigated only 10 bullying complaints since their inception in 2013, despite the fact that 30 per cent of New Zealand employees say they feel intimidated.
We need growth and development.
Providing ways for all workers to progress in an organization or develop more skills can help them feel more motivated and determined. for all employees to move forward is excellent for staff morale. Similarly, the opportunity to attend conferences and work-related events is stimulating and can help make the workplace a stimulating environment.
Workers need more power because they have the habit of expressing decisions that are happier and more accomplished when they are at work.
Employers who offer their workers more services and treat their relationship more like a partnership will help improve their mental well-being and, as a result, increase their loyalty and productivity. Workplaces should embrace workers' organizations like unions rather than treating them as an enemy. Unions give workers a voice and this voice is an asset for any workplace when it is not considered an obstacle.
Employees know the work and their ideas can help improve the workplace for everyone, even shareholders. building a culture of mental well-being in our workplaces and the suggestions I mentioned are part of the package, tools to make this culture a reality.
Where to get help:
Lifeline (open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) – 0800 543 354
Telephone Assistance for Depression (open 24 hours a day) – 0800 111 757
Healthline (open 24h / 24) – 0800 611 116
Samaritans (open 24/7) – 0800 726 666
Suicide Crisis Assistance Service (open 24h) / 24 and 7/7) – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). This service is for people who think about suicide or who care about their family or friends.
– Stuff Nation
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