SO AS to secure living, we usually work and dedicate at least one-third of 24 hours or more at the workplace. For instance, a person with a 35-year-long career has spent about a decade in the workplace dealing with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders. Since it has been entangled with us, its impact on every sphere of our lives is undeniable.
According to the World Mental Health Report 2022, around one billion people worldwide suffer from mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, developmental disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. These problems cost an estimated $1 trillion annually if not addressed, according to the World Health Organisation.
Prioritising mental health is not merely a benevolent choice; it is a strategic imperative enhancing both employee well-being and organisational performance. It is time to focus on why mental health should be a priority in the workplace. Here are some prime points to keep in view.
Needless to say, physical health and mental health are closely connected. If someone feels mentally stressed and depressed, it will definitely make his physical condition worse. Psychosomatic disorders illustrate this link. Therefore, sound mental health on and off the workplace is crucial to staying fit physically. When mental health in the workplace is strong, employees feel motivated and dignified, making them enthusiastic and proactive to perform in an effective and efficient manner to meet organisational goals.
Based on mutual consensus, the authority鈥檚 commitment to equitable treatment, impartiality and tolerance for a diversity of viewpoints, coupled with the encouragement of independent thought among colleagues and the cultivation of a workplace culture eschewing unnecessary interference, collectively contribute to protecting and promoting the mental well-being of employees.
Conversely, although the workplace has the potential to be a pivotal source of individual well-being, the implementation of dual policies by the authority, the inequitable distribution of responsibilities among colleagues, an excessive workload, insufficient evaluation of contributions, pay disparities, irregularities in promotion and post-upgradation, and instances of biased behaviour emerge as significant determinants of psychosocial stress leading to diminished productivity among the workforce within the organisation.
Following the July uprising, officials and employees from different government and non-government organisations together with garment workers in Bangladesh have taken part in demonstrating recently by forming human chains and rallies to demand justice against grievances and discrimination coupled up over time. Hence, mental health at the workplace demands attention as it helps employees manage their emotions, express themselves clearly, and control their frustrations, preventing misunderstandings, reducing stress, and lowering the chances of conflict arising.
Though mental health in the workplace is a global concern, it is still underrated and underresearched compared to physical health in the context of Bangladesh. The Mental Health Act 2018, adopted in place of the Lunacy Act, 1912, highlights the dignity of people with mental health conditions, their healthcare and rehabilitation, and the National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2020-2030 鈥� a comprehensive healthcare approach 鈥� focuses issues associated with mental health, multi-sectoral planning and human resource patterns. However, provisions related to mental health in the workplace are absent in both cases, creating a critical area of concern for all concerned. In addition to this, poor budgetary allocation 鈥� less than 1% of the annual health budget is allocated for mental health, according to the WHO global disability action plan 2014-2021 鈥� and inadequate human resource structure 鈥� 1.17 mental health workers per 100,000 population, as stated in the 2020 reports by the WHO 鈥� make the mental health situation complicated.
By taking existing challenges and gaps into account to support mental health in the professional environment, all-out united efforts from all stakeholders 鈥� government and private organisations 鈥� are needed with a view to creating a more engaged and fulfilled workplace where employees are not only productive but also thriving since the benefits of it are clear and the time to act is now.
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Monirul Islam is a lecturer in social work at Narayanganj Government Mohila College.
