More attention to mental health needed by employers at workplaces

More attention has to be given to mental health at the workplace as research continuously shows the “great burden” this puts on the economy due to lost productivity, according to Richmond Foundation CEO Dolores Gauci.

“It’s becoming clear more attention has to be given in this respect. When employees went to work they were taking their baggage with them,” Ms Gauci said.

“From what I understand, although employers have signed a European document acknow-`ledging the importance of mental health at the workplace, there is reluctance in it being implemented,” she said, adding this was especially true in Malta.

In Europe, it has been estimated that depression costs the European Union about €99.3 billion in productivity. This contrasts sharply with cardiovascular disease, which costs the EU economy about €36.1 billion.

A local study found that over the last five years, 10.5 per cent of people participating in the research had to take leave due to burnout or stress, with three quarters staying away from work for up to one week.

However, since a mental health problem might not be exclusively caused by factors at the workplace, employers could be reluctant to be burdened with the responsibility, including financial, to solve something that, strictly speaking, was not of their doing, she continued. “What they do not realise, regardless of where the stress is coming from, the end result is a less productive employee,” she said.

Legislation stipulates that the employer has a responsibility towards the emotional and psychological well-being of employees. However, this was somewhat vague, meaning many employers did not do this, she noted.

Employers had to acknowledge the importance of healthy workplaces and recognise there could be stigma associated with mental health issues that had to be addressed, Ms Gauci said.

There was also a “great need” for companies to have a mental health policy at the workplace. The foundation offers a service known as Staff and Organisation Support Programme, in which about 10 companies are enrolled, correlating to about 10,000 employees.

However, many more employers had to implement a system to safeguard the mental health of their workers, she said.