Ensure employees do not work long hours – every extra minute could be risky – and engage in constructive criticism, employers are being urged.
Gregor Breucker, from Germany’s BKK Federal Association, a sickness insurance fund, spoke to Times of Malta in Lisbon during a European Commission conference about healthy work environments.
At the conference, Dr Breucker referred to the Joint Action on Mental Health and Well-being, in which Malta is an associate partner.
The EU joint action looked at ways to prevent mental disorders and improve social inclusion, with focus on promoting mental health at the workplace.
Dr Breucker told the Times of Malta that more companies were opening up to this challenge, partly because some of those holding managerial positions were also being affected by burnout or depression.
He noted that while employers often took on the responsibility of supporting employees coping with mental issues, they failed to take preventive action.
The danger with new technology is to misuse the freedom of staying online and not switching off
“The most important thing is to ensure good work organisation. And avoid long working hours – the danger with new technology is to misuse the freedom of staying online and not switching off.”
Working from home has its positive, but also dangerous, aspects.
“Never work more than 10 hours a day and be strict with yourself – every minute that goes beyond that can be dangerous.”
This mirrors comments from Dr Anton Grech, the clinical chairman of the Department of Psychiatry in the Ministry of Health, who earlier this year insisted that people needed to be able to switch off their phones and “be inaccessible”.
Dr Breucker, meanwhile, noted that management and team leaders should also avoid devaluating employees.
“If someone commits a mistake or is not as productive or efficient as the manager wants them to be, resort to constructive, rather than destructive, criticism.”
In his presentation, Dr Breucker said that although mental disorders were becoming less taboo, stigma remained, and many did not seek support.
Mental challenges were leading to an increase in early retirement, he added.
According to European data, by 2030, workers aged between 55 and 64 are expected to make up a third of the workforce in many European countries. The retirement age is increasing, and many workers are likely to face longer working lives. However, a quarter of EU workers already believe that their work affects their health negatively.
Another guest at the conference spoke about the Promoting Healthy Work for Employees with Chronic Illness project, which focused on increasing the employability of chronically ill workers, reducing sickness absences, retaining the experience of these workers, reducing healthcare costs and gaining competitiveness.
Richard Wynne, from the Work Research Centre in Dublin, noted that chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart failure and depression affected up to a quarter of the European workforce.
In comments to Times of Malta, Dr Wynne said that rather than focusing on employees’ illnesses or what they could not do, employers should focus on their capabilities. He insisted on a move away from sickness certification towards fitness certification, which is already practised in some countries.
Asked about workers who are scared of speaking up about their issues, he referred to the need to build trust between employees and their employers.
Employees, he explained, needed to be told what would happen if someone fell ill, and that rather than enquiring about what they were suffering from, they would be asked how long they needed to be away from work and what they would be able to do.
Dr Wynne also referred to systems that provided grants for those who work with reduced capacity. The grants have the local social protection agency compensate someone who employs a worker with a capacity to carry out 50 per cent of their work, for example, with the remaining 50 per cent in wages.
Such grants are important in keeping people at work, as the alternative is having a person with permanent disability descending into poverty.
The conference was organised by the Consumer, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency in collaboration with the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety and the Portuguese Directorate for Health.