For those of us who have worked in paying positions at a job we can attest to the high demands and stress that comes from working at any given job and for those who will be entering the workforce after completing school they also will experience the stress of working in their respective organizations. Yet, mental health is often one of the most important aspects of human health that is often overlooked. Many corporations have taken progressive approaches to health related issues such as physical health by offering either on site gyms and /or fitness regimes through paid coaches; companies also have taken proactive approaches to limit their employees desire to smoke cigarettes through progressive policies. Still mental health remains one of the most important topics that is still to be properly addressed.
According to the 2017 Skills and Employment Survey 45% being under constant pressure to meet tight deadlines, the senior leadership of companies does not appear to take employee wellbeing all that seriously (Percy,S 2018). Lucrative positions in the financial sector of the market are some of the worst offenders for less than ideal work environments for its employees. Recently it was reported that London bankers were experiencing cardiac arrest from the ages 20-30’s.
Dr. Arjun Ghosh, a consultant cardiologist at Barts Heart Centre in London estimated that in the last decade, he’s seen a 10% rise in heart attacks among bankers under the age of 30. Around one in ten of his patients in this age range work in finance (Selby-Green, M.2018).
The unrealistic schedules set by companies for their employees have negative consequences not only physical by mental health of their employees. Such rigorous schedules implemented followed by unhealthy practices such as limited sleep schedules; unrealistic deadlines that compile to over-stress and general mistreatment of employees have all been factors that contributed the poor mental health of many individuals who are currently employed across the world.
What is more unsettling is the regressive approaches some businesses have taken when their employees were to report their grievances on how the work environment was impacting their personal health:
Research by the UK’s Institute of Leadership & Management found that more than half (51%) of people who had confided in their line manager about a mental health issue did not receive any extra support. Even worse, 8% faced negative consequences, including being sacked or forced out, demoted or subjected to disciplinary action (Percy,S 2018).
8% of employees faced negative consequences for reporting mental health issues while more than half of the report employees didn’t receive any extra support. This is simply not only a detrimental stance that businesses are taking with regards to their own employees mental health but also a dangerous approach; The well being of their own employees need to taken better care of. If this behavior starts to spiral out of control there may very well be an adverse reaction from government regulations and public support; companies operate on the need to having a strong public perception and any negative reports can cost companies a substantial sum of money. Furthermore, it opens up a competitive advantage to rival companies who can offer better work environment for its employees. It goes without saying that you cannot run on efficiency when you’re own employees’ health is at risk.
References:
Percy, S. (2018, October 10). Mental Health Is A Corporate Risk So Why Aren’t Leaders Addressing It? Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/sallypercy/2018/10/10/mental-health-is-a-corporate-risk-so-why-arent-leaders-addressing-it/#fc066b4f4fc7
Selby-Green, M. (2018, August 04). ‘If you keep working, you will die’: London bankers in their 20s and 30s are having more heart attacks, doctors say. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/bankers-20s-and-30s-heart-attacks-2018-7
I believe so strongly that companies should incorporate stress management and mental health benefits for their staff. The research behind just a few minutes a day of things like relaxing music, meditation, or exercise has proven substantially to increase not only mood but also employee moral and work ethics. Such simple things that can be easily worked into the normal routine with a little effort. At my work, we do fun challenges monthly but we also take a few minutes a couple times a week to play music over the intercom. Sometimes its a fun dance music or kick back to the 80’s and other times its mediation music and we are all asked to take a few minutes of peace and relax. It would be nice to see things like this done in other businesses as well.
On a very personal side note, My Dad was a Director of Facilities for the School Board for years. He was always super stressed, worried about things all night, constantly checking his phone and responding to messages even on vacation or the weekend, and it took such a tole on his health. He knew it was effecting him and tried to find ways to manage it but the stress was so much he recently had an unexpected brain aneurysm that sadly he didn’t survive from. I mention this not only to stress how much I agree with your post but also to share a very spooky thing we found after going through some of his work things. Written on a note pad on his desk was the word Karoshi – which means “Death by overwork.”