Workplaces Must Minimise Stressors for Employees’ Mental Health, Say Experts
PETALING JAYA:
Employers, including the government, can reduce the risk of workers facing mental health problems such as stress and burnout by establishing workplaces that minimise stressors, experts said.
Identifying and Minimising Stressors
Clinical psychologist Dr Chua Sook Ning, founder of NGO Relate Malaysia, stressed the importance of identifying psychological stressors and changing workplaces to minimise them. "This emphasises that mental health at work is not just an individual concern but an organisational responsibility," she noted.
Guidelines and Policies
Chua called for guidelines and policies that support people with mental health conditions and promote an enabling work environment. "These guidelines should be done in consultation with employees to ensure the policies are responsive to their needs," she said.
Natural Stressors in Certain Industries
Dr Victor Goh, head of Help University’s psychology department, acknowledged that some areas of work are naturally more stressful than others, with customer/patient-facing industries tending to report the highest levels of stress. "These include teachers, doctors, nurses, firemen, policemen, and government servants in general who face and serve the public," he said.
Providing Resources and Job Benefits
Goh highlighted the importance of providing employees with adequate resources to manage their mental health, including job benefits such as access to mental health therapy and the acceptance of mental health medical certificates in leave applications.
Increasing Salaries
Goh also bluntly pointed to increasing salaries as a way to stave off mental health problems. "Of course, the root of it is more money. Interestingly, money has been found to be a significant predictor of mental health in a lot of industries. Workers with lower financial independence often report higher instances of mental health problems in the workplace. Dollar-for-dollar, increasing someone’s salary up to the mean/median of comfortable living is more effective than actually providing therapy," he said.
Conclusion
Reducing stressors in the workplace is crucial for employees’ mental health and well-being. Employers must take a proactive approach to create an enabling environment that supports the mental health of their employees. This includes providing resources, job benefits, and fair compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are some natural stressors in the workplace?
A: Certain industries, such as customer/patient-facing roles, tend to report higher levels of stress.
Q: How can employers create an enabling work environment?
A: Employers should provide adequate resources, job benefits, and fair compensation to support employees’ mental health.
Q: Is increasing salaries the only solution to reducing mental health problems?
A: While increasing salaries can help, it is not the only solution. Providing resources and job benefits, as well as acknowledging the importance of mental health, is crucial.