Stress in workplaces: WHO & ILO Report

Stress in workplaces: WHO & ILO Report

• The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) recently released guidelines to address mental health issues in the global workforce.

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What exactly is work-related stress?

• Long hours, a heavy workload, job insecurity, and conflicts with coworkers or bosses are just a few of the many causes of work-related stress.
• Symptoms include decreased work performance, depression, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.

WHO and ILO Major Highlights

Economic and workforce losses

• According to the WHO, depression and anxiety account for 12 billion lost workdays each year, costing the global economy close to $1 trillion.

Countries that have National Programmes

• Only 5% of the working-age population had mental illness, and only 35% of countries had national programmes in place to promote work-related mental health.

Anxiety and despair are on the rise.

• COVID-19 increased anxiety and despair by 25%, demonstrating how poorly governments anticipated its effects on mental health.
• The pandemic highlighted a global shortage of mental health resources.
• In 2020, governments worldwide allocated only 2% of their health budgets to mental health, with lower-middle-income countries allocating less than 1%.

Challenges

Productivity decline

• Individual well-being is sufficient reason to act, but poor mental health can also have an impact on performance and productivity.

Socioeconomic issues

• An unhealthy work culture exacerbates broader socioeconomic issues such as inequality and discrimination, both of which have an impact on mental health.

Mobbing

• Bullying or psychological assault, also known as mobbing, is a common form of workplace harassment.

Other significant challenges include:

• Pay is low.
• Workload overload
• There are few opportunities for advancement or growth.
• Work that is not interesting or challenging
• Inadequate social support
• Inadequate control over job-related decisions
• Competing demands or ambiguous performance expectations

Advantages of Stress Prevention in the Workplace

• Reduced symptoms of mental and physical illness
• Fewer injuries, illnesses, and time lost
• Reduced the use of sick leave, absences, and staff turnover; increased productivity
• Improved job satisfaction
• Increased employee engagement lowers employer costs Improved employee health and community well-being

Way forward

• Manager training has been recommended by WHO to avoid stressful work environments and to assist distressed employees.
• Investments: We must invest in reshaping the workplace to eliminate stigma and social exclusion and to ensure that employees suffering from mental illnesses feel protected and supported.
• Return to your workplace: The guidelines also recommended better approaches to meeting the needs of workers suffering from mental illnesses, as well as interventions to encourage their return to work.
• Mechanisms for paid employment: It also provided paid employment opportunities for people suffering from severe mental illnesses. The guidelines emphasised the importance of safeguarding medical, humanitarian, and emergency personnel.
• Workplace stress is a management problem: Maintain a secure working environment. Ascertain that everyone is properly trained for their position.
• De-stigmatize work-related stress by openly admitting it to be a genuine issue.
• Discuss issues and grievances with employees and, when possible, take appropriate action.
• Create a stress management policy in collaboration with your employees.
• Encourage an environment in which employees have more say over their duties, advancement opportunities, and safety. Make arrangements for a human resources manager.
• Reduce the need for overtime by reorganising duties or hiring extra help.
• Consider the personal lives of your employees and recognise that the demands of home will sometimes conflict with the demands of work.
• If necessary, seek the advice of a health professional.