Creating a safety net for mental health issues among staff Companies have a vested interest in protecting employees’ mental health and ignoring it can have moral, legal, reputational and economic consequences
D
isruption caused by the pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated mental health issues among employees. Creating or reassessing an existing strategy to support employees is now more essential than ever: • People are typically the number one asset and the biggest risk so looking after them is crucial • Getting the strategy right will drive better engagement and productivity – leading to a reduction in absence and better performance. • Getting this wrong could lead to legal issues as well as adverse economic outcomes for the business. • It is therefore of vital importance to have a practical and proactive strategy in the workplace. Developing and adjusting such a strategy should be a team effort between the senior managers, line management and external advisors as appropriate such as (mental health service providers, legal advisors and employee benefit advisers). Some of the most successful companies have had one or more senior manager who have opened up and discussed their own mental health challenges and how they overcame them. This helps break down the stigma and barriers: Poor mental health does not affect a specific type of employee or
PAGE 48
- HIANZ HIRE & RENTAL 2021
job role and it is agnostic to its victims. Recent years have seen an increasing trend of depression and anxiety with workload, lack of support, violence, threats or bullying and changes at work estimated to be the main causes of work related stress, depression or anxiety. Recently I heard Sir Peter Gluckman speak and he commented on the rise of mental health issues amongst the generation of employees now entering the workforce. He quoted 35% of young females and 27% of young males are impacted by some form of mental health challenge, which was a significant rise over the past few years.
The impact of Covid-19 The pandemic has kept a firm grip on society for longer than initially expected. Whilst the lockdowns and restrictions in New Zealand are not as significant as those in many other countries in the world it has still affected individuals in different ways depending on their personal circumstances and mental resilience. It has clearly left its mark on society with more than 42% of people surveyed by the US Census Bureau in December 2020 reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression, an increase from 11% the previous year, according to a February article in Nature. Credit: nature magazine
COVID’S MENTAL STRESS The percentage of people experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety has surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data from national representative surveys show Before pandemic
During pandemic
UK Adults reporting symptoms of depression July 2019-March 2020
10% 19%
June 2020
US Adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression January-June 2019
11%
December 2020 Source: Office for National Statistics (UK data); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US data)
42% © nature
Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash
MENTAL HEALTH
