Preventing workplace suicide

Whose responsibility is it anyway?

Written by Jacobina Shikesho

On the 18 of January 2023, the body of a 25-year-old Walvis Bay supermarket employee was found at Independence beach at Walvis bay. It was reported that she committed suicide after complaining about alleged abuse by her boss. The community was deeply saddened, and members of the public, including her coworkers, were enraged, demanding immediate action against her manager and employer.

The issue of workplace suicide is a global crisis with devastating consequences for families, friends, and colleagues left behind. Employees spend a lot of their time at work, and workplace stressors can have a significant impact on their overall well-being. The number of employees battling suicide ideations due to work-induced or aggravated reasons in Namibia is shocking. What is even more shocking is the number of reported and unreported suicide attempts and actual suicides due to the same reason.

Despite this, employers can take steps to prevent this tragedy from happening. From fostering supportive workplace cultures to providing mental health resources and training, organisations can address this critical issue. Sadly, incidents like the suicide of a 25-year-old Walvis Bay supermarket employee in January this year and many others who take their own lives due to toxic working environments serve as a painful reminder of the urgent need for action. According to the WHO mental health report 2022, one in four people worldwide suffer from a mental health condition, and workplace issues can exacerbate or even directly cause these challenges. As a workplace mental health practitioner, I have seen first-hand how job insecurity, burnout, workplace violence and bullying can negatively impact employee well-being, leading to depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. However, employers, employees, and coworkers all have essential roles in creating a supportive and safe work environment that prioritises mental health and well-being.

Role of employers

• Employers must recognise their role and responsibility in addressing this critical issue. This involves providing the necessary financial and human resources to develop evidence-based mental health and suicide prevention programs and interventions. To ensure these resources are utilised efficiently, workplace surveys, focus-group discussions, health data, and wellness analytics should be used to inform program development and evaluation. By prioritising suicide prevention and adopting a data-driven approach, employers can create a workplace culture that supports employee well-being and saves lives.

• Offer mental health anti-stigma training and suicide prevention training to people in your workplace, such as Mental Health First Aid.

• Incorporate mental health and suicide prevention into your employee wellness strategy by offering counselling services and emergency resources like crisis lines and other employee benefits and employee assistance programs.

• Provide access to physical or virtual safe spaces where workers and/or managers can talk, destress and unwind.

• Be aware, identify, recognise and take action against social dynamics and workplace factors that can affect mental health, such as harassment, bullying, stigmatising, financial well-being, and fears and uncertainty over the risk of job loss.

Role of employees

• Employees need to prioritise their own mental health by recognising physical and/or emotional indicators such as feelings of chronic fatigue, digestive problems, heaviness, hopelessness, despair, lack of motivation, or a feeling of disconnectedness.

• • Talk about how you feel, and open up without fear of judgment, to your manager, a trusted co-worker, or a trained professional such as a social worker, counsellor or wellness officer.

• Know when to seek help and use your medical benefits, employee assistance program, or community resources to access help.

• Practice self-care, give yourself time and be aware of the effects of grief, loss and stress on your mental and physical health.

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• Adopt healthy coping strategies. For example, stay connected with others, exercise (even a short walk counts), rest when needed, pick up a new hobby or creative outlet and pursue daily activities that bring you joy.

Role of co-workers

• Co-workers may be the first to notice a decline in a colleague’s mental health. Typical signs include emotional distress or a noticeable behaviour change such as a sudden drop in productivity, mood swings or isolation, or has talked about suicide. Learn how to spot co-workers at risk of suicide and approach them with compassion, kindness, and sensitivity since we don’t know what a person may be going through.

• Check in regularly with your co-worker and listen and communicate without judgment. Please invite them for lunch, a coffee, or a phone or video call, but also know when to give them space. Understand your limits when providing support and encourage them to seek help from a professional.

Preventing suicide and promoting mental health is a collective responsibility that requires action from both employers and employees. Employers need to take the lead by prioritising the mental health of their employees and create a workplace culture and environment where employees feel supported, safe, secure, and happy. Employees and co-workers also have a responsibility to take ownership of their mental health, seek help, and support each other.

Workplaces can and should serve as sanctuaries for employees dealing with social issues rather than toxic breeding grounds that cause and aggravate poor mental health. The tragic death of the Shoprite employee should serve as a cautionary tale – one which we need to prevent from repeating at all costs. Let’s all play our parts.