Mental Health in the Workplace and Why It Should Matter to Employers

Mental and physical health should be equally prioritized in corporate culture. Here’s how employers can catch on to this new consciousness.

October 11, 2024
Health and Wellness, Reliable Cares, Reliable Resources

There are simply cultures where mental health is not openly talked about. In the Philippines, for instance, the dismissive attitude about it seems to stem from the tendency to attribute mental health disorders to the occult, which gives it a shameful dimension. For instance, someone who might be displaying symptoms of depression could have been cursed or “kinulam”. This isn’t exactly an incentive to come out in the open and seek help.

There’s also a bit of a taboo around therapy. This is again rooted in the way mental health is perceived—even the language here in the Philippines simply tends to label sufferers as crazy. Hence, going into therapy, or even seeking counseling with a psychiatrist or a certified coach is also steeped in shame.

The Link Between Productivity and Wellbeing

New generations are not having any of that stigma, however. Millennials and Gen Z workers are now outspoken about their mental health struggles. Given that they constitute the vast majority of the workforce now, employers should make the link between productivity and mental well-being.

When it comes down to it, unpleasant and triggering work conditions such as inordinate amounts of stress, lack of work-life balance, and tense interpersonal relationships could be discouraging factors at work. They don’t contribute to workers’ morale and pleasant dispositions. Productivity significantly suffers from these stressors.

Thus, employers would be wise to institutionalize solutions for the promotion of mental wellbeing. There are signs this has become the priority for businesses in taking care of their human resources. And these are all indicators of a well-meaning company to work for:

Employee Engagement Programs: A proactive human resource department with programs and activities engaging and honoring employees’ thoughts and feelings;
Stress-Relief Amenities: Thoughtfully installed work surroundings equipped with amenities to alleviate stress such as game rooms and gyms;
Flexible Work Options: Flexible work arrangements that understand workers’ common logistical constraints;
Work-Life Benefits Package: A benefits package that prioritizes work-life balance: generous vacation and parental leaves, healthcare enrollments with significant coverage, even including wellness and rehabilitation centers, not just stays in medical institutions.

Health Packages Should Include Mental Health

Ask any mental health professional (psychiatrists, psychologists) and they will make the inarguable link between physical and mental health. What ails the body will ail the mind, and vice versa.

Hence, it’s only logical that health benefits covered by a company’s HMO would include provisions for promoting mental wellbeing. Some global companies even go as far as sponsoring wellness retreats for their employees, covering medication for diagnosed mental illnesses, establishing paid leaves for mental wellness, or subsidizing or completely sponsoring the costs for stays in rehabilitation centers and therapy sessions.

A Proactive Approach to Mental Health

Both employers and employees have to look out for the promotion of mental wellbeing in corporate culture. These days, HMOs like Maxicare are also including general wellness in their packages. Scope out options for mental health coverage integrated into company health plans by consulting with your reliable insurance brokers.