October is recognised as Mental Health Awareness Month in Namibia. During this time, corporations often engage in one of two activities designed to raise awareness about mental health issues. 

One common approach is to host talks led by psychologists to educate employees. However, it raises the question: is this level of engagement enough? 

The World Health Organisation found that 15% of working adults had a mental disorder in 2019. 

Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of US$1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Almost 60% of the world population is in work. 

Although it is not clear how much of the above percentages are in Namibia, it is imperative to know that mental health has a tremendous impact on workplace productivity and profitability. 

Mental health has historically been a taboo subject in the workplace. Despite the role it plays when it comes to both worker wellness and organisational performance. 

Employers spend more money to address physical health conditions rather than mental health-related illnesses. When you compare the impact that mental health has on organisational effectiveness, the cost implications of mental disorders are more than those of chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes. Fortunately, there are standards such as ISO 45003, the international standard on psychological health and safety at work that provides a framework for organisations which aim to incorporate mental health in their overall corporate strategy and culture. Ballard, Lodge and Pike created an index called ‘The Mental Health at Work Index™’, which provides a standardised assessment to address workforce mental health and identify areas of improvement. 

The Index applies “3 Ps” across 10 organisational practices. 

The 3 Ps are protection, promotion and provision. Under the protection category, the index has assessments that can eliminate psychosocial hazards, minimise risks that can negatively affect workers and develop policies for preventing bullying, harassment and discrimination. 

Under the promotion category are positive initiatives that seek to build psychological safety, strengthen relationships, ensure healthy work environments and initiate mindful wellness programmes. Under the Provision category, it “includes facilitating access to high-quality mental health treatment, short-term counselling for issues affecting work performance, training to help managers identify signs that an employee may be struggling and direct them to available resources, and return-to-work plans to support people following a mental health leave of absence”. To integrate mental health into the organisation’s strategy and culture, several senior leaders should act as ambassadors for mental health, allowing them to gain direct knowledge and experience while offering insights to the rest of the management team. 

Additionally, this role could be extended to board members by including a psychologist or mental health specialist among them to ensure that mental health concerns are consistently and appropriately managed. 

Cultivating a diverse and inclusive social environment where employees feel safe physically and mentally is important. 

Thus, organisations should develop mental health strategies that are aligned to their organisational policies and procedures to ensure that mental health is not treated as a standalone, one-off and annual activity. The mental health approach should impact the way the organisation recruits, educates, and assesses employee performance and rewards. Some organisations even incorporate mental health into their ESG and sustainable reporting frameworks. The trio also recommends that organisations create a mental health committee with employees from various departments as mental health champions. This diverse group will ensure different perspectives are represented and facilitate information sharing across the organisation. 

The executive team should encourage volunteering by rewarding actively participating employees and providing champions with time to implement their initiatives. 

The work environment can expose employees to psychosocial hazards that pose risks to their mental health. These risks can lead to significant liabilities for the organisation, including increased absenteeism, higher turnover, costs associated with hiring and training, potential lawsuits and complaints and damage to the company’s reputation. 

Therefore, it is essential to incorporate ISO 45003, which provides international guidelines for managing psychosocial risks at work, into your health and safety policies as well as your mental health strategy. 

Mental health champions, executive members and board members should receive continual tailored mental training, which covers topics like workplace bullying and overcoming anxiety. 

Lastly, it is also recommended that organisations invest in Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs). 

These programmes are funded by the employer and provide access to short-term counselling designed to promote mental health. 

Organisations that have implemented EAP saw significant changes in areas such as absenteeism and presenteeism. 

Employee well-being and organisational success are interconnected. 

Consequently, companies that take proactive steps to meet the mental health requirements of their employees can enhance various organisational objectives, such as attracting and keeping talent, boosting performance and productivity, enhancing their reputation and reducing healthcare expenses. 

*Morna Ikosa is a columnist with a passion for wellness, sustainable development and communications matters.