HealLift - 09 Oct 2023

How to create a Supportive Workplace for Employee Mental Health

Did you know that the World Health Organization has a policy on Mental health at work? In this article, we are giving you a brief summary on the policy and other key factors such as opportunity and risk for mental health, international and national frameworks, preventing work-related mental health conditions and protecting & promoting mental health at work. 

Now, let's dive into the details!

Introduction

While having nearly 60% of the global population employed by 2022, work can have a positive impact on mental health but it can also pose risks. Mental health issues affect individuals, families, businesses, and economies worldwide, regardless of their origin. This policy by WHO primarily targets national and workplace policy-makers, including governments, employers, workers, and their representatives. It offers strategies and approaches for implementing recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on mental health in the workplace, taking into consideration principles from relevant International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and recommendations. 

Mental health often receives less attention and resources than physical health in governments, workplaces, and communities worldwide. This leads to stigmatization, discrimination, and exclusion of individuals with mental health conditions. Consequently, some employers may be hesitant to hire them, and workers may fear disclosing their conditions due to concerns about negative career consequences.

The consequences of untreated mental health conditions extend beyond individuals, they have broader societal implications, including increased unemployment, reduced productivity, loss of skilled labor, and decreased tax revenue. The policy highlights the necessity of prioritizing mental health support while giving statistics and other numerical data for references. 

1. Unemployment

2. Precarious Employment

3. Workplace Discrimination based on factors like race, gender, disability, or age

4. Poor Working Conditions 

can be sources of stress and mental health risks and are known risk factors for suicide attempts. 

Policy Brief

Its ultimate goals are,

• - to assist stakeholders in fulfilling their roles and promoting better mental health in work settings while describing the inextricable links between mental health and work
• - to outline the duties of employers and the rights and responsibilities of workers
• - to identify strategies that stakeholders can take to;

Prevent work-related mental health conditions through psychosocial risk management which includes using organizational interventions to reshape working conditions, cultures and relationships.
Protect and promote mental health at work, especially through training and interventions that improve mental health literacy, strengthen skills to recognize and act on mental health conditions at work, and empower workers to seek support.
Support workers with mental health conditions to participate fully and equitably in work through reasonable accommodations, return-to-work programmes and supported employment initiatives.
Create an enabling environment with cross-cutting actions to improve mental health at work through leadership, investment, rights, integration, participation, evidence and compliance.

International and National Frameworks

At the international level, various obligations have been imposed on countries regarding mental health in the workplace. These obligations include ensuring safe and healthy working conditions, fair treatment, and equal employment opportunities. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has fundamental Conventions, such as Convention No. 155 and Convention No. 187, aimed at safeguarding both physical and mental health of workers and preventing occupational accidents and diseases. These conventions establish a comprehensive approach to occupational safety and health (OSH) management, defining the roles of governments, employers, and workers in creating safe workplaces.

At the national level, governments can enact laws and policies addressing mental health at work, including regulations on OSH and laws promoting equality, non-discrimination, and addressing issues like violence, harassment, minimum wage, and parental leave. Governments are also responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with these regulations, which may involve strengthening labor inspectorates.

Although most countries require enterprises to protect workers' mental health within national OSH frameworks, the actual implementation and enforcement of these regulations can vary. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 35% of countries have reported having a national program for promoting and preventing work-related mental health issues.

The policy suggests that all stakeholders, including governments, employers, and workers, should take more action to address poor mental health in the workplace. Government actions should involve collaboration between health and labor ministries, as well as consultations with employers' and workers' organizations. Employers should also take actions at the workplace in consultation with workers or their representatives to address mental health issues effectively.

Preventing Work-related Mental Health Conditions

For Governments 

The passage highlights the importance of governments collaborating with employers' and workers' organizations to enhance employment and occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations, specifically by incorporating provisions related to mental health on par with physical health. This includes expanding the definition of occupational health to encompass both physical and mental well-being and adding mental disorders to national lists of occupational diseases. Additionally, governments are encouraged to:

• - Facilitate adjustments to work tasks based on employees' physical and mental capacities.
• - Promote preventive measures over reactive responses, such as compensation.
• - Offer guidance on evaluating and managing psychosocial risks, including issues like violence, harassment, and discrimination.
• - Protect the employment and income of workers affected by mental health conditions.
• - Involve workers and their representatives in identifying psychosocial hazards and consulting on mitigation strategies.

Furthermore, governments should play a role in enhancing the capabilities of occupational health services to manage psychosocial risks effectively, particularly to support smaller enterprises. These services should focus on prevention, monitoring, and proposing remedial actions for harm resulting from psychosocial risks.

For Employers

Employers can effectively address psychosocial risks in the workplace by integrating mental health into their Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management system as an essential element, rather than an optional add-on. This integration should encompass all aspects of the management system, including policy, organization, planning, implementation, evaluation, and improvement. To improve mental health at work, a focus on collective measures is essential, based on a thorough risk assessment and management process that actively involves workers and their representatives.

Workers and their representatives should participate in identifying psychosocial hazards in the workplace and be informed and trained on measures taken to prevent associated risks. It is crucial to manage circumstances that may trigger risks, such as restructuring or changes in staffing, processes, or work methods, in a way that minimizes psychosocial risks. Additionally, having a robust legal framework for preventing psychosocial risks and safeguarding mental health in the workplace is insufficient without adequate compliance mechanisms, including advice, investigation, and enforcement actions conducted by competent and trained labor inspectors.

Organizational Inventions

As recommended by WHO guidelines, these interventions involve planned actions aimed at directly improving working conditions to prevent the deterioration of mental or physical health and overall quality of life. They also focus on assessing and modifying or eliminating psychosocial risks that can impact mental health.

Examples of organizational interventions include offering flexible working arrangements, involving workers in decisions about their jobs, and adjusting workloads or schedules to prioritize work-life balance. In the context of suicide prevention, these interventions may involve restricting access to means of suicide at the workplace, such as pesticides or medicines.

Implementing organizational interventions targeting psychosocial risk factors can effectively reduce emotional distress and enhance work-related outcomes like job satisfaction, reduced absenteeism, and improved work performance. It is important to note that these interventions are most successful when they are planned and executed with the meaningful participation of workers or their representatives and are part of a comprehensive program that also includes measures to protect and support mental health in the workplace.

Protecting and Promoting Mental Health at Work

The importance of safeguarding and promoting mental health in the workplace is emphasized, involving capacity-building, awareness-raising, and early intervention for mental health issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends three evidence-based interventions for achieving this goal: manager training for mental health, worker training in mental health literacy, and individual interventions for workers. Governments play a pivotal role in this process by creating legal and policy frameworks, providing guidelines, and building capacities in healthcare services to address mental health issues related to work. Employers are advised to develop specific policies integrated into their occupational safety and health (OSH) management system to protect and promote mental health at work.

The key interventions recommended include,

Manager Training for Mental Health

• - Recognizing and responding to employees experiencing emotional distress.
• - Employing interpersonal management skills like open communication and active listening.
• - Fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace culture.
• - Advocating for top-down actions on mental health at work.
• - Understanding and managing psychosocial risks that impact mental health.
• - Ensuring that workers have access to support through representatives.

Training for Workers in Mental Health Literacy and Awareness.

• - Enhancing understanding of mental health and well-being in the workplace.
• - Reducing stigma around mental health conditions.
• - Encouraging employees to seek help when needed.

Individual Interventions

• - Equipping individuals with skills to manage stress effectively.
• - Reducing symptoms associated with mental health conditions.

Supporting People with Mental Health Conditions at Work

The right to work for individuals with mental health conditions is emphasized, with governments and employers urged to adopt person-centered and recovery-oriented strategies to support these individuals in gaining, sustaining, and thriving in their employment. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends three evidence-based interventions for supporting people with mental health conditions at work: reasonable accommodations at work, return-to-work programs, and supported employment initiatives.

Reasonable Accommodations at Work

These accommodations tailor the working environment to the capacities, needs, and preferences of individual workers. Examples include flexible working hours, extra time for task completion, time off for mental health care, access to private spaces for medication or rest, and supportive meetings with supervisors.

Return-to-Work Programs

These programs assist workers in returning to and remaining in employment after an absence due to mental health conditions. They combine work-directed care, including reasonable accommodations and phased re-entry to work, with ongoing clinical care to reduce symptoms and support meaningful return to work.

Supported Employment Initiatives

Designed to enhance vocational and economic inclusion for individuals with severe mental health conditions, these initiatives quickly place individuals in paid work and provide ongoing mental health and vocational support. Additional interventions, such as social skills training or cognitive-behavioral therapy, may be included. Both reasonable accommodations and return-to-work programs may be necessary for individuals experiencing mental health conditions or those caring for someone with such conditions. These interventions require coordination among multiple stakeholders, including health care providers, employers, workers (or their representatives), advocates, social services, and employment specialists. Decisions should be based on worker preferences, and interventions should be regularly reviewed and adjusted as needed.

Governments play a crucial role in enabling support interventions by aligning employment laws with human rights instruments, ensuring non-discrimination, and establishing policies and referral pathways between health, social, and employment services. Employers are responsible for implementing non-discriminatory recruitment and employment practices, consulting with workers or their representatives, collaborating with stakeholders, and ensuring workers are aware of their support options. Managers should receive training to support their direct supervisees' mental health needs. Protecting the privacy of those seeking help and combating stigma surrounding mental health conditions are essential. Confidentiality and anti-stigma measures are important to create an environment where individuals feel comfortable seeking support without fear of reprisals or judgment.

Creating an Enabling Environment for Change

The strategies for improving mental health at work are based on seven key factors: leadership, investment, rights, integration, participation, evidence, and compliance. For employers, these strategies involve creating a dedicated policy, allocating resources, upholding employee rights, integrating mental health into the workplace culture, involving employees in initiatives, using evidence-based approaches, and complying with relevant laws.

Specific actions for employers to improve mental health at work include:

• - Developing a dedicated mental health policy integrated into the workplace management system.
• -Assigning roles and responsibilities, including a senior mental health focal point.
• - Gaining support from senior leaders and shareholders.
• - Regularly communicating commitment and progress.
• - Allocating financial and human resources for mental health initiatives.
• - Including mental health services in employee benefits packages.
• - Developing and implementing policies to promote equality and non-discrimination.
• - Implementing anti-stigma interventions.
• - Ensuring confidentiality and protection for employees who disclose mental health issues.

For governments, the strategies to promote mental health at work involve:

• - Designating a senior focal point to advocate for mental health at work and integrate it into national policies.
• - Allocating a dedicated budget spanning health, social services, and labor sectors.
• - Supporting smaller enterprises in implementing mental health recommendations.
• - Building the capacities of health and labor services.
• - Ensuring alignment of employment laws with international human rights instruments.
• - Developing referral pathways for workers with mental health conditions.
• - Implementing anti-stigma interventions in the community.
• - Integrating mental health into national policies across sectors.
• - Establishing mechanisms for participation and involvement of workers and employers.
• - Using evidence-based policy making and conducting regular monitoring and evaluation.
• - Establishing compliance mechanisms for safety standards related to mental health in the workplace.

These strategies aim to create a workplace environment that prioritizes mental health and ensures the well-being of employees.

Work can both protect and harm mental health. Everyone deserves a safe, healthy work environment. The WHO and International Labour Organization's policy brief offers practical steps for governments, employers, workers' organizations, and others to prevent work-related mental health issues, promote mental well-being at work, and aid workers with mental health conditions. 
In conclusion, prioritizing mental health at the workplace is not just a matter of compassion, but also a wise investment in our workforce's well-being and productivity. By following the guidance provided in the WHO and International Labour Organization's policy brief, we can create safer, healthier, and more supportive work environments for all, ultimately fostering a happier and more resilient workforce that benefits both individuals and society as a whole. It's time to recognize that mental health at work is not a luxury, but a fundamental right that we must protect and promote.

Source - World Health Organization (2022). Mental health at work: policy brief. World Health Organization.