Mental health issues in the workplace are common. It has worsened since MCO at the end of 2019, and the consequences still impact our work-life environment. Due to MCO, work from home was introduced in a working setting. Working from home back then led to isolation and no human interaction in daily life creating loneliness and many mental health problems.
A finding from the National Health and Morbidity Survey revealed a trend - the prevalence of depression in Malaysia has doubled from 2019 to 2023. It is noted that individuals aged 16-19 have the highest rates of depression, followed by those aged 20-29 and 30-39. It's a troubled fact as these groups are the current and future Malaysian workforce. This is an alarming sign that mental health issues must be addressed to prevent severe mental health conditions in Malaysia.
To fight mental health problems, all parties need to work together and take initiatives to prevent them from worsening. Companies or employers also have an important role in this matter. Providing an environment that is supportive of tackling this issue could be one of the initiatives that an employer can provide to ensure employees' well-being is being taken care of.
What are the initiatives that a company could do to boost employees' mental health? The answer is to start initiatives that support employees to prioritize their mental health in the office and in their daily lives. If you do not know what are the initiatives that you can start, here are the examples:
Initiative 1: Encourage employees to do self-check on their mental health
Employers can use the general platform such as a mental health self-test prepared by the Ministry of Health. “Self-Test” is a self-screening test that serves to help each individual with their mental health status. Other than that, MOH also provides free mental health self-tests that can be obtained from the MOH Mentari initiatives website. Employers can encourage employees to check their mental health status through MOH's website periodically to ensure employees are aware of their mental health status.
Here is the self-test prepared by MOH
By providing this link to employees, they will be able to assess their current mental health status anytime and anywhere.
Initiative 2: Providing space for employees to relax in the workplace
Employees spend about 8 hours in the workplace. Without any break from the working desk can be stressful. Thus, employers can design a space for employees to chill and it is recommended that it incorporates elements like natural light, ergonomic furniture, and more plants or green elements that not only enhance mood but also minimize stress as well as promote mental health.
Calming environments help prevent problems such as eye strain, headaches, and musculoskeletal disorders. Other than that, some companies also create chill room space that provides board games for the employees. Employees are able to release stress by playing the board game with other team members. Thus, your company might want to consider creating a special space for your employees just for them to relax and escape from busy work for a few minutes to prevent burnout in the workplace.
Initiative 3: Free mental health talk for employees
Companies can organize free mental health talks for employees. The good part of this initiative is it can be conducted on-site in the office or virtually. Virtual mental health talks are an alternative for companies that have many remote employees whereas on-site health talks can be done if most of the employees are in the office.
Mental health talks can be a good kick-start for employees to become more aware of the importance of taking care of their mental health status. If you do not know what topic you should be covering for your employees, it is recommended to seek advice from a psychologist on this.
It would be good if a company could survey the employee's mental health status before conducting the health talks. This could be the guideline on what topic the company can organize in the office to align with employees' current mental health status.
Initiative 4: Free counseling session with the psychologist
Taking care of our employee's mental health can be done by providing them with free counseling sessions. The anonymous counseling session might be the best way for employees to open up to their problems without feeling judged by people around them. Employees can work together with corporate wellness providers or panel clinics to provide an employee assistance program (EAP) that focuses on counseling or therapy to employees.
The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a program that aims to assist employees in dealing with personal and/or work-related problems or issues that might affect their work performance, physical health, and mental, as well as emotional well-being. This program includes but is not limited to stress, emotional distress, family problems, health issues, financial problems, and other problems of a personal nature. This made this program comprehensive as it focused on the core problem rather than fixing the symptoms.
Initiative 5: Organize a trip for employees
Company trip is a popular initiative that most companies do to motivate employees. Working in the office is repetitive and all employees need to face it every day and every year. Sometimes, employees might feel restricted in the office space, environment, and toxic coworkers and this could be the reason they get demotivated from time to time.
Company trips must be a relaxing moment for employees. Thus, companies should avoid any team-building activities during company trips. Instead of creating games for employees during company trips, give employees a chance to rest and rejuvenate their body and mind. This initiative gives them space to forget about their work for a while and a moment to escape from their work. In return, employees will certainly appreciate the company for giving them room to take a mental-health break.
Overall, Employees Need for Supportive and Inclusive Workplaces
Workplaces can become more supportive by implementing interventions that prevent mental health conditions from worsening by promoting positive mental health and a supportive environment for employees with mental health issues. Companies should be aware of their employee's mental health status and take immediate action by providing all the initiative before it becomes too late to take any action.
