
Working is good for health, but working in a negative workplace environment can lead to mental health problems. According to WHO (World Health Organization), the US economy has suffered a total loss of $1 trillion in productivity in 2019 alone due to workers facing mental challenges such as depression and anxiety.
Commonly Reported Problems
The most commonly reported problems according to the WHO’s report were harassment from the management and bullying of co-workers which have had a significant impact on employees’ mental health. The above stats show how important it is for a business owner to make sure that their employees are doing fine. They should regularly monitor their employees to find out if there are any mental health risk factors that are restraining their employees from working to their full potential.
Below mentioned are some mental health risk factors to be considered:
- Insufficient and improper health policies
- Inadequate safety measurements
- Very limited or no communication with top-level management
- Workplace discrimination
- Limited or no control for employees over their work area
- Rigid working hours with no flexibility
- Unclear instructions, limited resources, and unrealistic deadlines
Apart from the above, mental health problems may also be caused due to the amount of risk a job demands. Some jobs such as first responders, firefighters, humanitarian workers, etc, involve high personal risk than others and can lead to mental disorders. In order to negate such risks, an employee may use harmful substances such as alcohol and drugs which can be devastating for both the employee and the employer.…