Employers to accord serious attention to the promotion of mental health at the workplace

Press Release Issued by Lee Lam Thye

Chairman of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye today called on employers to accord serious attention to the promotion of mental health at the workplace in order to enhance productivity of their workforce.

Mental health issues at the workplace should be given due attention as the productivity of the staff of any organization depends on their mental health.

Employers should look into the issue because the neglect of mental health and psychosocial factors at the workplace is not only detrimental to the individual worker but also directly affects productivity, efficiency and output of any enterprise.

Employee performance, frequent illness, absenteeism, accidents and staff turnover are all affected by employees’ mental health status.

Issues related to mental health at the workplace can also have a direct impact on all stakeholders of the workplace including the employers, customers and the community in which the enterprise is located.

No workplace is immune to mental disorders and their impact in psychological, social and economics terms is high. Mental health should no longer be ignored, on the contrary it should be given adequate attention in relation to other business in any organization.

The impact that mental health problems impose on the executives, workers, their families, workplaces and enterprises as well as society as a whole is immense and needs to be addressed.

It is important to ensure the happiness and well-being of workers and their families through initiatives to promote the good mental health in workplaces.

People with mental disorders should be provided with insurance coverage.

Insurance coverage for mental disorder is provided in the developed nations.

Mental disorder is an unfortunate illness that affects the person not by choice.

It is not an illness arising from a weakness of character but by a mixture of factors involving genetics, biology and neurochemistry – and an interplay with psychosocial factors.

It is not difficult to identify the major mental disorders. Any competent doctor can recognize them although a specialist may often be asked to confirm them.

If insurance companies can insure medical illnesses such as hypertension, migraine, arthritis, and diabetes mellitus, which can be called lifestyle diseases, I feel the more severe mental disorders should be equally covered.

It is pitiful to find an employee who suffers from a nervous breakdown, having to pay his own medical expenses when told by his employer that the insurance plan does not cover illnesses classified as nervous or mental in nature.