Workplace Stress: Employers Shouldn't Ignore

Workplace stress is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as “the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope”

No workplace is immune to mental health issues and their impact in psychological, social and economic terms is high.

Globally, it was reported that an estimated 264 million people are suffering from depression, one of the leading causes of disability and the cost of mental illness has been estimated at USD2.5 trillion in 2010 and is projected to reach USD6 trillion in 2030. In Malaysia, there has been a three-fold increase in mental health problems among the population over the past 20 years. If we apply the same projection, then the estimated loss for Malaysia was USD10.6 billion for 2010 before it will rise to USD 24.3 billion by 2030.

According to the Malaysian Health System Research report (March 2016), mental illness is a leading cause of economic loss at the individual, family, employer, health system, and national levels, due to direct and indirect health costs, absenteeism, lost productivity while at work, and decreased income which can result in reduced national economic output.

The government and employers must be aware that 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 organisation.

Accidents at workplaces are not only caused by poor work safety practices but also due to mental health issues. Mental health issues at the workplace are caused by a combination of factors such as personal work, work environment and organisational factor.

There are many types of work-related stress such as job insecurity, low control in work, low social support from co-workers, dissatisfaction with work and problems which are associated with depression and anxiety.