The role of corporate benefits in employee mental health
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 6:30 am
Investing in the mental health of employees is not just a matter of social responsibility or fulfilling the ESG agenda , but a smart strategy to improve organizational performance .
In modern work environments, the search for efficiency and organizational success has led many companies to rethink their people management strategies. One of the most discussed aspects today is the importance of employees' emotional well-being .
Brazil has the highest rate of anxiety in the world, affecting 9.3% of the population, around 18.6 million people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Although often underestimated, emotional well-being is a vietnam phone number list factor that directly impacts the productivity and success of organizations. This relationship can be analyzed from different angles, revealing the need to integrate mental health and emotional support policies as pillars of corporate strategies.
Identifying the danger
In the workplace, anxiety and stress can have profound consequences, affecting both employee wellbeing and business performance. According to research published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), stress, anxiety and depression are responsible for more than half of all work-related sickness absence.
When these illnesses are not recognized and treated properly, they can seriously compromise productivity, the quality of interpersonal relationships and the organizational climate. Anxious employees, for example, tend to have difficulty concentrating, making decisions and dealing with deadlines, which leads to increased errors, rework and low efficiency.
Furthermore, anxiety can be a trigger for absenteeism, as workers who suffer from these disorders often take time off for health reasons or end up taking long periods of leave, which directly affects the workflow and overloads other teams.
Another frequent effect is so-called presenteeism, when the employee is physically present but mentally disconnected, unable to perform their duties effectively, which ends up harming goals and the quality of the team.
A study by Bank One in the United States showed that only 24% of total health-related costs for workers were direct expenses, such as medical expenses and treatments. The majority of costs (76%) came from indirect factors, such as sick leave (7%), absences from work (6%) and, most importantly, presenteeism (63%).
The revolution in traditional corporate benefits
Corporate benefits began to be incorporated into Brazilian companies at the beginning of the 20th century, but it was with the enactment of the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) in 1943 that many rights and benefits began to be legally guaranteed. Initially, these benefits focused on essential issues, such as paid vacations, thirteenth salary and transportation vouchers.
In the pre-CLT period, many workers had long working hours, up to 14 hours a day, with no right to paid rest or vacations. The lack of regulation left workers vulnerable to arbitrary dismissals and exploitation, with little or no financial support to deal with unforeseen events.
Furthermore, most jobs offered no protection in terms of job security, health insurance, or any form of support outside of work. Consequently, this took a significant emotional toll, as the almost exclusive focus on work compromised quality of life and time with family, leading to high levels of stress and fatigue.
In modern work environments, the search for efficiency and organizational success has led many companies to rethink their people management strategies. One of the most discussed aspects today is the importance of employees' emotional well-being .
Brazil has the highest rate of anxiety in the world, affecting 9.3% of the population, around 18.6 million people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Although often underestimated, emotional well-being is a vietnam phone number list factor that directly impacts the productivity and success of organizations. This relationship can be analyzed from different angles, revealing the need to integrate mental health and emotional support policies as pillars of corporate strategies.
Identifying the danger
In the workplace, anxiety and stress can have profound consequences, affecting both employee wellbeing and business performance. According to research published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), stress, anxiety and depression are responsible for more than half of all work-related sickness absence.
When these illnesses are not recognized and treated properly, they can seriously compromise productivity, the quality of interpersonal relationships and the organizational climate. Anxious employees, for example, tend to have difficulty concentrating, making decisions and dealing with deadlines, which leads to increased errors, rework and low efficiency.
Furthermore, anxiety can be a trigger for absenteeism, as workers who suffer from these disorders often take time off for health reasons or end up taking long periods of leave, which directly affects the workflow and overloads other teams.
Another frequent effect is so-called presenteeism, when the employee is physically present but mentally disconnected, unable to perform their duties effectively, which ends up harming goals and the quality of the team.
A study by Bank One in the United States showed that only 24% of total health-related costs for workers were direct expenses, such as medical expenses and treatments. The majority of costs (76%) came from indirect factors, such as sick leave (7%), absences from work (6%) and, most importantly, presenteeism (63%).
The revolution in traditional corporate benefits
Corporate benefits began to be incorporated into Brazilian companies at the beginning of the 20th century, but it was with the enactment of the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) in 1943 that many rights and benefits began to be legally guaranteed. Initially, these benefits focused on essential issues, such as paid vacations, thirteenth salary and transportation vouchers.
In the pre-CLT period, many workers had long working hours, up to 14 hours a day, with no right to paid rest or vacations. The lack of regulation left workers vulnerable to arbitrary dismissals and exploitation, with little or no financial support to deal with unforeseen events.
Furthermore, most jobs offered no protection in terms of job security, health insurance, or any form of support outside of work. Consequently, this took a significant emotional toll, as the almost exclusive focus on work compromised quality of life and time with family, leading to high levels of stress and fatigue.