Productivity and Mental Health in the Workplace
Increased awareness about mental health in Malawi has escalated the level of concern shown by citizens and organizations. Resultantly, there has been an increase in the availability of psychosocial services provided by specialists in the country. These services are offered to individuals, outside the workplace. It is still in question as to how much psychosocial assistance organisations have to offer their employees.
For decades, organisations have looked at an increase in productivity as cutting costs and increasing output. Labour productivity = Units produced/number of employees at work; this is an example of a formula used by organizations to increase labour productivity. Resultantly, the psychosocial aspect of the employee is often overlooked.
Increase in workload or working hours may escalate stress and pressure on the human mind. This could result in employee burnout or make it difficult for them to attain a work-home balance.
A human’s psychosocial aspect is equally of importance when it comes to increasing productivity in an organisation. According to Lee L Jampolsky, a psychologist, “health does not only refer to the state of the body, but also the state of the mind, which affects the body”. Consequently, the mind affects the body, which in turn affects an employee’s level of productivity.
It is important for organisations to not only look at cutting costs as increasing productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Investing in psychosocial support for employees has the potential to fuel an organisation’s levels of productivity through increased employee efficiency.
