Now that load-shedding is seemingly over, business owners can focus on a challenge that is just as impactful than Eskom’s black-outs, if not more. Like load-shedding, it can disrupt production, cause delays, push up costs and shrink the bottom line, unless you invest in ways to manage it.
It is not as visible as loadshedding and hardly anyone talks about it in the normal course of businesses. And unfortunately, there is no single entity like Eskom that can be fixed to solve it. The challenge, says Amogelang Montane, Human Resources Business Partner at Business Partners Limited, is untreated anxiety and depression.
The World Health Organisation, who promotes October as Mental Health Awareness Month, estimates that anxiety and depression cost the world economy . Using South Africa’s share of the world’s GDP, that translates to R120 billion. In comparison, loadshedding cost an estimated R45 billion from 2007 to 2019.
Some estimate that as many as one in every six workers’ productivity is affected by anxiety and depression. Why is so little being done by businesses about something so devastating and yet so widespread?
There are two main reasons, says Amogelang. The first is that mental affliction has always carried with it a stigma of shame, which shouldn’t be the case. The shift towards viewing it as blameless, natural and treatable is very recent and still in progress. Secondly, the science around mental illness is also very recent, so that people generally know little about it – too little to identify its subtle signs in colleagues and employees, or, if it is spotted, too little to know how serious it is and what to do about it.
There is indeed a lot that business owners can do about it, says Amogelang. He lists the following steps that entrepreneurs can take to immunise their businesses against the negative impact of untreated anxiety and depression:
Start with training your managers about mental health: Your supervisors must be able to recognize emotional distress in workers, build interpersonal skills like open communication as well as active listening, and understand how the work environment can affect mental well-being.
Then train your workers: Mental health literacy and awareness among your workers will almost certainly reduce the stigma at your workplace. It will help them to spot problems, support one another, and it will make it easier for afflicted workers to come forward and ask for help.
Make use of the expertise around your business: There are many mental health organisations and experts who would gladly speak to your staff about anxiety and depression. Make use of their public-information materials, and arrange short talks, workshops and training courses.
Lead by example: One of the most effective ways of reducing the stigma around anxiety and depression in your business is for you and your managers to share your own experiences with mental health issues with your staff, where possible. It will humanise the conversation and show that anyone can be affected.
Set the ground rules for the conversation: There are certain words, phrases and descriptions of depression and anxiety that perpetuates the stigma. As owner, it is in your power to set the tone of the conversation in your business, not only through example, but by setting explicit rules in your workplace code of conduct.
Encourage your employees to share their experiences: Once the groundwork has been done to create an atmosphere of support and understanding, entrench the culture by encouraging your staff to share the stories of their experiences with mental health.
Appoint mental health champions: You will soon recognise empathetic members of your staff who understand the problem. Appoint them as mental health champions who are available for a supportive chat with their peers when needed. These champions can steer their colleagues in the right direction in terms of finding professional assistance.
Adjust your sick leave policy: Incorporate mental health days as part of sick leave or time-off policies, allowing employees to recuperate without stigma.
Sign up for Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP): An EAP is an advice and support service available to the employees of subscribing businesses when they experience stress, trauma, anxiety, marital problems or even legal and personal debt problems. Because it is confidential, EAP support encourages employees to seek out help when they lack the confidence to come.