‘Create healthy workplace policies’

BENGALURU: In deadline-driven environments marked by workers suffering from depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental issues, an NGO has stepped in to encourage firms to adopt its ‘Healthy Workplaces’ programme.

The initiative by Arogya World India Trust aims to help companies enhance the mental and physical health of their employees by following certain criteria such as establishing a work-life balance, enforcing a no-tobacco-use policy and encouraging access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.

At an event held on Friday, the organisation stressed upon the need for companies to commit to doing more to help their workforces cope with various mental health conditions, and called upon the top management to implement measures such as confidential counselling, stress reduction interventions and other assistance programs.

“Employees today suffer from various mental conditions like depression, anxiety and stress. Not only is this affecting their professional lives but also their personal lives. It is time employers take it seriously and work to improve mental health of their workforce. After all there is no health without mental health,” Dr. Prathima Murthy, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Head of Deaddiction Centre, NIMHANS, said at the event. 

Nalini Saligram, founder, Arogya World, said, “An investment of $1 in the mental health wellbeing of the employee will give a return of $3 to $5. The cost of depression is huge. Absenteeism and slacking at work was found to be reduced.” 

The organisation has come up with a Healthy Workplace criteria, after seeking inputs of companies, based on which they are organised into four levels — Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. After a firm formally applies for the award, a three-person assessment team visits it to score its activities. So far, 29 companies have been recognised as platinum, and three companies have been recognised as tobacco-free.