COMPANIES are urged to actively prioritize and promote employee well-being to ensure healthier and productive workforce.
This recommendation comes from online jobs portal Jobstreet by Seek, following the release of its report titled “Hiring, Compensation and Benefits 2024,” where its report revealed that 71 percent of surveyed hirers rated their workplace as “moderately stressful,” with 18 percent falling into the high-stress category, while only 11 percent reported being in a low-stress environment.
The leading causes of employee stress were identified as heavy workload (36 percent) and high pressure from management or a fast-paced environment (28 percent). Other stressors included a lack of appreciation, low pay, and long working hours, primarily experienced by employees in high-stress environment.
Jobstreet urged employers to prioritize employees’ mental health, recognizing it as both a responsibility to their workforce and a strategic investment in the organization’s success and longevity.
According to the Department of Health, mental illness is becoming increasingly prevalent, with 3.6 million Filipinos suffering from mental, neurological and substance use disorders.
“We believe in the importance of prioritizing employee mental health and well-being as a strategic investment in organizational resilience and productivity. At Jobstreet by Seek, we are committed to being a reliable partner for hirers in nurturing and retaining top talents, fostering a workplace culture focused on employee welfare, continuous growth and sustainable success,” said Dannah Majarocon, managing director, Philippines, Jobstreet by Seek, in a statement.
Despite some companies beginning to implement employee well-being initiatives, Jobstreet by Seek emphasized the need for employers to do more to support their workforce, especially in navigating stressful situations.
It advised hirers to consider implementing regular wellness talks and activities, as well as employee assistance programs that can significantly contribute to creating a collectively supportive and healthier work environment.
According to the same report, only 58 percent of hirers indicate that their organizations are doing enough to help employees deal with workplace stress. However, 62 percent of organizations expressed that they have started new initiatives in the past year to help their employees. These include mental health days off and wellness counseling. / KOC