In the past weeks, I have discussed with people working with institutions that have a critical role in elections. A lot of the discussions focus on the technical aspects and improvements.
It is only occasionally that we stop to reflect on the impact on those working in these spaces. To the public, sometimes excitement and intrigues are the only points of focus.
We forget that the individuals who are at the centre stage feel the emotional impact.
It is a good thing that mental wellness is gaining currency. For long it was a taboo subject, with people stigmatising it.
If one went to see a doctor for mental issues, he was largely ostracised and referred to as one who was getting mad and unable to make objective decisions. This situation has first changed.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to changes in the nature of work. The long hours that people spent working from home, resulting in reduced work-life balance, loneliness and over-work increased emotional stress and led to more need for employers to pay more attention to mental well-being.
In several workplaces, a lot of time is spent on developing and implementing strategies to ensure an organisation meets its key mandate.
This is sensible since organisations should deliver services to customers. In the past, most strategies focused on financial health, governance and human resources.
It is important that human resources move beyond staff count, performance evaluation, promotions, discipline and physical work environment and focus on the state of the staff.
Every institution needs to discuss how and not whether to support staff mental wellness. This should move beyond just including it as part of any medical package to other strategies such as opportunities for resting, regular check-ups, feedback and venting sessions.
For those who work in extremely stressful conditions, such as elections, it is important to deliberately plan for and provide staff with the opportunity to engage with medical staff, so that they can have therapy sessions to release the tension that builds up.
Too many staff working in difficult conditions suffer burnout and mental stress that is not addressed. The result is disorder and mental illness which can have permanent devastating effects.
It is necessary that organisations think of clear strategies for addressing mental health in the workplace.
This should be institutionalised in the same way that things like performance contracting and ISO audits are.
It will, for example, make it mandatory for public institutions to plan for and deliver to address the current levels of mental illness that many employees suffer in silence.
