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By Paula Quinsee

Wellness has become a non-negotiable pillar when it comes to thriving employees and company cultures. But for SMEs and entrepreneurs who are often running on lean teams and small (or non-existent) budgets, traditional wellness programmes (e.g. gym memberships, on-site therapists etc.) can be financially out of reach versus those businesses with larger budgets.

What is the biggest mental health issue facing corporate South Africa today and its cause?

In the latest State of the Heart report, the world is facing a human energy crisis at home and at work. People are tired, burnt out, and too often, not thriving. According to Gallup, seven in ten people report they are struggling or suffering. More than ever, people are lonely and isolated. Burnout and chronic stress are the two biggest mental health challenges we as humans are facing today.

Sixty-five percent of employees are disengaged in the workplace, often as a perception of overworking, however research on burnout shows that it is not overworking, rather the lack of meaningful connection that leads to disconnection. Disconnection from self (our purpose), disconnection from our support structures (relationships, families and friends) and disconnection in the workplace, indicating a lack of passion and investment in their work and organisation (not relating to the organisation’s purpose etc).

So what are the contributing factors?

There are several contributing factors, the main ones being economic pressure (i.e. high costs of living), corporate restructuring (i.e. cost-cutting resulting in retrenchments), and a culture of “always-on” availability (long hours, never being able to completely switch off or disconnect from devices). An underlying factor is that South African employees, particularly in middle and senior management roles, are expected to perform at high levels with limited resources (i.e. people, technology and efficient systems and processes). Constant restructuring and cost-cutting often leads to one person doing the work of two to three people, resulting in unmanageable workloads which is unsustainable in the long run.

When cost-cutting happens, or a ‘freeze’ is put on positions in organisations, key indicators to look out for are rises in absenteeism and extended leave due to burnout.  Research shows it can take up to two years to recover from a serious bout of burnout.

Do managers have sufficient training to handle this issue effectively?

The majority of executives and managers are under-equipped to handle mental health issues effectively as they are largely struggling to manage their own wellbeing in the process. They are often the “ham in the sandwich” getting pressure from above to drive productivity, output and deliverables and push-back from below as to workload, expectations and recognition (financial and non-financial).

Often what happens is managers are promoted based on their technical expertise and performance, not necessarily on their people management skills. As a result, when employees raise issues of burnout or challenges, managers often don’t know how to handle this, creating what is experienced as an unsupportive environment, resulting in alienating struggling employees, disengagement and employees leaving.

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What measures should businesses ideally put in place to diagnose and manage mental health issues?

Organisations should be proactive in their approach and put structures in place to help employees manage their wellbeing, even if on a shoe-string budget.

Some options organisations should consider are:

• Manager training on managing mental health: Teach managers to spot early signs of burnout, anxiety, and depression, how to respond empathetically and what support structures they can give employees to tap into
• Digital screening tools: There are many free tools, apps and online self-assessment tools that employees can access to help them manage their wellbeing, and where possible with direct links to professional help (e.g. tele-counselling) 
• Onsite or virtual counselling: Make psychological or counselling services easily available through onsite counsellors or online platforms for employees to lean into
• Normalise wellness conversations: Encourage leaders to openly talk about mental health and model the desired behaviour (e.g. taking annual leave, not emailing after hours etc). This helps to build psychological safety intentionally and remove the stigma associated with mental health issues

You don’t need a massive budget to create a workplace that values wellbeing. Small, authentic actions often have the biggest impact.

Embedding wellness into your company culture isn’t about ticking a box, it’s about creating small, sustainable habits that prioritise people over processes. With creativity and intention, leaders and organisations (of all sizes) can create workplaces where wellbeing isn’t an extra, it’s an everyday experience.

These small but authentic efforts often resonate more with employees than expensive, outsourced programmes because when real wellness at work feels human, not corporate, it resonates deeper.

Your people won’t care until they know how much you care.

Sources: State of the Heart report | Gallup | Growth Faculty 

Paula Quinsee is the Founder of Engaged Humans

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