Study concludes that SA employees need mental health support – Sadag

In August, SADAG conducted its Working Life online survey to learn more about the experiences of South African employees and collected over 963 responses.

Results have indicated several key issues including six in 10 employees wished they could afford to quit their jobs, and half the sample were unhappy when starting work on a Monday morning. This could be indicative of the negative work environments they are exposed to.

Work emerged as a consistent stressor for many survey respondents, regardless of their employment sector, which included education, health, NPOs, finance, government, retail and media.

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Across the survey sample of 963 employees, over half (52%) have been medically diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Most of these workers are depressed (32%), clinically stressed (25%), generally anxious (18%) and experiencing burnout (13%).

Only one in three have ongoing hybrid work experiences after Covid-19.

This is limiting because they feel that mental health issues can be more readily managed when there is flexible work and autonomy.

In addition, 38% of the employees surveyed were afraid that they may soon lose their jobs, and close to one in five often have to do two jobs because workers who resign are not replaced.

Of the responses, 44% reported low wages where they were unable to keep up with inflation although the workplace had marked high turnover rates.

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Meanwhile, managers often contact employees after hours, and having one worker doing the work of two employees means ongoing overtime.

In this reality, it is not surprising that 75% of employees surveyed could not “switch off” after work, and they kept thinking about work, even when not at work.

This is especially problematic for workers with depression, who are the most vulnerable to internalising negative feedback, and becoming trapped in work-focused recurring fears and overthinking.

Moreover, only 47% work in organisations where Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are on offer.

For some workers, EAPs only existed on posters and did not provide true psychosocial support services, with one overburdened workplace social worker or psychologist struggling to meet demand.

For others, EAP services have become the employees’ problem, with employees with mental health issues being told to find and pay for psychological care that is no longer offered by the company.

Where EAPs are still available, some employees have no time to use them due to constant work pressure, reduced staff complements and managers who work non-stop.

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“From the survey, we learn that more needs to be done at companies concerning mental health.

“The integration of innovative programmes to ensure that employees are working in a mentally healthy environment, and more mental health education will assist employers with an atmosphere of a more productive workforce.

“SADAG helps companies with internal strategies and dedicated support services,” said SADAG’s founder Zane Wilson.

The employees surveyed asked for more time off; reliable hybrid work arrangements and help reducing toxic workplace behaviours to help everyone find their “off” switch.

Employees also wanted more surveys like this one to be conducted in their specific workplaces, to prioritise their mental health needs and create customisable EAP services.

Others called for a formal partnership between their organisation and SADAG to enhance workplace psychological safety.

“SADAG has started supporting companies with dedicated toll-free helplines and tailor-made programmes that are available for employees 24 hours a day – especially since mental health issues don’t have working hours, employees can now access mental health support 24/7.

“We encourage other companies to join us as we make mental health matter in all spheres of life, especially the workplace,” said Wilson.