Obstacles to Sustaining Well-being at Modern Work Stations

 Unlike physical health issues, mental health issues rarely affect the daily living and work success of individuals. In contrast, physical health issues exist. It isn't easy to assess occupational well-being since it is hidden from casual observers. Gathering information in an easy-to-get format that employers can understand is much harder (Kun and Gadanecz, 2019). After the COVID-19 epidemic, mental health has received more attention due to remote work conditions and distractions at workstations. Now more than ever, employers must understand the obstacles to workplace well-being. In this article, both simpler and harder factors are covered, and a strong workplace culture faces several seemingly impossible challenges with answers for how employers should overcome these problems (Berkland et al., 2017).

Improving workplace health and happiness is challenging and time-consuming for any employer. Compared to the work, the benefits are much greater. Wellness programs can have several advantages, according to Health Assured's extensive data (Kun and Gadanecz, 2019).

1.       Reduced presenteeism by 35%

2.      Reduced workplace stress by 35%

3.      Life satisfaction has risen 20%. (Guerci, Hauff and Gilardi, 2019)

                                                         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14vLdeLWr0U

Workforce skills determine an organization's survival and growth. A healthy, happy staff is essential for any company's success. Therefore, it is crucial that organizations start reducing the barriers to workplace wellness and then tackle each one separately. Let's examine three major obstacles (Layous, 2019).

1.      In every situation, mental inattention is the initial issue. Mental health stigma is hard to overcome. This stigma has faded in recent years. However, office topics are often outdated and unrelated to life. According to BMC Public Health, most adults spend two-thirds of their waking hours at work (Gray et al., 2019). Because of this, workplace health and well-being are more important than elsewhere. However, mental health in the workplace is often disregarded or underestimated (Mohammad Babamiri, n.d.).

2.      At your workplace, where is mental health prioritized? This is likely not your first contact with this organization. It's easy to overlook items that don't directly help you achieve your business goals. Because of this, firms spend their time on "business as usual" (BAU) activities to achieve corporate goals and make a profit. However, it is crucial to note that occupational health and well-being can significantly affect the above characteristics. Lack of urgency can be a major issue (Gray et al., 2019).

3.      Investing in employee health and happiness is often considered expensive because it needs pricey insurance policies, initiatives, and interventions. Empirical evidence supports this. No reason exists for it. The explanation? Business motives for workplace health can be significant, as we will describe next. This will be discussed below. However, external help is not expensive. According to research by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, UK businesses get a 7.27-pound return on investment for every pound invested in an EAP. A company's greatest asset is its employees. When you invest money, you do things that aren't visible (Guerci, Hauff and Gilardi, 2019).

After understanding the challenges or Obstacles, let's examine the best way to overcome them.

1.      Preventative steps are needed to improve employee health and safety before a major issue arises. Managers must conduct regular one-on-one sessions to check team mental health. With signs of trouble, guide them. Taking this step can avoid burnout and reduce long-term illness (Gray et al., 2019).

2.      Workplace safety staff include first aiders and fire wardens. A first aider with mental health expertise may be just as important. In recent years, more companies have trained authorized workers in mental health first aid. This workshop will teach students how to recognize, comprehend, and aid a colleague in need. Benefits are double-sided by nature. Workplace mental health aid is something you fight for in many ways. Your activities allow your employees to enhance their mental health and learn new skills, which is a bonus. Forming a group dedicated to health and wellness may improve workplace culture (Layous, 2019). The team can create awareness days to spread mental health knowledge and help those in need. This cost-effective technique can increase workplace mental health awareness and eliminate stigma.

3.      Workplace problems are likely to go unspoken for fear of being judged or embarrassed. In these situations, an external wellness provider could be crucial. People who struggle to connect and receive help are less likely to be at risk from this threat. Emergency assistance programs (EAPs) often offer counselling quickly. This is faster and cheaper than primary care physician referrals and private practices. This move will make it easier for employees to get these services if they need them (Guerci, Hauff and Gilardi, 2019).

4.      Taking initiatives to improve employee health and happiness is beneficial. Unless you track your results, you won't know how well you're doing because this is unmeasurable. A starting point is needed to complete any task. First, assessing one's health can help one find direction. This circumstance could raise the following questions: How would you describe industrial welfare today? What would you like to see more of to improve the well-being of businesses and their employees? (Layous, 2019)

It can be concluded that there are many obstacles to workplace happiness and well-being, and overcoming them is not easy, but with great effort, it can be done.

References

•       Berkland, B.E., Werneburg, B.L., Jenkins, S.M., Friend, J.L., Clark, M.M., Rosedahl, J.K., Limburg, P.J., Riley, B.A., Lecy, D.R. and Sood, A. (2017). A Worksite Wellness Intervention: Improving Happiness, Life Satisfaction, and Gratitude in Health Care Workers. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 1(3), pp.203–210. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2017.09.002.

•       Gray, P., Senabe, S., Naicker, N., Kgalamono, S., Yassi, A. and Spiegel, J.M. (2019). Workplace-Based Organizational Interventions Promoting Mental Health and Happiness among Healthcare Workers: A Realist Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 16(22), p.4396. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4396.

•       Guerci, M., Hauff, S. and Gilardi, S. (2019). High performance work practices and their associations with health, happiness and relational well-being: are there any tradeoffs? The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33(2), pp.1–31. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2019.1695647.

•       Kun, A. and Gadanecz, P. (2019). Workplace happiness, well-being and Their Relationship with Psychological capital: a Study of Hungarian Teachers. Current Psychology, [online] 41(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00550-0.

•       Layous, K. (2019). Promoting happiness in the workplace. [online] www.elgaronline.com. Available at: https://www.elgaronline.com/display/edcoll/9781788113410/9781788113410.00016.xml [Accessed 27 Jun. 2023].

•       Mohammad Babamiri, Z.A. (n.d.). Investigating the factors that influence Iranian nurses’ workplace happiness. [online] journals.rcni.com. Available at: https://journals.rcni.com/nursing-management/evidence-and-practice/investigating-the-factors-that-influence-iranian-nurses-workplace-happiness-nm.2021.e1972/abs.