Workplace Stress
As the long-term effects of the last two years become apparent, more and more companies are calling for workplaces to do more to protect employee mental health. A recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation estimates that mental health problems currently cost the UK economy around £118 billion a year and the cost in the workplace is estimated at over £2,000 per employee per year (Mental Health Foundation, 2022). In addition, it is estimated that 59% of long-term absences are caused by stress and mental illness (Mental Health Foundation, 2022). Research results have been similar in the Arab world. According to the 2021 Cigna 360 Wellbeing Survey, The UAE workforce is experiencing lower levels of stress than before the pandemic, but it still ranks among the highest in the world at a shocking 88%. Research shows that a lack of mental health support at work is negatively impact individuals, whether they are from western or eastern cultural backgrounds.
Workplaces that have invested in awareness and skills training on how to deal with mental health are better at designing an environment where employees feel safe to speak out about the pressures they are facing in their work and personal life. The term "stress" means something different for each of us. Job stress is generally defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker. There are many misconceptions about this. Often, employees may be overlooked and labelled as lazy or unmotivated when their mental health may be at risk. Therefore, Talkcircle has taken the initiative to spark conversations in the workplace regarding employee’s mental health.
We are on a mission to initiate early discussions in the work environment about our psychological well-being: with associates, with chiefs, with Mental Health Allies and at times with HR or word related wellbeing. We aim to put employers in the driver’s seat of their mental wellness journey, in a judgement free and confidential way to empower them through every way of their unique mental health journey. Having trained experts in psychological interventions ensures that everyone in the workplace has someone they can speak to.
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