#CostaRica 🇨🇷 #BDS_Article: Mental Health in the Workplace: Impact and Implications

When addressing the issue of mental health, various factors must be considered, including personal, familial, social, and—significantly—the workplace environment. As a result, multiple stakeholders converge in the protection and promotion of mental health, starting with the Government itself, as well as employers, social organizations, and the employees.

According to data provided by the International Labour Organization (ILO), mental health in the workplace has a substantial impact on both society and the labor market, with 12 billion workdays lost annually due to depression and anxiety. This makes it a critical factor in the issuance of medical leaves and, eventually, in the increased risk of occupational accidents.

Work environments and the manner in which job duties are performed can create risk factors for mental health. Elements such as job demands and control, workload and pace, career development opportunities (or lack thereof), job security, and work-life balance can all be determining factors in this regard. In this context, protecting and promoting mental health in the workplace becomes a significant challenge for all employers.

Employers may consider various measures to safeguard the overall well-being of their personnel. These measures may include periodic reviews of workloads, as well as training and prevention strategies aimed at managing interpersonal conflicts that may destabilize the work environment.

Additionally, such measures may encompass the implementation of recognition programs and employee benefits that contribute to comprehensive well-being. These may include financial incentives enabling employees to access personal or family-oriented recreational services (e.g., gym memberships or personal leisure activities) or the provision of paid time off for personal matters.

However, it is crucial to establish or review applicable policies and agreements within each organization to determine whether the creation of such conditions or benefits may lead to legal questions, such as: "Do these benefits have a wage-based nature?" or "Do they constitute vested rights, or can they be modified or eliminated over time?"

Furthermore, raising awareness among employees and providing support to affected individuals and their work environment is always advisable. Properly trained employer representatives can assist their teams in fostering a healthier work environment and showing empathy regarding this critical issue, thereby facilitating better case management and timely, strategic decision-making.

On this matter, the World Health Organization (WHO), in the last quarter of the previous year, recommended: "Manager training for mental health, which helps managers recognize and respond to supervisees experiencing emotional distress; builds interpersonal skills like open communication and active listening; and fosters better understanding of how job stressors affect mental health and can be managed."

In light of the foregoing, it can be concluded that, for all employers, mental health and its impact on the workplace are fundamental issues that require measures across various fronts, including: employee training and awareness initiatives (encompassing both employer representatives and employees in general); prevention and monitoring of mental health-related situations; the creation of incentive programs with clearly defined guidelines; and the effective handling and resolution of individual cases.

Ronald Gutiérrez

Partner at BDS Asesores