Improve Employee Mental and Physical Health

Introduction 

Employee mental and physical health is increasingly becoming a major concern across the globe, especially based on the surging number of workers who commit suicide. Physical health problem like obesity is also increasing in the workplace due to lack of physical exercise. As a result, the government and other organizations are calling upon employers to improve the mental and physical health of employees by implementing effective interventions. We encountered an unfortunate scenario in the Company, Pipeline Company (PC), which I previously worked for because one of the employees had a mental disorder. Employees should be subjected to a favorable working environment to enhance their mental and physical health. 

Description of the Problem 

Pipeline Company (PC) is one of the most successful firms in the oil and gas industries in the country, especially due to its productive and resourceful employees. The Company is highly concerned with the productivity and performance of its workers, and it spends a lot of financial resources to ensure that they are highly motivated. As a result, most of its employees spend much time in the workplace, or they work for long hours to meet the set targets. However, in 2016, the Company's financial department started to experience a reduction in its productivity. The top management could not explain the cause of the reduction in production in the department. Unfortunately, in 2018, two of the financial analysts in the department committed suicide in unexplained circumstances. Another financial analysis confronted his manager, and they ended up engaging in a brutal fight. The financial acted abnormally in the same week he confronted the manager. The management was concerned about the problem and started an investigation to determine the root cause of the problem. 

Causes of the Problem 

Findings from the investigation revealed that a significant number of employees in the organization were suffering from work-related stress while a few others were depressed. It turned out that employees in the department were burdened with a lot of responsibilities, even though they were not many compared to other departments. Besides, they were subjected to complex and challenging tasks that were to be accomplished within a short deadline. Working as a financial analyst can be one of the most stressful jobs, especially based on the nature of their work ( Giorgi et al., 2017) . Financial analysts are responsible for the financial performance of the entire organization, while at the same time, they make complex financial decisions that can be stressful. For example, financial analysts in PC were required to constantly watch the changing financial market and make accurate and timely decisions to maximize the profitability of the Company. Consequently, they ended up working for longer hours than many employees in the Company. 

Therefore, the mental problem in the Company's financial department was mainly caused by work overload. Financial analysis is a job with high unpredictability, forcing employees to work for long hours while performing complex tasks ( Giorgi et al., 2017) . Also, the problems could have been caused by the management or leadership problem in the department. A manager should be sensitive to the problems or issues that may be facing or disturbing employees in the workplace. A manager who is mainly concerned with performance and success can stress among workers, which may lead to stress and depression or mental disorders ( Maulik, 2017) . Besides, a manager who feels that junior employees are not important can cause a stressful working environment due to a lack of respect and motivation to accomplish complex tasks ( Maulik, 2017) . Thus, the type of management in the department could have caused the problem in the departments. 

Also, the findings showed that the high level of stress in the department was not only caused by internal factors but also the external environment. For instance, it turned out that the employee who confronted his manager had family issues that were stressing him besides being subjected to a stressful working environment. Family issues such as disputes between couples or family members, and financial constraints or uncertainties can cause stress and mental problems in the workplace ( Maulik, 2017) . The problem in the department, therefore, was caused by organizational and external factors. 

How the Company can Improve Mental and Physical Health of its Employees 

The first major strategy that the Company or any other organization can use to improve the mental and physical health of employees is to create sustaining workplace cultures that enhance the health and wellbeing of individuals ( Goetzel et al., 2018) . Specifically, the designing of jobs should be done in such a way that it addresses the health and safety of employees in an organization. The designing of a job should not overburden employees, especially in terms of workload. On the contrary, the physical and psychological demand for a given job should be in line with the capabilities of employees ( Goetzel et al., 2018) . Importantly, the Company should allow employees to decide the job they can do and those they cannot handle to reduce work-related stress. Employees feel stressed if they cannot deliver the assigned task as required, primarily when they lack the necessary knowledge and skills. The management should make sure that employees get proper training and are up-to-task while monitoring their development. Employees should be trained to acquire both soft and hard skills that they require in the workplace ( Goetzel et al., 2018) . For instance, lack of decision-making skills is one of the factors causing stress among many employees across departments and organizations. Therefore, appropriate designing of jobs can help to address workplace stress. 

Secondly, to reduce work-related stress in the financial department, the Company should create a favorable work environment that is characterized by much support from both the management and co-workers ( Goetzel et al., 2018) . Managers or supervisors should execute health-enhancing supervision, which helps in assessing the ability of an employee to accomplish the assigned tasks. The managers should provide a favorable work environment by ensuring that employees are free to share their problems with co-workers and management. Specifically, to encourage employees to share their problems, the work environment should not be characterized by a high level of secrecy. The management practice that is based on a horizontal line of authority makes employees feel comfortable and willing to discuss personal issues with managers or supervisors ( Bhui et al., 2016) . Besides, it helps in creating a favorable relationship between managers and junior employees in the workplace. 

At the same time, a manager should be able to recognize employees who might be facing problems in the workplace or life in general. Early detection of signs and symptoms of mental and physical health problems can help the management to take prompt and effective actions to improve the health of employees. Early interventions are not only cost-effective, but they also reduce health risks in the workplace ( Bhui et al., 2016) . Nonetheless, the manager should not intrude on the work and personal life of employees, as this can cause distrust and affects the relationship. Interventions should be executed when necessary. 

Also, the Company should create a work environment that encourages healthy behaviors. Currently, many people are suffering from overweight and obesity because they live a sedentary lifestyle while eating unhealthy food (González, Fuentes & Márquez, 2017). As a result, organizations should develop programs that support or encourage physical exercise. For instance, the Company may have a gym facility to encourage physical exercise. It is also essential for the Company to encourage leisure activities that relieve employees from work-related stress ( Bhui et al., 2016) . The support should not be within the organization but also outside the entity to address even family-related issues and financial needs of employees. A holistic program that promotes the mental and physical health of employees is essential in the workplace. 

Conclusion 

The health and wellbeing of employees are critical for the success of any organization. Like in the case of PC’s finance department, organizations should not only focus on the productivity of employees but also their health and ability to accomplish the assigned tasks. Employees in highly stressful occupations life financial analysts should not be subjected to a lot of work while at the same time they should get support and motivation from the management and co-workers. Job design is the first critical step in addressing job-related stress, which ends up affecting the mental and physical health of employees. Poor mental and physical health of employees does affect not only the individual workers but also the organization as a whole. Therefore, organizations should be concerned with the health and wellbeing of their workforce for them to enjoy long-term and sustainable success. 

References  

Bhui, K., Dinos, S., Galant-Miecznikowska, M., de Jongh, B., & Stansfeld, S. (2016). Perceptions of work stress causes and effective interventions in employees working in public, private, and non-governmental organizations: a qualitative study. BJPsych Bulletin , 40 (6), 318-325. 

Giorgi, G., Arcangeli, G., Perminiene, M., Lorini, C., Ariza-Montes, A., Fiz-Perez, J., ... & Mucci, N. (2017). Work-related stress in the banking sector: a review of incidence, correlated factors, and major consequences. Frontiers in psychology , 8 (1). 

Goetzel, R. Z., Roemer, E. C., Holingue, C., Fallin, M. D., McCleary, K., Eaton, W., ... & Braga, M. (2018). Mental health in the workplace: A call to action proceedings from the mental health in the workplace: Public health summit. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine , 60 (4). 

González, K., Fuentes, J., & Márquez, J. L. (2017). Physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, and chronic diseases. Korean journal of family medicine , 38 (3). 

Maulik, P. K. (2017). Workplace stress: A neglected aspect of mental health wellbeing. The Indian journal of medical research , 146 (4).