Covid-19 has brought mental health in the workplace under scrutiny

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought mental health/wellness in the workplace under intense scrutiny. Marketing Director at Infection Products, Annette Devenish, tells the OFM Business Hour, that she doesn’t believe enough is being done to prioritize mental health in South Africa, even though Covid-19 has made us more tolerant and empathetic in the workplace. A 2017 study on mental health and stigma in the workplace by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag), found that 72% of people surveyed said that mental illness was affecting their productivity and work performance and revealed that attempts to seek assistance and understanding from superiors in the workplace was ineffective. Some reported a general indifference and negative attitude towards ‘mental illness’ by employers/superiors. These attitudes appear to be changing albeit slightly on the back of Covid-19 induced trauma. Devenish emphasizes the importance of exercising self-care in such instances and believes this is doing things that bring you joy and prioritize your health i.e. exercise, sleep or reading.