Although it may seem that mental health is being discussed more frequently, according to a report by Manpower, 43% of Polish employers still do not undertake any actions aimed at supporting this extremely important area. Employees, on the other hand, believe that preventing burnout would be beneficial not only in providing flexibility, additional days off, but also diversifying teams in terms of age.
Motivation and a sense of satisfaction from work are extremely important. In its latest report “Mood of the Polish labour market – candidate’s perspective 2024”, Manpower asked Polish workers how employers can prevent professional burnout. According to 36% of respondents, it would be helpful to provide flexibility in terms of working hours and place, and 35% of talents pointed to the offering of additional days off. For 33%, it would be important for the company to provide interesting non-wage benefits. The same percentage of respondents (33%) also pointed to diversifying teams in terms of age, while 32% believe that it would be crucial to set realistic goals and expectations, so that employees do not feel overwhelmed with an excess of duties.
“The first symptoms of professional burnout may seem insignificant, but ignoring them leads to serious consequences for both the employee and the organization. The most common symptoms are chronic fatigue, decreased motivation, reduced effectiveness, difficulties with concentration, but also physical ailments such as headaches or sleep problems. Professional burnout often manifests itself in a cynical attitude towards tasks performed, which negatively affects teamwork and interpersonal relationships,” says Agnieszka Krzemień, leader in Talent Solutions Right Management, emphasizing that both employees and employers should be alert to these signals. “Professional burnout at an early stage leads to a decrease in the quality of actions, increases the number of errors, which results in lower efficiency of the entire team. Therefore, it is crucial for leaders to undertake preventive measures, which according to talents are key, such as ensuring flexibility in working time and place, additional days off, vigilance to avoid overwhelming employees with tasks,” adds the expert.
Although awareness of how valuable and important mental health is becoming increasingly common in workplaces, unfortunately still 4 out of 10 respondents stated that their employer does not take any action aimed at supporting employees in this area. 27% of surveyed people can rely on the company in crisis situations, using e.g. health leaves or additional days off, 19% of organizations in Poland provide training, webinars and workshops on mental health, stress management, and relaxation techniques. While 18% of respondents indicated that their organization provides free or paid psychological consultations.
In the opinion of Agnieszka Krzemień, organizations that care about the mental well-being of employees can expect greater job satisfaction, lower absenteeism, but also better results of entire teams. – Awareness about mental health at work is growing, albeit the changes are gradual. More and more reports and analyses devoted to this topic are being published, these issues are raised inside the organization more frequently than some time ago. Despite this, many people signal that their company does not take sufficient action in the area of mental support, which only shows that for many employers, the mental health of their talents is still not a priority. It is often seen as an additional benefit that can be afforded in times of favourable financial conditions, yet, when the need for cost reductions arises, investments in wellbeing are often among the first areas to cut. However, this approach is shortsighted. Care for the mental health of employees should be treated as an element of the long-term development strategy of the organization – concludes the leader of Talent Solutions Right Management.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/43-polskich-pracodawcow-nie-wspiera-zdrowia-psychicznego-pracownikow-rosnace-wyzwania-zwiazane-z-wypaleniem-zawodowym-29036
