Mental health plays a crucial role in workers’ well-being, job performance, and labor productivity, the same way physical health does. Occupational safety and health standards often address this by implementing stress management programs, mental health services, and workplace policies. However, there is a dearth of information relative to the effective occupational structure, support mechanisms, compensation benefits, and public advocacy among existing policies on workplace mental health. Hence, this research aimed to understand the factors of workplace psychological hazards to workers’ mental health by documenting work stressors or risk factors and identifying mechanisms for addressing mental health at work to provide recommendations on workplace mental health prevention and protection policies.
Guided by WHO’s strategic pillars, a triangulation approach was employed. Qualitative data from relevant documents, interviews, and multi-stakeholder consultations were collected along with an online survey administered from July to October 2024 to public and private sector workers. Of the 295 respondents, majority are female (74%) with regular job positions (90%) and working onsite (80%) in the education sector (28%). It revealed that the majority have experienced stress and burnout at work due to heavy workloads, conflicts with colleagues, and micromanagement. These suggest that work-induced mental health can undermine workers’ well-being and overall job performance. Likewise, it was found that company policies and mental health support were in place. This reaffirms the effective implementation of government policies through DOLE, including DOLE DO No. 208, s. 2020 and LA No. 19, s. 2023 as mandated under RA 11058 and RA 11036 to improve mental health at work.
Keywords: workplace mental health, mental health policies, occupational health and safety, decent work, labor laws compliance
RESEARCHERS: Castillo, Franchesca Rose S. | Navarosa, Diether B. | Ursua, Marcos S.