The Eurocadres blog

Don’t let next health crisis be mental

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Months of isolation, economic hardship, loss of jobs, future plans destroyed, loss of loved ones… The current COVID-19 situation is showing in the death rates and is also taking a toll on the mental health of people. Europe has been in a stress epidemic for many years. Coming back to a new normal risks worsening the situation.

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28 April is the World Day of Safety and Health at Work and the International Workers’ Memorial Day. This year the focus is of course put on the COVID-19 situation. This makes a lot of sense. Right now, there is no other risk which measures up to the enormous impact the virus has on our lives also in working life.

The current COVID-19 situation is showing in the death rates and is also taking a toll on the mental health of people. Europe has been in a stress epidemic for many years. Coming back to a new normal risks worsening the situation.

Professionals and managers which Eurocadres represents are already playing a key role in keeping society functioning. Doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals and teachers, to name a few. But also, managers who are often in an impossible situation of trying to maintain a functioning organisation.

There could however be another storm ahead. Frontline workers not only risk exposure to COVID-19 due to lack of proper personal protective equipment. Extreme stress is another problem. When we start moving forward on a road to recovery, this is likely to include both higher workloads and fewer resources. This will put many more workers already suffering from a tough mental health situation at risk.

When we start moving forward on a road to recovery, this is likely to include both higher workloads and fewer resources. This will put many more workers already suffering from a tough mental health situation at risk.

We must take this as a strong call to properly deal with psychosocial risks at work. If not, we risk a worsening of an already deteriorating mental health situation also in European workplaces.

 

MJ at Tripartite Summit 1 Mar 20 19

The author

Martin Jefflén
President of Eurocadres