70% of Namibian workers suffer chronic health conditions

About 70% of the Namibian workforce suffers from stress and chronic health conditions.

Speaking at the Employee Wellness Indaba Conference in Windhoek yesterday, deputy minister of health and social services Esther Muinjangue said the high rate of stress and mental health illnesses in the country are costing companies about 35% in productivity.

This was revealed by a recent survey, she said.
“Employee wellness programmes keep your employees healthy and productive, helping you reduce this productivity loss,” she said .

“Employee mental and physical health assistance programmes have been a primary focus area for most companies in Namibia. Mental well-being takes into consideration employees’ stress, burnout or any other feeling of unease.

“A company culture in which mental health is openly discussed could equip employees with the means to take care of their psychological soundness.

“In turn, employees would take less sick days and overall perform better on the job.”

According to Muinjangue, businesses in Namibia have started signing up for physical wellness programmes as well.

“Physical health typically includes activities such as chronic disease management, nutrition counselling, and smoking cessation,” she said.

Muinjangue said the conference aims to focus on robust and inclusive topics that may affect employees’ well-being and performance.

“Apart from the promotion of mental health and wellness in the workplace, the main objective is to transform workplaces into forward-thinking organisational strategies that empower the individual employee’s well-being,” she said.

It also aims to create a healthy workforce, a healthy bottom line, and a network of peers from leading organisations to engage in a wellness dialogue.

Muinjangue said workplace wellness is an investment which works like any other investment.

“You put in time and money in the hope of a more valuable outcome, which in this case is the health of your employees, their families and your bottom line,” she said.
She said engagement, motivation, strategy and support are the keys to a successful workplace wellness programme.

“One of the most important reasons to begin thinking about the wellness of your employees is prevention,” she said.

Muinjangue reminded organisations that as much as they want to make profit, it is equally important to educate and incentivise employees to live healthier.

“By doing so, it could benefit your business in a multitude of ways.

“Employees who are healthier have fewer sick days and are more productive than their less healthy counterparts,” she said.

Earlier this year, New Era reported that labour consultant and community activist August Bikeur said it is time that unionists and the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation consider workplace conditions critically and make workplace wellness programmes mandatory.

Bikeur’s remark came after Shoprite employee Fabiola Zondjembo took her own life after allegedly being dismissed from her job at Walvis Bay.