‘Employers cannot ignore the mental health of their employees’ – Malta Chamber President

Tackling the pertinent topic of mental health at the workplace, a conference organised by The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and supported by Atlas Insurance, touched upon the importance of employers providing flexibility and support to promote wellbeing among its workforce.

“The smoothness of a business’ workflow is dependent on the resilience of the weakest link,” Marisa Xuereb, President of The Malta Chamber said while addressing the conference, held on 10th October, World Mental Health Day 2022.

She stressed that work is such an important part of life, that it makes more sense to talk about work-life harmony rather than a balancing act between the two.

President Xuereb added:

“Work environments are greatly affected by the mental health of the people working in them and thus employers cannot ignore the mental health of their employees.

“It is their concern because it impacts not just the employee who needs help but everyone else in the organisation, including other employees, customers and even suppliers.”

A similar position was expressed by Cathering Calleja, Chair of the Health and Wellness Committee at The Malta Chamber, and Director of Atlas Insurance, who supported the event.

Ms Calleja said that employers are becoming increasingly aware of mental health issues, and are doing more to create positive flexible workplaces and hybrid options. Despite this, employees are still being effected by serious levels of stress, anxiety and depression, which can have a serious impact on the entire team’s wellbeing and sense of purpose.

Ms Calleja also discussed the difficulties faced by foreign workers, in particular men who tend to hold back from asking for help.