Employers in Ghana have been charged to invest in Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) in order to rethink employee wellbeing strategies and boost business growth and profitability.
The majority of Ghanaian workers struggle psychologically to some degree, which prevents them from giving their best.
Labour Consultant Austin Gamey stressed the importance of including an EAP in an organisation’s structure if it wants to grow – adding that every organisation should invest in the physical and mental health of its employees, as EAP is a critical and vital component of any business success.
He was speaking at the EAP Africa Summit 2022 under the theme ‘Redefining Employee Mental Well-Being Strategy to Accelerate Business Growth and Increase Bottom Line’.
“Any employer who wants to see growth and see work and happiness develop in their organisations in the absence of EAP on the front-burner of all their HR programmes must forget that they are in business. It should not be seen as a cost at the inception stage, but should be seen as profitable at the end of the day. In the absence of that, I guarantee you nothing works,” he said.
He further urged the general public to actively look out for those in their immediate vicinity, because doing so has a significant positive impact on lives and fosters relationships.
“A very straightforward but effective action is asking people how they are doing. When it comes to employees, they then tend to wonder why they shouldn’t work for you. It might look very small but has a great impact. It elevates the people to a certain level to know that they are being cared for, and that also goes a long way in deepening trust and the relationship,” he added.
Managing Director of Supreme Healthcare Management Services, Patience Osekre, said most businesses within the sub-region are struggling to stay afloat because of employers’ inability to invest in the mental well-being of their employees.
“We look at productivity from that base-line and try and provide those services. We will see how that translates into productivity,” she said.
She indicated that when the country is productive it goes into wealth-creation, and citizens become prosperous.
“We are missing it in the whole of Africa. EAP is not prevalent in just the southern belt of Africa. EAP, has been in existence since the 1940s,” she said.
The World Health Organisation Representative to Ghana, Dr. Francis Chisaka Kasolo, said he is committed to championing the cause of promoting good and sound mental health for employees.
