Health Refuel at Work
Wellbeing is becoming more of a popular topic in China these days. Stress and burnout is ¬-the first story of the MENtal Health series, we have a chat with Alan Wang, an expert in Human Resources management, on how the topic is received in China.
Why is it important to discuss topics like burnout, stress, and depression in the workplace?
The business environment is so fast-paced, and there the line between personal and professional space is blurred, particularly with WeChat and email. This increases the stress and pressure of work because we have to be on call all the time. So many employees have no time for holiday and did not go on holiday at all!
What are the challenges in China for the topic of #MENtal Health, as Chinese, and for Chinese men?
This topic is still quite new. Chinese corporations are still in transition and they are a special case due to the rapid development and progress – many of them are busy on the business side and have no time to relax. Many Chinese employers do not pay much attention to this topic as a result and the employees do not dare take holiday. There are no special programmes… yet…
Also, Chinese do not like to talk about “stress” because in Chinese it sounds like it is linked to psychological problems or being “crazy”. We prefer discussing Well Being as a holistic concept, which also includes mental health, and to help employees have a full, meaningful life.
Why should companies even think about employees’ stress level?
Deloitte did an in-house research report on employee stress levels in China, and found that 40% of employees faces stress, which affects their productivity, health, and family relationships. Then of course, if employees are stressed, they are not able to perform to their fullest.