A “Global Mental Health Day” to be held on the 27th of April 2021 has recently been announced by SAP. As part of this company-sponsored global holiday, all SAP employees will be given an extra day off from work to focus on their mental health and well-being.
SAP North America President DJ Paoni maintained that the Global Mental Health Day for SAP employees is “not just another day off.” He said in an interview:
“It’s a clear message from the company that it’s okay to relax. Healthier employees mean happier customers, so there is a business benefit in the long run.”
The COVID-19 situation has drastically changed the way many workers do their job — whether in person or remotely. Lockdowns, social distancing, and adjusting to the new virtual working set-up made it even harder for employees to cope. Before the pandemic, home and work lives were spatially delineated and face-to-face interactions with customers and colleagues were present. Now, people worldwide are struggling to continuously balance family responsibilities and work duties at home.
According to statistics from the World Economic Forum, COVID-19 has made one in three adults suffer anxiety or depression. Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found out that depression decreases cognitive performance about 35{8bf2b29f36318f0ac46ab1cc03d7035abce669a1cea16c9ed62389a818fa22fd} of the time and interferes with an individual’s ability to fulfill physical tasks about 20{8bf2b29f36318f0ac46ab1cc03d7035abce669a1cea16c9ed62389a818fa22fd} of the time.
Implementing Global Mental Health Day for SAP Employees
Alarmed by the aforementioned figures and the results of a recently published Qualtrics employee pulse survey on remote work at SAP, Paoni has finally decided to act on SAP’s Global Mental Health Day. Paoni explained:
“We learned that a third of our employees have stress levels that are higher than their satisfaction level. Sixty-one percent said that they’re working slightly above capacity.”
Operations will grind to a halt on April 27, giving all SAP employees an opportunity to unwind, recharge, and do something for themselves and their families. The collaboration between local and global teams made it possible to carry out the employee well-being initiative.
Furthermore, Dr. Natalie Lotzmann, Global Head of Health & Well-Being at SAP, stated that SAP’s ability to deliver its business goals sustainably depends on its employees’ well-being. Lotzmann confirmed the surge in mental health problems during the pandemic, with reports from SAP’s global Employee Assistance Program (EAP) revealing a 28{8bf2b29f36318f0ac46ab1cc03d7035abce669a1cea16c9ed62389a818fa22fd} increase in calls to the confidential counselling service for employees.
Mental Health Stigma in the Workplace
With the implementation of SAP’s Mental Health Day, the software giant reinforces a strong commitment to its employees – and to society as a whole – that there is no place for mental health stigma in the workplace. Lotzmann added:
“Stigma usually stems from a lack of understanding or fear of the unknown. The fact that people don’t talk about the problem makes it harder to understand.”
Witnessing an evolution in the way businesses are dealing with mental health over the years, Lotzmann has observed a positive shift. However, she said that such a change must be nurtured organically through a culture of open communication, leadership, and awareness of available resources.
With the COVID-19 pandemic adding a new dimension of mental distress on employees, SAP helps maintain the wellbeing and mental health of its workers by putting in place programs on prevention, early detection, reintegration, and case management support. As the SAP Chief Medical Officer, Lotzmann advised people to not take their mental health for granted. She concluded that it can impact anyone at any time.
