PSOJ urges businesses to make mental health a leadership priority

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) is urging corporate Jamaica to move beyond mental health awareness campaigns and take practical steps to address workplace conditions that affect employee well-being, productivity and business performance.

The call came during the PSOJ’s Business of Mental Health webinar, held last week in observance of World Mental Health Day and organised by the organisation’s Gender and Disabilities Committee, chaired by Renee Morrison.

The webinar brought together business executives and industry representatives to examine the human and economic costs of poor workplace mental health and explore how employers can create healthier working environments.

PSOJ Executive Director Sacha Vaccianna-Riley challenged business leaders to examine whether their own management practices, workloads and organisational cultures were contributing to employee stress.

“Perhaps we also need to be asking, what are we asking our people to be so resilient against? Because there are some workplace problems that cannot be solved with a mere wellness seminar,” Vaccianna-Riley said.

She argued that employers must assess the work itself, including management styles, expectations and organisational systems, rather than placing the responsibility for coping with stress solely on employees.

She said workplace mental health was not simply an employee welfare issue, but one affecting business performance, leadership effectiveness and organisational sustainability.

Suzette Buchanan, chief executive officer of Bellevue Hospital and a mental health advocate, moderated the discussion and urged employers to recognise warning signs before workers reached a crisis point.

“Must an employee reach a crisis before we recognise that something is wrong? Must they break down before we slow down? Must they resign before we respond?” Buchanan asked.

She encouraged business leaders to look beyond their financial statements and examine their workplace cultures.

The discussion highlighted the less visible consequences of poor mental health, including reduced productivity, absenteeism, presenteeism, workplace conflict, impaired decision-making and staff turnover. These challenges can also increase pressure on other employees and drive up recruitment and replacement costs.

Dr Kai Morgan Campbell, a registered clinical psychologist and group chief executive officer of Kahle Wellness Group Limited, addressed the effects of workplace stress and the importance of intervening before mental health concerns escalate.

Meanwhile, Dr Cassida Jones Johnson, president of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, urged organisations to assess whether their workplace cultures and management practices were contributing to the problems they were seeking to resolve.

She emphasised the importance of psychological safety, clear expectations and practical protections for employees, while cautioning against treating constant availability, late working hours and responding to work demands outside normal hours as automatic signs of commitment.

Jones Johnson also highlighted the need for managers to have meaningful conversations with employees about their well-being, sources of stress and the support they may need.

Darron Turnquest, drawing on his experience at Flow, stressed the importance of accessible employee support, allowing staff to take leave without stigma and responding to personal challenges with understanding rather than immediately resorting to disciplinary action.

“Be flexible, give a little more, and you will be amazed how much more you will get in return,” Turnquest said, arguing that retaining employees can be less costly than replacing them.

Dr Hopelin Hines, head of the Group Human Resources Division at National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited, reinforced the connection between employee well-being and organisational performance.

“Well-being and performance are not competing priorities. Well-being actually sets the stage for superior performance,” Hines said.

The webinar concluded with a call for employers to make mental health an ongoing part of leadership and business decision-making, rather than limiting their response to occasional wellness sessions and awareness campaigns.

The PSOJ said businesses should review workloads and organisational culture, equip managers to recognise and respond to mental health concerns, protect confidentiality and ensure employees can access appropriate support.

The webinar was sponsored by Canopy Insurance Limited, Total Office and Totally Male.

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