Chen urges caution amid push for mental health clauses at work

Jamaica Employers’ Federation (JEF) President Wayne Chen says there should be serious consideration of incorporating provisions for employee well-being, including access to care, into employment contracts.

However, he said, “We must be careful about not treating it as a stand-alone issue outside of the wider context of workplace health and safety. We also must be careful not to introduce unnecessary complexity into employee contracts.”

His comments follow a proposal by government Senator Kavan Gayle, who last Friday urged unions and employers to incorporate specific mental health support provisions into collective bargaining agreements and workplace policies.

Gayle, the president general of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, noted that unions have traditionally focused their negotiations on improved wages and salaries, pensions, medical benefits, leave entitlements, job security, occupational safety and other conditions of employment.

While these remain essential, he argued that the changing world of work now requires the workers’ representatives to broaden their approach to employee protection.

Gayle argued that workplace safety extends beyond maintaining machinery, controlling physical hazards and preventing accidents. He said a safe working environment must also include measures to identify and address psychosocial risks.

Giving details on his proposal, the senior trade union leader said the provisions in collective bargaining agreements and workplace policies should seek to establish employee assistance programmes. These programmes, according to Gayle, should provide confidential access to counselling, psychological support and referrals to qualified professionals.

He also proposed responsible performance management practices, with transparent, achievable and evidence-based targets, supported by regular reviews to address situations where workloads, staffing levels or working conditions make those targets unreasonable.

He suggested that mechanisms should also be introduced to guard against excessive work-related stress.

Gayle is also calling for training programmes for managers and supervisors to equip them to recognise signs of distress, respond appropriately, and refer employees to professionals for assistance.

He also emphasised the need for confidentiality and non-discrimination, calling for safeguards to ensure that employees are not unfairly treated, ridiculed or disadvantaged for seeking mental health support.

“These provisions should not remain vague statements of goodwill. They should establish clear responsibilities, access to services, confidentiality safeguards, review procedures, and accountability,” he emphasised.

“In target-driven workplaces, collective agreements should also provide for consultation when major changes in performance measures, digital monitoring, staffing arrangements or work processes could materially increase psychological pressures,” Gayle said.

Responding to Gayle’s proposals, Chen said the JEF has long advocated for employers to create work environments that recognise the importance of mental wellness, pointing to the link between individual well-being and productivity.

He said ensuring that workplaces are safe and comfortable makes good business sense, adding that responsible employers are already mindful of minimising excessive workplace stress, which he identified as a major factor affecting both mental and physical well-being.

Chen said the JEF has also consistently supported public education on mental health issues among both employees and employers, recognising that promoting mental well-being requires shared responsibility among individuals, families, workplaces and the wider society.

In his motion, Gayle also proposed the establishment of a national alliance for mental health awareness, protection and prevention. He said the initiative would bring together the Government, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Bellevue Hospital and other healthcare providers, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, trade unions, civil society groups and other stakeholders.

Gayle argued that while employers and trade unions have an important role to play, mental health is too critical an issue to be left to any one institution or sector.

He said the proposed alliance would seek to move Jamaica away from fragmented awareness initiatives towards a more coordinated national response to mental health.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com