Emmanuel Mokobi Aryee
PRUDENTIAL AFRICA has advised businesses to take care of their employees as they grapple with how to sustain themselves in this Covid era simultaneously.
According to the group, a key lesson from operating in the pandemic was that physical and mental wellbeing were equally important and therefore all sizes of companies should address it.
Mokobi Aryee, MD for Prudential Ghana, stated, “Collective trauma as a result of COVID-19 happened at a societal level while making individuals more inward-looking. Our employees in Africa are experiencing heightened trepidation due to everyday uncertainties, less interaction with colleagues and concerns for family safety. Inevitably, employee pressure equals business pressure.”
Mr. Aryee also added, “We find that it requires more mindful work within our workplace to balance business objectives and life’s normal needs and responsibilities.”
He said with 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 25, it was the youngest continent which continued to offer businesses the best prospects for future growth.
“To fully unlock the potential of the vast human resources available it is paramount that each individual is provided an atmosphere to develop, maintain and grow their mental wellness, which has taken a knock during the pandemic.
“Our experience shows that for employees to reach their potential, to contribute meaningfully and to create value in a workplace they must be in the right state of mind. Shareholders and managers demand a lot from staff, and excess stress of this kind leads to mental and physical break downs and sometimes burnout. If someone is anxious, stressed or depressed, they become less attentive and less productive and it sets back their growth potential. Awareness and acceptance of this stress is part of the key to mental fitness of employees and should never be overlooked,” noted Mr. Aryee.
He continued that “Although COVID-19 had negatively impacted our lives, it had given people the confidence to admit that they needed help and support; and to recognise that mental wellness was priority. Moreover, at Prudential Ghanawe have realised that if we give our employees the opportunity to be heard and to heal emotionally, we create an atmosphere for them to bounce back quicker,” says Mr. Aryee.
Prudential Ghana believes that it is necessary to bring the conversation about mental wellness into the open, acknowledge it, talk about it and, finally, in unison with staff, find solutions to improve it.
He has therefore advised that companies should alleviate stress and build tools and resources to help staff and managers recognise and act on emotional wellness issues; exhibit management commitment by providing holistic and sustainable solutions in order to foster a sense of community; create a culture of openness for all staff to perform at their best; and encourage all employees to be accommodating, to listen and to assist with the emotional issues their colleagues are facing.
Also advising companies to install a 24/7 confidential counselling line run by a professional third party for staff and their dependants, he said, “The ultimate message to staff should be – you are not alone – everyone has mental challenges in different ways and we are all in this together. You should be able to show up to work in the best possible form of yourself,” concludes Aryee.
About Prudential Africa
Prudential has insurance operations in eight countries in Africa: Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Nigeria. With approximately 1,000,000 customers, Prudential Africa works with over 10,000 agents and six exclusive bank partnerships, with access to over 600 branches, to bring value-added insurance solutions to its customers.
A business desk report