Kuala Lumpur 28 April 2026 (The Capital Post) – Employers and organisations have been urged to place greater emphasis on employees’ mental well-being, alongside traditional workplace safety measures, amid growing concerns over psychosocial stress in modern working environments.
Social activist and Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said workplace health strategies must now extend beyond physical hazards to include mental and emotional pressures that affect employees’ performance and quality of life.
He noted that factors such as heavy workloads, long working hours, workplace bullying, job insecurity and poor work-life balance are increasingly contributing to stress, burnout and other mental health challenges among workers.
Lee stressed that if these issues are left unaddressed, they could not only harm employees’ well-being but also reduce productivity and increase the risk of workplace accidents, making mental health protection a key part of occupational safety and health frameworks.
He called for stronger efforts from employers to promote open communication, discourage discrimination and harassment, and provide access to counselling and mental health support services for staff.
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In addition, he said managers should be trained to identify early signs of psychological stress among employees, while organisations should adopt policies that promote healthier work-life balance and reasonable workloads.
Lee added that mental well-being should no longer be treated as a secondary issue, but as a core component of workplace management, with shared responsibility between employers, employees and policymakers.
He said a supportive work environment not only benefits workers but also improves engagement, productivity and long-term organisational performance, strengthening both businesses and the wider economy.-The Capital Post