Google gives mental health team the boot, fires wellness head: Why this can haunt the tech titan in the long run

2023 has begun on a bitter be aware for workers. Amid the wholesale layoffs, horror tales of impersonal emails informing staff of their final day on the firm, workers being instructed to cease reporting with out a lot as a by-your-leave, and nearly Starvation Video games-like conditions being shared by former IT staff the place they’re being rounded off and despatched packing with out even a discover, one fact stands out, as clear as day: regardless of all the flowery talks of prioritising mental health, the overwhelming majority of organisations don’t care about worker well-being.

There could also be innumerable wars or skirmishes for ‘expertise’ however little regard for the ‘human’ ingredient of human capital.

Tech big Google simply made it crystal clear that for many ‘big-name’ employers, significance of making certain worker well-being lies on the backside of the barrel. The tech titan lately laid off 12,000 staff (nearly 6.4 per cent of its workforce). Kristin Maczo, the previous Director of psychological well being and well-being, was amongst those that discovered themselves jobless. The corporate axed its psychological well being group.

Taking to LinkedIn, Maczo revealed that it was her “dream function” and she or he was let go after 15 years of loyal service and an impeccable observe document. “I’m one of many 12K Googlers whose function was eradicated final Friday within the #Google Layoffs. I’ve grown a lot in my 15 years at Google,” she acknowledged. She additionally recounted her journey with the tech big. A graduate of psychology, she has been main the psychological well being and well-being group since 2021.

Why Negligence Of Mental Health Can Cost Google Dearly
Though the tech big is on a mission to chop prices, analysis says that neglecting worker psychological well being and well-being will be disastrous for the corporate in the long term.

In line with a 2019 report by Forbes, neglecting the psychological well being of workers can price corporations roughly $80–100 billion per yr! This price is incurred because of misplaced workdays attributable to depression and low vanity, in addition to mounting treatment and hospitalization prices for chronically depressed or suicidal staff.

Most people who find themselves affected by undiagnosed and unaddressed psychological well being issues find yourself with increased charges of absenteeism and lack of productiveness. In line with the WHO, 12 billion working days are misplaced attributable to melancholy and anxiousness. In India, a 2022 examine by Deloitte has proven that ignoring psychological well-being has price corporations round $14 billion, or Rs 1.1 lakh crore!It is a wake-up name for employers. Need to retain the most effective expertise? Aiming to curb attrition? Then don’t trivialise worker psychological wellbeing!