Eliminating elitism in mental health

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has set a deadline of March 31, 2025, for States and Union Territories to harmonize and pre-publish draft rules for the new Labour Codes. This review comes at a time when the Economic Survey of 2024 recognizes mental health as a crucial driver for individual and national development, emphasizing the mental health needs of workers, particularly blue-collar workers, who face significant challenges due to their work environments.

Mental Health and Blue-Collar Workers

• Mental Health Acknowledgment: The Economic Survey of 2024 highlighted that 10.6% of adults in India suffer from mental disorders, with a severe treatment gap of 70-92%. The mental health of blue-collar workers, in particular, is impacted by unsafe working conditions and poor work-life balance.
• Risks in Work Environment: WHO outlines several risks affecting workers’ mental health, including long work hours, excessive workloads, unsafe conditions, job insecurity, and poor pay. These disproportionately affect blue-collar workers in comparison to white-collar employees.
• Elitism in Mental Health: Despite growing awareness, mental health services are more accessible to white-collar workers, leaving blue-collar workers without adequate support, further widening the disparity in workplace mental health protections.

Legislative and Policy Gaps

• Occupational Safety Code Limitations: The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020) largely ignores mental health, with physical safety being the primary focus. The phrasing ‘as far as reasonably practicable’ leaves room for limited enforcement of mental health provisions.
• Social Security Code Exclusion: The Social Security Code’s definition of ‘employment injury’ excludes mental health conditions arising from work stress or strain. The lack of clear legislative recognition of mental health as an occupational hazard prevents workers from claiming compensation for mental strain.
• Private Sector Efforts vs. Government Gaps: While some private companies have initiated programs to improve mental health among white-collar workers, such as Infosys’ HALE program and Wipro’s Mitra initiative, government initiatives like Tele Manas lack sufficient outreach and awareness among blue-collar workers, diluting their effectiveness.

The Way Forward

• Legislative Framework for Mental Health: There is a need for a rights-based legislative framework that balances employer requirements with the duty to provide a safe environment that includes mental health protections for blue-collar workers.
• Inclusion in Occupational Disease List: The government must amend the list of occupational diseases under the Social Security Code to include mental health conditions caused by work-related stress, which will reduce reliance on judicial interpretations.
• Promoting Awareness and Support: Creating awareness about government initiatives like Tele Manas among blue-collar workers and imposing statutory obligations on employers to support mental health will be crucial in addressing the mental health needs of this workforce.

Practice Question:

Q. Critically evaluate the challenges faced by blue-collar workers in terms of mental health and safety. How can the upcoming Labour Codes and existing legislative frameworks be modified to ensure a balanced approach towards both physical and mental well-being in the workplace?