The real infrastructure of performance is mental health. It’s built through culture, compassion, and courage. Writes Nkirote Mworia Njiru, Group Human Capital Executive, Old Mutual East Africa.
According to a recent report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHCR) an estimated 3.7 million working adults in Kenya live with a mental health condition, with mental disorders accounting for about 13 percent of the country’s total disease burden. The economic loss linked to mental ill-health is estimated at KShs 62.2 billion annually, most of it not from healthcare costs, but from absenteeism, presenteeism, and burnout.
Globally, the World Health Organization reports that depression and anxiety cost the world economy over US$1 trillion every year in lost productivity, with nearly 12 billion working days disappearing as a result. These are not just health statistics. They are business indicators.
Wellness at work is no longer a soft issue or a human resource trend. It is the foundation of sustainable performance.
In the future of work, mental health isn’t a benefit- it’s a business strategy.
The Price of Silence
Despite the escalating figures, reported cases of mental disorders in Kenya rose from 171,845 to 184,292 between 2022 and 2023, driven by growing economic pressures and social stressors. Stigma also forces employees to hide their struggles, but the consequences- disengagement, high turnover, and falling innovation- eventually speak for themselves.
Yet even with strong evidence and increasing awareness, mental health remains one of the least discussed topics in boardrooms. This silence is the engine of the crisis.
A toxic workplace cannot be fixed with a “wellness day” or a company Zumba class. Occasional perks are like giving a thirsty person a single drop of water. What truly changes the game is leadership culture: the willingness of leaders to genuinely listen, empathize, and normalize seeking support.
Resilience is Not a Mask
The modern workplace often glorifies resilience. Grit and endurance are valuable traits, but when overextended, they become masks. Many employees have mastered the art of “faking fine”- delivering results while struggling beneath the surface. This misplaced celebration of stoicism often leads organizations to unknowingly reward quiet burnout. Grit is a gift until it becomes a shield for distress.
The primary challenge for executive leaders, therefore, is to dismantle this culture. They should create environments where people can take off the mask without fearing judgment, consequence, or being branded as "weak." This requires more than a policy statement; it demands cultural alignment, from the CEO down.
From Perk to Operating Rhythm, Data As the New Diagnostic
As the conversation around workplace wellness evolves, so should the ways organizations measure it. Traditional metrics- absenteeism, turnover, or sick days- offer useful signals, but they do not tell the whole story. Emerging indicators like digital exhaustion, patterns of internal mobility, or the tone of engagement feedback can reveal early signs of stress and disengagement.
Data should be anonymized, consent should be clear, and analysis should translate into tangible action. Collecting information without acting on it only deepens mistrust. A good example of meaningful innovation is Old Mutual’s recently launched Thrive digital wellness app, which offers holistic support- financial, physical, and mental- to employees and their families. It illustrates how technology can enhance human wellbeing.
Leadership’s task today is clear: treat mental health as a strategic priority, not as a seasonal campaign. Wellness should be discussed in the same breath as productivity, innovation, and growth. Leaders should model balance, dismantle stigma more effectively than any poster campaign, and check in authentically with their teams, viewing wellbeing as a shared responsibility.
The Future Will Not Negotiate
The real infrastructure of performance is mental health. It’s built through culture, compassion, and courage. The new generation of professionals will not be swayed by rhetoric. Gen Z and Alpha employees view wellness as non-negotiable. They will not just ask for it; they will leave if it is lacking.
Wellness, then, is not a perk. It is the power source of performance. In the future of work, mental health isn’t a benefit- it’s a business strategy. Organizations that grasp this will not only attract and retain top talent but will also build the resilient, human-centered cultures that are essential for the future of work in Kenya.
