SEVENTY-SEVEN percent of Filipino workers would worry about their career options if their workplace knew about a mental health issue, according to the latest Telus Mental Health Index for the Philippines, released by Telus Health in August. That is up from 75 percent in 2022, while the share who would feel negatively about themselves rose from 57 to 63 percent.
More than half of workers have no emergency savings to cover basic needs, and half name personal finances as their top source of personal stress. A similar share say their mental health hurts their productivity, and nearly half often end the workday mentally or physically exhausted.
The overall index score is 61.6 out of 100, more than three points lower than in November 2022 and within the range the report labels “strained.”
The online survey covered 2,000 people in the Philippines who are employed or had a job in the previous six months.
I asked Jamie MacLennan, region head for Asia-Pacific at Telus Health, what reason workers have to ask for help if they believe it could hurt their careers.
“If someone believes asking for help might cost them a promotion, silence can feel like the safer choice,” MacLennan wrote in an email interview. He traced this to Asia’s history of high stigma around mental health, and said the Philippines is similar to other parts of Asia but much worse than Western countries. Employees “look at how a manager responds, whether a conversation stays confidential, and whether someone who asks for help is still considered fairly for opportunities,” he wrote.
“Those experiences shape trust more than any campaign.”
Since 2020, employers in the formal private sector have been required to have a mental health workplace policy and program under Department Order 208 of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which implements the Mental Health Act (Republic Act 11036). The order bars discrimination in hiring, promotion and other employment benefits because of a worker’s mental health condition, provided it does not interfere with their job performance or unduly affect their safety or that of coworkers, clients and the public. Yet nearly eight in 10 workers in the Telus survey still fear that disclosure could limit their career options.
I also asked him about money. “When someone is wondering how to pay the next bill or what they would do if a family member became ill, that worry comes to work with them.”
Workers without emergency savings scored 55.5 on the index, against 69.0 for those with savings. Employers “should absolutely make financial well-being part of their mental health strategy,” MacLennan said, and salary alone does not cover it. He said the survey shows workers want financial consultation, education or resources from their employer. Across the region, Telus Health has seen confidential financial counseling and help with budgeting and debt work.
More than eight in 10 workers do their jobs while mentally or physically unwell at least once a week. “Many workers keep going because they feel they have to,” he said, since a day off can mean lost income, unfinished work or more pressure on colleagues.
According to the report, workers who never work while unwell lose 17.3 productivity days a year. Those who do it four or five days a week lose between 64 and 71 days. For employers who still count attendance and hours, MacLennan said “showing up is not the same as being well.”
He told managers to watch for an engaged employee who turns withdrawn, has trouble concentrating or misses familiar deadlines. Those changes “should start a private, caring conversation,” he wrote. “People should not have to reach a breaking point before their employer notices.”
Workers under 40 are twice as likely as those over 50 to report constant stress, and 70 percent more likely to end the day exhausted. Younger workers score lower across Asia-Pacific, according to MacLennan, who listed the stressors that have piled up since the pandemic: cost of living, geopolitical risks, housing, job security “and now AI.”
Only six in 10 managers say they would know what to do if they suspected an employee was struggling. More than four in 10 workers say their manager has not told them what programs are available, and only about a third regularly receive clear information about them. More than half cite cost as a barrier to professional help. About a third do not know what type of care fits them, and nearly three in 10 do not know where to go.
MacLennan would start by training every manager. They should be able to tell employees whom to contact, what help exists, what it costs and what stays confidential, and then connect them to qualified support “without trying to be their counsellor.” Employers also need to keep explaining their programs and ask staff if they work.
Many of us have worked beside someone who was struggling and never said a word about it. As MacLennan wrote: “The real test is whether an employee facing a difficult day knows where to turn and feels safe taking that first step.”
