The Filipino virtue of malasakit is a gentle yet powerful motivation for ensuring a healthier and increasingly productive workplace.
Imagine receiving a resignation letter from your senior manager overseeing global IT development projects that bring millions of dollars to your organization. In addition, you receive a report that more than 50% of your talents are performing way below their capability at a time when productivity is critical to the growth of your organization. What would you do? Wala na ba talagang malasakit ang mga tao sa trabaho ngayon?
This report distills research reports on quiet quitting, legal mandates on well-being, and research on what works to address quiet quitting and ensure a supportive workplace. Finally, it proposes a Me to We: Malasakit at Work based on what research says works.
Campton et al (2023) “claim that the concept of quiet quitting was thus born from the pandemic as a reaction to a culture of overwork, with workers seeking better work-life balance.” It means employees stay in their jobs but limit their work based on their job description because they want to prioritize their well-being over organizational goals. Examples are disengaging from tasks, refusing to collaborate on projects, and taking frequent leaves. They may attend meetings but do not participate or contribute to action items. They work to a minimum standard. Sprout’s 2022 survey showed a decline in the overtime hours of those who responded and increased tardiness hours.
Researchers like Campton et al. (2023) predict that this phenomenon of quiet quitting will continue, mainly since the Gen Z workforce will comprise the population in many organizations. Malasakit, in the context of quiet quitting, seems like a double-edged sword. Those who disengage are showing malasakit para sa sarili. They want to be less stressed and to be more mentally healthy. This may have its benefits, but in the long term, organizations will suffer if quiet quitting is not addressed.
Quiet quitters are not necessarily lazy. Some organizational drivers force them to disengage because of burnout. The McKinsey Report (2022) cited some workplace practices that impact employees' mental health and well-being.
They also found that “toxic workplace behavior had the biggest impact predicting burnout symptoms and intent to leave by a large margin.” In addition, McKinsey (2022) reports that some employers may think training people on resilience may be the solution. “We often think of employee health, well-being, and burnout as a personal problem. That’s why most companies have responded to symptoms by offering resources on individuals such as wellness programs.” However, findings reveal that “individuals experience burnout. Still, the most powerful drivers of burnout are systemic organizational balances across job demands and job resources.”
The findings above clearly show the need to shift from me to we by engaging in a systemic approach to employee mental health and well-being to address burnout and quiet quitting.
The next section identifies legal mandates in the Philippines for addressing burnout and, in general, people's mental health.
A. RA11036 Mental Health Act. Organizations must create policies and programs to promote and protect people's mental health and well-being. Policies and programs should encourage and enhance workers's well-being. This entails recognizing and managing stress and work-related stress, such as interpersonal problems with supervisors, subordinates, coworkers, clients, and customers. RA 11036 also mandates employers to find ways to provide health benefits packages and a support mechanism program for access to counseling services for workers and their families. A third-party provider is suggested.
B. DOLE 208 s 2020 (Guidelines for the Implementation of Mental Health Workplace Policies and Programs for the Private Sector). It provides guidelines to the private sector to implement RA 11036. These include providing training and advocating for mental health, crafting social policy against discrimination, and supporting work accommodation.
The Me to We Malasakit at Work is anchored on this Filipino virtue of malasakit, or caring for the needs of others. HR professionals play a critical role in bridging the needs of employers and employees. These dedicated HR professionals can be architects who can build a foundation for a healthy and productive workforce by first acknowledging the fact that employees can thrive and become more engaged if the workplace conditions that cause burnout, anxiety, and other mental health issues are addressed. Research reports suggest the following steps.
1. Create a workplace right-based mental health policy in consultation with stakeholders. The World Health Organization (2022), in its landmark study on the mental health crisis, calls for a collaborative approach to transforming the environments that influence mental health (MH). One critical step is the formulation of a workplace MH policy. This is a legal mandate according to the DOLE 208 series of 2020.
2. Ask employees what causes burnout and factors that affect their engagement. Brassey et al (2022) report that a large organization achieved a seven percent reduction in burnout by putting mental health and well-being as a strategic priority. The initiative started with town halls, workshops, and employee interviews to prioritize issues and define metrics around them.
3. Build a case for providing resources to support and promote employees' mental health and well-being. The WHO Mental Health Report identifies the paths to transforming mental health for all by encouraging a commitment from organizations to provide financial resources to promote mental health, prevent mental ill health, and support those with mental health issues.
4. Partner with a third party that will support the employee's well-being seamlessly and cost-effectively. This provider should include mental health support. It should provide 24/7 telehealth access to geographical barriers and scheduling hassles, ensuring employees receive prompt and confidential medical care, ultimately fostering a healthier and happier workforce.
Malasakit is a Filipino virtue that provides an ROI for companies. Deloitte (2022) reports that for every dollar invested in employee wellbeing, there is a $ 4.10 return on investment. This means a decrease in absences, an increase in engagement, and a higher level of productivity because the employees feel that their company has deep malasakit at work. Deloitte (2022) also adds that beyond ROI, companies who invest in the well-being of all have higher retention rates and more robust talent attraction rates.
Imagine the end of 2024, when your most productive senior global IT manager, inspired by the company vision of malasakit, launched a project that helped exceed your company’s financial targets for the year. Imagine further that 2024 ended with a favorable report of declining absenteeism, tardiness, and increased engagement.
From me to we malasakit at work is the start of a well-being culture today. Let us start a quiet revolution by embracing this Filipino virtue and imagining a better future for our organization and talents.
- Sprout Solutions. (2022). How To Measure Employee Engagement to Maximize Retention and Productivity | Sprout Solutions.
https://sprout.ph/blog/how-to-measure-employee-engagement-to-maximize-retention.
Collaborate with our wellness experts to champion
a culture of wellness in the workplace.