Experts have raised concerns about the number of hours lost by employees at work every year.

Research by Rivia, a research company, indicates that employees in both private and state-owned companies in Ghana lose up to 348 hours annually and this is as a result of health-related issues

This contributes to the economic crisis, costing the economy billions of dollars in lost output.

According to Chief Executive Officer of Rivia, Isidore Kpotufe and Human Relations Consultant Emmaline Datey, this results in a loss of tax revenue, forcing the government to rely on debt from international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“They lose 348 hours. So that’s taxes being lost by the government and revenue being lost as well. Now, we have to go and take debt and loans to run the country,” the experts told on Joy Prime’s Changes show.

Based on the number of lost hours, Rivia has proposed several wellness interventions to help enhance employees' effectiveness and efficiency at work.

Speaking in the conversation with Roselyn Felli, Mr. Kpotufe recommended that institutions incorporate mandatory wellness days into their plans to address the situation, adding that some companies have already begun implementing them.

“It’s mandatory for companies to require their employees to take a mental health break. In fact some companies have done it like a culture where once a quarter, they’ll have a mental health break or someone coming to the office and do a mental health workshop.”

The HR consultant, Emmaline Datey, also added that it is vital for employers to prioritize the mental health of their employees to prevent the failure of businesses.

“It’s an issue of importance that these things that are being presented should be done; if not, we’re going to complain about businesses failing, and things are going to be more complicated.”

She furthered that employers may not be able to upgrade their skills if they fail to ensure the comfort of their employees due to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI).

Unlike humans, AI may not apply emotional intelligence to some requests the employer may need. Therefore, human service is important to the growth of every company.

“AI is taking over, so if your employee is not mentally okay, you might end up having AI ruling your system, and AI is not emotional. AI will not say you’re not happy with the service and try to resolve it, but a human being won’t do that. So, when the robot fails, the human being makes up for it. Employers should not start thinking that just because you can automate the system, your business is safe. Somebody else has to do damage control when the system fails.”

Mrs. Datey emphasized that the well-being of employees is key to productivity, admonishing business owners to adhere to the number of work hours specified in the Labour Act, 2003 (ACT 651).