Respect work-life balance, protect workers’ mental health – PM urges employers

As Guyana joins the global community in observing World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026, Prime Minister (PM) Mark Phillips has urged employers to prioritise workers’ wellbeing by respecting work-life balance and fostering healthy psychosocial work environments.

He made the call on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Symposium 2026 organised by the Labour and Manpower Planning Ministry.
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026, designated by the International Labour Organization (ILO), is being held under the theme “Let’s ensure a healthy psychosocial working environment.”

PM Phillips acknowledged that while Guyana has made significant strides in strengthening occupational health and safety standards, particularly since the emergence of the oil and gas industry, there is still considerable work to be done in addressing the psychosocial aspects of workers’ wellbeing.

He emphasised that factors such as stress, burnout, poor communication, and limited autonomy in the workplace can create harmful conditions that undermine both employee health and overall productivity.

The PM stressed that it is important for employers to respect boundaries between work and life, noting that “workers who are afforded the space to rest, engage with their families and maintain a sense of personal stability are healthier, more focused and far less prone to error.”

“Work-life balance becomes a critical safeguard, directly reinforcing the psychosocial wellbeing of employees. It strengthens morale, decreases burnout and creates environments where individuals can perform at their best without compromising their mental and emotional health,” he added.

For example, he referred to employees within the oil and gas sector and other extractive industries who face long rotations away from home and high-pressure environments where the cost of error is catastrophic.

The PM highlighted that “they carry the psychological weight of working in environments of physical risks, day after day, often far from loved ones…these are real pressures that affect judgement and concentration. And most critically, they can accumulate silently until they exceed a limit we are often unaware of.”

In this regard, Phillips called on employers to ensure their workers’ roles are clearly defined and the processes governing their work are fair and transparent and to create an environment where they can freely raise issues affecting their mental wellbeing.

“I’m calling on every employer…in every sector and industry to make a genuine commitment to psychosocial safety as a pillar of our quality, health, safety, and environment framework. We must audit our workplace for physical and psychological hazards. We must train our managers to lead with empathy and create cultures where a worker can say, “I am not okay today” without fear of consequences,” he encouraged.

PM Phillips reminded us that Guyana’s transformation is powered by people, often at great personal sacrifice, and “as much as we owe them wages, we also owe them safe environments, physically and psychologically.”

He emphasised that thriving workers build strong organisations and strong organisations build strong nations.