Category: Mental Health

A 12 year Review of Duty of Care, Mental Health and Moral Damages in the United Nations Dispute and Appeals Tribunals

The UN doesn’t need another articulately well drafted strategy to tick the box and satisfy the requirements of member states and donors at large. We certainly do not need a strategy to tell us to take care of each other. What we desperately need is #accountability.

The #UnitedNations workplace mental health and well-being strategy launched in October 2018, was designed to optimize the psychological health of staff, improve organizational capacities to protect #mentalhealth and prevent mental health issues in the workplace.

The strategy followed the global 2015 United Nations staff well-being survey, according to which approximately 50 % of UN staff reported symptoms consistent with mental health conditions.

The strategy followed the global 2015 United Nations staff well-being survey, according to which approximately 50 % of UN staff reported symptoms consistent with mental health conditions.

50%. That is half of the workforce of the UN.

In reality, this number is much higher. According to the survey and the five year strategy, there were four main reasons for the poor mental health of staff: 

·      The number of years worked with the UN.
·      Exposure to traumatizing events in the previous 12 months.
·      Low job satisfaction, perceived incivility and conflict in the workplace
·      Low levels of help-seeking or receiving any mental health services.

Unsurprisingly, nowhere to be seen were the unlawful decisions taken by senior managers which were the root cause of most, if not all mental health issues or the fact that the concept of #accountability was persistently infringed upon in the Organization, which was the root cause of the stark increase of mental health findings in the survey.

The UNDT and UNAT judgments issued between 2009 and 2022 beg to differ. In the attached document, the list of all Judgments awarding moral damages due to moral harm inflicted upon the staff member’s emotional well-being paints a grim picture of the existing #toxicworkenvironment and the failure of the Organization to hold ANY senior manager accountable for their erroneous and harmful decisions. Decisions that impacted on every staff member’s “Quality of Life”.

At the end of the document is a compilation of the UNDT’s own bleak words referring to the various mental health issues inflicted upon these staff members. Words that were repeated in every judgment, session after session, year after year from 2009 to 2022. Read them slowly. Feel the pain, the sadness and the scariness of what these staff went through.

The UN doesn’t need another articulately well drafted strategy to tick the box and satisfy the requirements of member states and donors at large. We certainly do not need a strategy to tell us to take care of each other. What we desperately need is #accountability.

Start by holding these managers accountable. That’s the only element of deterrence that will drastically improve the work environment and the mental and physical well- being of the staff members. 

To conclude with an extract from a staff member’s testimony who was left with an “altered life drastically”. What the UN needs is drastic measures to uphold #accountability. Nothing less.

#UnitedNations#DutyofCare#MentalHealthMatters#Accountability

DutyofcareUNDownload

On Duty of Care and Mental Health in the United Nations

#stress, #anxiety, emotionalsuffering, neglected, #harm to reputation, disrespect, distress, uncertainty, emotional injury, frustration, disappointment, humiliation, unfair treatment, anguish, loss of self-esteem, diminished, insecurity, stigma, shock, prejudice, unwell, moral injury, obstruction, #toxicworkenvironment, damage, hardship, mental stress, suffering, mistreatment, isolation from professional life, embarrassment, illness, impairment to living conditions, belittled, #depression, harm to well-being, deterioration of health, psychological harm, hostile and offensive work environment, significant upheaval in life, stymieing of career progression, mental anguish, nervous breakdown, health suffering, #harassment, extreme emotional distress and physical harm, devastation, unfairness, severe distress and public humiliation, injustices, mental suffering, #mentalhealth, tremendous mental suffering, unable to sleep, breakup of relationship, traumatized and upset, psychological suffering, quality of life affected, headaches, loss of morale, sense of injustice, low self-worth, blocked, demoted, object of mockery, dismissed, hasty removal, loss of job security, precarious, detrimental impact on situation and well-being, trouble sleeping, unwell, neglect, Damocles sword hanging on head, inhumane, significant damage to health, devastating effect on personal and financial affairs, vulnerable situation, financial insecurity, sense of unfairness and lack of care, sorrow, betrayal, disrespectful treatment, injury to dignity, damage to personal and professional standing, demoralized, loss of faith in justice, easily irritable, withdrawn and despondent with the world, pariah, isolated, worry, diminished quality of life, ruined life, chest pain, insomnia, stomach ache,  pressure, infringement of dignitas, depressive mood, #workplacebullying, somatization disorder, hair loss, antidepressant medications, crying, marginalization, abject sadness, severe psychological pathologies and related health issues, deterioration of mental health, weight loss, reflux indigestion, post-traumatic stress disorder (#PTSD), symptoms of dissociation, derealization, vertigo, recurrent nightmares impairing sleep, retraumatization, degrading conditions of work, mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, insidious and repeated harassment and bullying, oppressed, deleterious atmosphere, negative impact in family, burnout, fear at the idea of returning to work; frequent bouts of crying, feelings of devaluation and guilt, physical and mental exhaustion, trouble concentrating and loss of memory, feelings of guilt and powerlessness vis-à-vis colleagues, social withdrawal, sentiments of #injustice and powerlessness, altered life, anger, pounding heartbeat….

What do these words have in common?

Watch this space next for a post on #dutyofcare and #mentalhealth in the United Nations.

#unitednations #mentalhealth #accountability #dutyofcare