OPINION: Is keeping your job costing you your wellbeing?

In today’s economy, having a job is often considered a privilege. Yet for millions of employees, the question is increasingly becoming: what is the cost of keeping that job?

Across workplaces, economic pressures are colliding with demanding work environments. Rising living costs, financial obligations, job insecurity and limited employment opportunities can make employees feel trapped in workplaces where stress, poor leadership, excessive workloads and unhealthy competition have become normalised.

A salary may pay the bills, but it should not come at the expense of a person’s dignity, wellbeing or sense of purpose.

Economic uncertainty has changed the relationship many people have with work. Employees facing high living costs may be reluctant to challenge unreasonable demands because they fear losing their income. Others accept excessive workloads, unpaid overtime, unrealistic targets or disrespectful treatment because finding another opportunity may not be easy.

This creates a dangerous cycle. Employers face pressure to remain competitive and meet financial targets, while employees are expected to deliver more with fewer resources. When this pressure is combined with poor management, the workplace can quickly become a pressure cooker.

Toxic workplace culture does not always look obvious. Sometimes it appears as a manager who constantly communicates outside working hours. Sometimes the employee is praised for never taking leave. It can be the culture of humiliating people for making mistakes, rewarding unhealthy competition, ignoring harassment, or equating long hours with commitment.

Over time, these practices can contribute to stress, burnout, disengagement and declining productivity. More importantly, they can affect people's lives beyond the workplace.

The conversation around workplace wellbeing must therefore move beyond occasional wellness programmes and motivational talks. Organizations need to examine the systems and behaviours that create unnecessary pressure in the first place.

Leaders have a particularly important responsibility. A healthy workplace begins with psychological safety, respectful communication, realistic workloads, fair performance expectations and managers who understand that employees are human beings - not merely resources for achieving targets.

Employees also need accessible channels through which they can raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Human resource departments should not only manage contracts, leave and performance appraisals; they should also play a meaningful role in building healthy organizational cultures.

This is particularly important for young professionals entering an increasingly competitive labour market. They should not be made to believe that suffering silently is the price of career advancement.

There is also a responsibility on employees to recognize their own limits, seek support when overwhelmed and build healthy boundaries where possible. Asking for help should not be interpreted as weakness.

Ultimately, economic pressure is real, and businesses must remain commercially sustainable. But profitability and employee wellbeing should not be treated as opposing objectives. Organizations that protect their people can build stronger teams, retain talent and create more sustainable performance.

The real question is therefore not whether work should be demanding. It is whether earning a living should require people to sacrifice their wellbeing in the process.

A paycheck should provide security and dignity not become the price of losing both.

[Ms. Onditi is a Communications & PR Specialist. dianeonditi@gmail.com ]