Once considered a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace, mental health entered the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some predicting mental health conditions would become the next major global health crisis.
Employees – particularly Gen Z and younger millennials – are increasingly looking to employers to provide a working environment that nurtures mental health, while actively avoiding “toxic” workplaces. At the end of 2024, a “revenge quitting” trend emerged, fuelled by burnout and a sense of feeling “stuck”. Analysing search trends, digital marketing platform Semrush found that “jobs near me” averaged 4.89 million searches globally per month in 2024.
Importance of supporting mental health at work
Meanwhile, employers that take their people’s mental health seriously, providing support and promoting a culture that supports mental health, are becoming sought after. And research shows that it works. MindShare’s 2025 Employee Mental Health Trends report found that people whose employers support their mental health are twice as likely to report no burnout or depression.
At the beginning of this year, the Top Employers Institute named Vodacom Top Employer in South Africa for the second year running. It’s no surprise that Vodacom has structures in place to support mental health in line with recognised best practices.
Preventing work-related mental health conditions
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends four areas where employers can take action to improve mental health at work. Number one on the list is putting interventions in place to identify risks to mental health and then reduce or remove them as far as possible. This is to help employees avoid developing a mental health condition in the first place.
Health checks: Vodacom has primary healthcare nurses on-site at all offices, as well as health programmes for employees who work outside of the office campuses.
Self-care wellness activities: There are various wellness activities available at the different offices, including bootcamp, yoga, and the Midrand campus has a walking track. On Vodacom Spirit Day, held quarterly, all employees are encouraged to focus on their holistic well-being while connecting, collaborating, creating team spirit and celebrating company culture. Spirit Day activities include team-building challenges, wellness workouts and walks, community service, and even meeting partners like the Kaizer Chiefs team, among other things.
Financial wellness support: Financial stress can have a knock-on effect, negatively impacting mental health. Vodacom’s employee assistance programmes include financial advice and access to an on-site financial coach.
Protecting and promoting mental health at work
The WHO recommends that employers provide training and education on mental health awareness. Vodacom offers wellbeing workshops and webinars for all staff. The Vodacom now! blog contains numerous helpful resources on different aspects of mental health.
Supporting people with mental health conditions and enabling change
For those employees who already struggle with mental health conditions, the WHO’s recommendations are for employers to support them to participate in and thrive at work and create an enabling environment for change.
Vodacom is combating the stigma around mental health conditions by visibly promoting various support systems for employees.
Telephonic counselling: Vodacom employees have access to 24/7/365 telephonic counselling, support and advice (this is also available to employees’ immediate families).
Counsellor: Office-based Vodacom employees have access to an on-site counsellor.
Support groups: Various support groups exist within the business where employees can share their experiences with like-minded peers.
As mental health awareness grows, Vodacom is committed to creating an environment that supports the mental health of its people.
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