October Health – 2025 Report

Productivity in Zimbabwe

Leading cause: macroeconomic instability, especially high inflation and currency volatility, driving widespread uncertainty that hampers planning, pricing, and investment and elevates productivity-related stress at the population level. How this shows in the workplace: - Chronic stress, fatigue, and reduced morale; higher absenteeism and lower productivity. Ways organizations can respond: - Provide transparent, consistent policies and realistic targets to reduce ambiguity. - Implement mental health supports (e.g., October digital group sessions, assessments, and content) to build resilience and coping skills. - Support financial wellbeing (e.g., salary clarity where possible, cost-of-living assistance, financial literacy resources) to mitigate economic stress.

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Productivity Prevalence
28.28%
Affected people
15,554,000

Impact on the people of Zimbabwe

Effects of high productivity stress on health and personal life

Health effects

  • Headaches, muscle tension, and ongoing fatigue
  • Sleep disturbances and chronic tiredness
  • Digestive problems and a weakened immune response
  • Anxiety, irritability, burnout, or depressive symptoms

Personal life effects

  • Strained or reduced quality time with partners, family, and friends
  • Decreased social engagement and loss of hobbies or leisure activities
  • Parenting or caregiving challenges due to time and energy constraints
  • Neglect of self-care, exercise, and healthy routines

Coping strategies for individuals

  • Set clear work-life boundaries and realistic workload expectations
  • Prioritize sleep, regular movement, and short breaks during the day
  • Seek support from trusted colleagues, supervisors, or mental health professionals; consider October digital group sessions
  • Practice quick stress-reduction techniques (breathing, brief mindfulness, grounding)
  • Reassess perfectionism and adjust goals to achievable targets

What employers can do

  • Normalize mental health conversations and ensure reasonable workload and clear expectations
  • Provide access to mental health resources (EAPs, October sessions) and protected time for wellness
  • Encourage boundaries and model healthy work habits

Zimbabwe-focused resources

  • October: digital group sessions, assessments, and mental health content for teams
  • Local Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and workplace wellness initiatives
  • Access to community mental health clinics, counsellors, and online mental health apps

Impact on the Zimbabwe Economy

  • Burnout and reduced productivity: Chronic productivity stress impairs attention, memory, and decision-making, leading to slower output and more mistakes; over time this lowers GDP per worker.
  • Absenteeism, presenteeism, and higher health costs: More sick days and workers who are present but not fully functional raise healthcare costs and reduce overall output.
  • Talent turnover and brain drain: Sustained stress pushes skilled workers to quit or migrate; recruitment and training costs rise, eroding human capital.
  • Safety and quality risks: Stress increases accident rates and product/service defects, raising costs, liability, and reputational damage.
  • Long-term growth constraints and informality: Chronic stress can dampen innovation and investment, nudging activity toward the informal sector; investing in workplace mental health programs (e.g., October), reasonable workloads, and manager training can help mitigate these effects.

What can government do to assist?

  1. Enact a national mental health framework funded and integrated into health and labor policies
  • allocate dedicated budget for mental health within primary health care
  • embed mental health in public health programs and workplace guidelines
  • establish monitoring and reporting to track productivity-related stress and outcomes
  1. Reform workplace laws to reduce productivity stress
  • cap weekly working hours and guarantee mandatory rest periods
  • require paid sick/annual leave and predictable scheduling
  • incentivize flexible work options and ensure confidential access to mental health support
  1. Expand access to care and scalable supports
  • scale up primary health care mental health services and train lay counselors
  • subsidize essential medications and include mental health in insurance schemes
  • deploy digital tools (e.g., October) and hotlines to reach rural and remote workers
  1. Strengthen social protection and economic stability
  • robust social safety nets: unemployment support, cash transfers, affordable basic needs
  • ensure paid medical leave and social support during stress peaks (e.g., inflation spikes)
  1. Promote mental health literacy and resilience
  • national campaigns and manager training on recognizing and responding to stress
  • implement mental health first aid in workplaces and communities
  • collect and use data to evaluate programs and adjust policies accordingly

What can businesses do to assist their employees?

  • Workload alignment and realistic deadlines: regularly assess tasks vs. capacity, set achievable targets, distribute work fairly, and avoid chronic overtime.

  • Flexible practices and boundaries: offer flexible hours or remote options where possible, clarify response times, and protect focus time and after-hours boundaries.

  • Autonomy, design, and efficiency: empower employees to choose how to complete tasks, reduce micromanagement, ensure adequate tools, and streamline or automate repetitive processes.

  • Mental health support and leadership: train managers to spot burnout, hold regular check-ins, foster psychological safety, provide confidential EAP access, and consider October digital group sessions and assessments for workplace support.

  • Infrastructure, culture, and recovery: ensure reliable power and tech, provide comfortable rest spaces, encourage regular breaks, destigmatize mental health, and track stress to drive improvements.