Because nothing says “commitment to workers” like waiting for them to try to kill themselves
The Green Environmental Party of Mexico (yes, the same ones that previously seemed more interested in trees than people) has decided that it is time to modernize the Social Security Law. Your brilliant idea? That suicide attempts caused by work hell be considered work risks. Because, of course, what better way to show that you care about the mental health of your employees than to wait until they are hanging from the ceiling to take action?
The representative who discovered warm water (but with data)
Hilda Magdalena Licerio Valdés, the capeless heroine behind this initiative, pointed out with the obviousness of a meteorologist announcing rain in hurricane season that the current law is as useful as a paper umbrella. It turns out that Article 46 expressly excludes suicide attempts from coverage, even if they come from mental disorders caused by working 12 hours a day to earn less than the minimum wage. What a surprise!
The legislator, in a burst of lucidity, proposes that this “small detail” be included in the occupational risks. Because what could go wrong when you recognize that chronic stress, workplace bullying, and marathon hours turn the office into an emotional battlefield? “It is a contradiction in social protection,” he says. No, Congresswoman, it’s like saying that the Titanic had a slight buoyancy problem.
Data that hurt more than a Monday without coffee
To justify her proposal (which, let’s be honest, comes decades late), the representative cited WHO figures: in 2019, one billion people suffered from mental disorders. In Mexico, 75% of workers reported work stress in 2023. The IMSS, for its part, confirmed what we all knew: Mexico leads the ranking of stress fatigue, thanks to miserable salaries, toxic bosses and days that would make a robot cry.
“Recognizing these risks is fundamental,” declared the deputy, in what could be the euphemism of the year. Because, of course, first we ignore the problem, then we are surprised when it explodes, and finally we act… when there are already dead bodies. Progress?
Alarm signs (or how to realize that your job is killing you)
The text includes a tender list of “warning signs” to detect if someone is on the brink of the abyss:
- Talk about being a burden (as if salaries didn’t already do that)
- Consume more alcohol (the best companion of insufficient payroll)
- Isolate yourself (preferable to enduring meaningless meetings)
- Sleep little (or too much, to escape reality)
And, just in case, they recommend removing “sharp objects” from reach. Because, obviously, the problem is not the working conditions, but the knives in the drawer. Priorities!
The call to action (because sharing is “helping”)
If this article didn’t make you laugh (or cry, or both), share it on your social networks. Maybe then someone in power will realize that workers are not machines… although sometimes they are treated worse than a broken printer. Do you want more equally gritty content? Explore our other notes on how the system continues to fail those who support it.
#PVEM #MentalHealthOrWhat #WorkToSurvive
