Future plans for Malta Institute of Management
VAT & EU Conference
The Malta Institute of Management is organising the 9th conference regarding VAT and the European Union on 19th October 2017. This year, one of the aims of such conference is to improve and assist students’ and practitioners access to professional knowledge regarding VAT. A new initiative shall lead to 10 Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST) and University of Malta (UOM) students respectively, to participate for free to the conference.
The full day conference will encompass discussions regarding current affairs in relation to VAT and the European Union by various Maltese and foreign distinguished speakers. Such conference is ideal for students and people who are pursuing their studies and or are working in such areas, as well as those whose such subjects are of interest. The conference is also going to be accredited with CPE hours by the Malta Institute of Accountants. (More info to be included). The main sponsors of the conference are EY, KPMG, Erremme Business Advisors and Nexia BT.
Mental Health & Management
One may take employees’ mental health on the workplace with a pinch of salt, as if it cannot go wrong. Some may think that mental health problems are limited to hallucinations, delusions, erratic behaviour and things of this sort. However, mental health problems can also feel like small symptoms such as anxiety, exhaustion, headaches, insomnia, stress, sadness, and lack of appetite amongst others. Such symptoms can be commonly experienced due to work demands in one’s career. Although such symptoms may be normal, they are not healthy. They become an issue when experienced for a long period of time.
Malta has a 29.3% rate of depression, anxiety and stress amongst workers, which is the highest when compared with the European Union average of 17.6% (Maltatoday, 2011). Moreover, from the Impact Assessment of Mental Health on Employment (IAMHE) in 2011, it was concluded that over 20% of respondents claimed that work had caused them emotional or mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. Mental health care costs Malta around €100 million a year (Maltatoday, 2011). Furthermore, the Chartered Management Institute conducted a survey in 2016 amongst 1,574 managers. The results show that long working hours, the digital environment, and ‘command and control’ management style caused most mental and physical issues.
Thus, the Malta Institute of Management in collaboration with Richmond Foundation, (a Non-Governmental Organisation which helps people with mental health problems) intends to conduct a research study targeting employees and their mental health in view of work. The aim will be to analyse the effect of the current work conditions and environment on the employers’ and employee’s physical and mental health. Moreover, recommendations will be presented so as to improve work environment and conditions for a healthier mental health. Recommendations will be good guidelines so as to positively affect people’s job satisfaction, effectiveness, achievement, as well as the company’s and/ or government’s expenditure on sick and vacation leave due to workrelated mental and or physical issues.