New building for the Employee Support Program inaugurated on World Mental Health Day

The Employee Support Programme within the Office of the Prime Minister, aiding public service employees, has started operating from a new office in 3, Castille Square, Valletta, the government said Thursday. This was done through a project part-financed by the European Union.

Head of the Public Service Tony Sultana said that “The strength of the public administration lies in the quality of its employees. Therefore, the health of public service employees should continue to be cared for in a holistic way – both from a financial point of view as well as from an emotive point of view.”

He explained that in relation to financial conditions, these are being addressed with collective agreements of which 23 were closed from the beginning of the year, affecting around 33,000 employees. But one must not forget the emotional aspect of our employees and this is where the timely services of the Employee Support Program come into play.

“We cannot put mental and emotional health in a lower category than the financial one,” said the Principal Permanent Secretary.   

The ESP in just one year is offering an average of around 5,500 sessions, relieving around 650 employees in a year. Since its establishment, the Employee Support Program has followed over 3,500 employees.

This project launched today will not only focus on the public service people but will also be contributing to increasing carbon neutrality as the building meets the latest environmental standards.

At the inauguration of the Employee Support Program building, apart from the Head of Public Service Tony Sultana, permanent secretaries within the Office of the Prime Minister, Joyce Cassar and Jonathan Vassallo, also addressed those present.