Workplace Mental Health After COVID-19
Collectively, we’ve been through some hard stuff over the last several months. COVID-19 has changed almost every facet of our lives; home life, social engagements, family routines, and especially the way the workplace looks, have all been hugely impacted by this global pandemic. Despite all of the challenges COVID-19 has laid on our doorsteps, daily life still goes on.
As employers, one aspect of taking back our and our employees’ mental health, both in our personal lives and our workplaces, is about supporting our staff in a healthy, manageable way in our work environments. To navigate the workplace mental health crisis that COVID-19 has pushed many people into, it’s important to be flexible.
At the end of the day, ensuring you’re there for your employees, to assist them during these strange and challenging times, is going to reinforce your workforce, and strengthen your staff. Mental health benefits and support are quickly becoming sought out pieces to medical benefits packages. Don’t find your company behind the curve in caring for its people.
Workplace Mental Health After COVID-19 – Creating an Accepting and Productive Work Environment
This global pandemic has presented the workforce with a detrimental mental health crisis; uncertainty about staying employed, businesses making cuts, telecommuting issues, and so many more, are impacting the mental health of millions worldwide.
As recently as 2015, a staggering 91% of the workforce who left their place of employment due to mental health crisis, never returned to their jobs.
With COVID having such an astronomical mental health impact on nearly everyone it has affected, employers are faced with a big problem. Ensuring that appropriate and fully supportive mental health resources are available and structured around assisting their teams in being successful, mentally healthy, and capable of asking for help, is going to be pivotal in keeping your team on board.
Depression and Mental Fatigue – Accepting and Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Employees
It may be difficult for some to fully understand the weight of poor mental health that others may carry. That’s ok, it’s not necessary to be able to know exactly how your co-workers or team members are feeling. What is important is creating a work environment, whether it’s in person or remotely, where your employees understand that no matter what degree of mental health crisis they may be experiencing, they’re not alone and there are resources to help.
To navigate the workplace mental health crisis that COVID-19 has pushed many people into, it’s important to be flexible. Offering additional mental health professionals, benefits, or outlets and resources to assist them in growing and healing is the best strategy to regain and conquer the workplace mental health crisis.
Ensuring you’re there for your employees, to assist them during these strange and challenging times, is going to reinforce your workforce, and strengthen your staff. Mental health benefits and support are quickly becoming sought out pieces to medical benefits packages. Don’t find your company behind the curve in caring for its people.
The Work From Home Solution
If you are an employer that made working from home available to your staff, mental health for your employees may look different than that in those employees who are back to work, in person. There are pros and cons to working from home, some that can assist in boosting your staff’s mental health and some that can contribute to a sense of loneliness and disconnect.
- Opportunity for better mental health – In a recent study conducted on employees working from home during the pandemic, it was found that over 50% of those surveyed felt happier, and more productive when working from home. The fact of the matter is that for so many employees, feeling that their work can be completed from home and being successful at meeting deadlines and their employer’s needs, means more contentment in their employer’s faith in them. This can boost morale, and if handled professionally, can mean a higher output and better quality work.
- Changing the workflow terrain – It can be overwhelming to be faced with an entirely new workflow process. Adding video conferencing, new digital tools, and a schedule that requires checking in or presenting deliverables in a whole different format, can be daunting to those who may already feel overwhelmed. Streamline your processes and be forgiving and flexible. Work with your employees to ensure success.
- Isolation and lack of interaction – Working from home can, in some cases, lead to less human interaction. This can lead to higher instances of a more sedentary lifestyle, and for those already struggling, going into the office may be something they were looking forward to. Offering these employees resources to get out and be social can be key to their mental health.
- Addiction – Working from home can present more opportunity for alcohol or other addictions. A mental health crisis can easily spin out of control if supports are not in place to ensure mental health and safety.
- Routine – By encouraging, but not demanding a set routine every day, employees can find structure to assist in day to day tasks, including in their personal lives. Encourage showering, getting dressed, getting outdoors and enjoying and planning tasks that relate to work and personal life to help employees get the most out of their day.
Now that we’re all adapting to our new normal routines, it’s imperative that employees find the structure, support, and opportunity to create a new workplace norm. By supporting them in this new journey, employers will find a more intensified loyalty, appreciation, sense of productivity, and they’ll watch as their staff heals and grows through this global pandemic.
The hug platform can help you gain further insights into your workforce. Use the insights and data to help measure the impact of products and services you offer employees. If you’d like to see how the hug platform can help, request your demo today. Click here to get started.
