Workplace Wellbeing

*Courtesy of Mind. Where are we now

It’s now been a year since the UK entered its first lockdown and we are looking back at the changes and disruptions which have occurred as a result of coronavirus, and what this has meant for employers and employees alike.

Coronavirus has had a massive impact on the UK workforce. Whether you’re a key worker, on furlough, facing redundancy, working from a different location, juggling work and parenting, or managing a team remotely – a number of things are affecting the wellbeing of UK workers. It’s vital that employers maintain a focus on supporting the mental health of their staff especially now that we have a roadmap for easing out of the toughest restrictions, as transition points can be a trigger for poor mental health.

We know there are still so many ongoing uncertainties with many people questioning when their industry will open up again, if they will ever go back to commuting to work regularly and what the long-term impact will be on their business and employment status.

Here's how you can offer support to your staff:

Frontline workers

Right now, health and social care workers are facing an extremely challenging situation, doing important and difficult work. Months of long shifts and witnessing trauma every day will have taken its toll but we won’t know the full impact of the pandemic on the mental health of our frontline workers for some time yet.

Taking care of their own mental health and managing feelings might be taking a back seat so it is important to remind frontline workers that their wellbeing matters too.

Key workers

We know that many other workers have continued to go into work throughout the pandemic to provide essential services and this can lead to anxiety or worries about catching the virus or passing it on to friends and family. We also know that retail staff have seen an increase in verbal and physical abuse from the general public during this time.

It’s important to offer staff who may be facing challenging situations the space to talk about their experiences and seek support when they need to.

People working from home

This time last year, many of us found ourselves hastily packing up our things in the office and began working from home for the first time. Few of us realised just how long these new arrangements would last, or what other challenges might be thrown our way including juggling work with childcare and home-schooling.

Maintaining some kind of routine and boundaries around the working day will help mitigate the long hours that can easily creep in. Creating moments for social connection with colleagues will also help guard against feelings of isolation that staff may experience when working remotely.

People not working

With so many industries and businesses not able to operate during this time, many of us have found ourselves unable to work. Sectors most reliant on the furlough scheme are accommodation and food services, the arts, entertainment and recreation sectors, where 45 per cent were furloughing staff at the end of October 2020.

While it has been shown that having a job is generally better for someone’s mental health that no job at all, being furloughed can be a mixed blessing. Some people have struggled with lack of structure and motivation, decreased self-worth and an increased risk of mental health problems being triggered or existing conditions worsening when they are furloughed. Where employers haven’t kept in touch with furloughed staff, many of them may be feeling isolated. 

Many people will also be worried about their job security coming off furlough. There have been record levels of redundancies since the pandemic began. It will be crucial to support staff being made redundant. The high threat of redundancy will cause widespread anxiety among other employees – even 'survivor syndrome' among those who keep their jobs, and the low morale, reduced motivation and loss of trust in management that goes with it.

Unequal impact

It is also important to remember that we have all been in the same storm but not the same boat. The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated deeply entrenched inequalities across a range of social arenas.

We know that people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic in multiple ways including a a greater loss of life and higher risk of job loss and of falling into financial difficulty.

We also know that the mental health of working parents, small business owners/entrepreneurs and freelancers have deteriorated at a higher rate than other groups.

What happens next?

In the short-term, we need to focus on supporting people who are most at risk of developing mental health problems while also still supporting the wellbeing of all staff.

In the medium-term, we will need to plan for easing out of lockdown and the toughest restrictions. This will include thinking about a return-to-the workplace but also home working/hybrid working but this must have a focus on sustainable working practices.

In the longer-term, we need to think about the future of work. While the coronavirus pandemic has meant many more of us are facing difficulties with our mental health now, it has also provided an important opportunity to talk about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. 

As the vaccination programme continues to be rolled out, and we see a slow return to normal we mustn’t lose sight of what we have learnt and how we continue to fight for better mental health at work. 

Transitioning forward out of the pandemic by focusing on the design of work and reimagining our ways of working so staff wellbeing is at the centre of this could be transformational.