Source: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/327350/employee-wellbeing-mental-health-strategies-top-chros.aspx
Employees are the utmost asset of every organization. The wellbeing is of highest importance when it comes to ensuring increased productivity and operational efficiency.
Mental wellbeing is influenced by a range of factors, including our work and home life. It takes into account the way we feel about ourselves, our sense of purpose, belonging and control. We depend on it to perform and work effectively making the management of the mental wellbeing good business sense.
The coronavirus pandemic has put a fuss on mental health like never before, with a slew of startling statistics revealing the effects of the crisis. The majority of employees say they are dealing with some type of mental health issue as a result of the pandemic. Many are scared about their physical health, their childcare responsibilities, new realities of social distancing and remote work.
HR works along with business leaders to identify the impact that home working in the current context and environment can have on an employee’s wellbeing. From this employees are not only contending with the challenges of their workload, which could have increased to accommodate uplifted demands and decreased coworker resources. But they are also likely to be dealing with the challenge of having additional family members’ home working at the same time. Coupled with this highly unusual premise, could also be the added pressure of having children at home.
HR support to home working employees
- Performing an audit to ensure awareness of which home workers may also be managing additional factors (Responsibilities for young children, caring for elderly living alone and therefore experiencing greater levels of isolation.) It’s essential that HR and in turn business leaders are aware of those who could be affected by mounting challenges, in readiness of more fully supporting them by increasing employee assistance.
- Increasing access to medical services
- Increasing legal and other types of services
- Increasing the number of counseling or therapy sessions
- Being arranged to accommodate, support and supporter additional requests for flexibility to accommodate additional needs and leave.
- Ensuring communication channels between employees, managers and HR are open and collaborative.
- Soft skills training in empathy and communication
- Conversation guides related to mental health
- Adding "well being check-ins" to quarterly reviews or other formal meetings
- Being
open and clear about the support available for employees facing mental health
challenges, offers an incredible way of engendering a culture that recognizes
the value of supporting good mental health in its employees.
Conclusion
The requirements of employees during this time will be different, and not everybody will have need of support from HR or their employer. What is dynamic of course, during this unprecedented time of global pandemic, is that organization is up to the task of supporting its people to brought about by COVID-19, so that together we can reach the other side of this pandemic with a changed strength and focus on the power of good mental health and the significant benefits that can be got by placing our attentions on how we can truly support it.
References
Inc, G. (2020). Employee Wellbeing & Mental Health: 5 Strategies From Top CHROs. [online] Gallup.com. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/327350/employee-wellbeing-mental-health-strategies-top-chros.aspx.
Graham, J.T. (2020). How HR Can Support the Mental Health of Employees During the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Crisis - Sage HR Blog. [online] Sage HR Blog | Easy to implement HR tips! Available at: https://blog.sage.hr/how-hr-can-support-the-mental-health-of-employees-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-crisis/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2021].
