Since the pandemic began, businesses have been on an unexpected journey. One that has highlighted the need for change and flexibility in the workplace.
Not since the industrial revolution have we seen such a dramatic change in the way we work. And like everything in this modern age, the process of change was rapid. Welcome to the golden age of the homeworker.
Initially, changes had to be implemented quickly, giving both employers and employees very little time to plan and adapt to new ways of working. However, we have now had time to consider the impact of Covid-19, through seeing first-hand the difficulties it has brought to many people in organisations both large and small. Above all, we can see the impact it has had on our mental health.
As a good employer, it is vitally important to support our teams to the best of our ability, using the things we have learnt since March 2020.
Here are some things that you can consider to support the mental health of employees who are working from home.
Consider your corporate culture
- Create an organisational culture that encourages people to speak about their mental health wherever they are based. Sometimes working from home can make people feel lonely and isolated. They may be a carer or have worries about finances etc. Being able to say they are starting to struggle could help them.
Update your mental health policy and plan
- If you already have a mental health policy or plan in which you work positively with staff to promote staff wellbeing, support staff with poor mental health and tackle work-related causes of mental health problems, think how you can adapt it to fit with the changes driven by the pandemic. This will give a clear message to staff that you are aware that this is a difficult and challenging time and you are there to support them.
Change how and what you communicate
- Talk to staff who are working from home about all aspects of their work.
Following this article, you can download a manager’s Working From Home Mental Health Checklist of points to ask employees who are working from home.
- Regularly ask for feedback from those working at home and look for opportunities to make changes that will improve their experience.
- This may involve finding a new way to obtain feedback. For example, using Microsoft Teams, Zoom feedback meetings, Employee wellbeing surveys even simply having an email address where employees can send any questions or concerns to.
- A wellbeing action plan can be really helpful in allowing a member of staff to reflect on their needs and what they feel would help improve their mental wellbeing at work, either at home or in the office.
- Ensure that staff are aware that you trust and have confidence in them and build on this. Discuss how and when communication will take place and how. Set clear expectations so they know when their deadlines are and can say if they fall behind.
- Raise awareness of all the wellbeing support that your organisation has for its teams and make sure everyone knows how to access it. This could include your Employee Assistance Programme, Occupational Health Advisor and a referral to their GP. Doctors’ appointments may not be face-to-face but will still really help someone work through their problems, whether through poor mental health, or other issues that the pandemic has brought through financial hardship or relationship issues.
- Use the manager’s Working From Home Mental Health Checklist.
Adapt your operations
- Encourage work-life balance with regular breaks, time away from the computer screen and physical exercise. All of these will help employees remain motivated and focussed.
- Consider more flexible hours whilst working from home and agree on how this will look over the working week.
- Make sure they have time when they are not called upon to complete work tasks and aren’t constantly responding to emails out of their agreed hours. When you have discussed changes to their working patterns and any other areas to help them, write these arrangements down and both sign and keep a copy that can be reviewed at an agreed date.
Focus your training and development to support resilience and increase productivity
- Make sure that staff are offered training opportunities via e-learning or webinars in different aspects of mental health.
- Build a cohort of qualified mental health first-aiders to support the workforce.
- Arrange CPD for the mental health first-aiders in stress management and other mental health topics. This will give them relevant knowledge to increase resilience and help them support the workforce remotely. There are many more people presenting with mental health problems than ever due to COVID-19 so the benefits of this will be positive and ensure teams are strong.
Many of the things listed above including developing wellbeing action plans with teams working at home or in the office, bespoke workplace wellbeing training for both managers and staff, accredited training to develop mental health first-aiders, 1:1 training and development for staff on topics such as confidence and self-esteem, and weekly employees newsletters with videos and ideas on how to boost both mental and physical health so that everyone feels in touch and looked after, are just some of the packages available from Corporate Personal Wellbeing.
Please contact us to see how we can help your business thrive.
Download the manager’s Working From Home Mental Health Checklist
Use this free tool to support your teams’ mental wellbeing while they are working from home. Supporting your employees is not only good for business – it’s the right thing to do.