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Supporting your organisation’s mental health

 

The term “furlough” is one that many employees were unlikely to have been familiar with before Covid-19. Yet, in the space of just a few months, the global pandemic has drastically altered the way we work. At the last count, as many as 8.4 million employees in the UK had been furloughed as businesses attempt to navigate their way through the crisis.  

The recent announcement that the government scheme will be extended until October, with employers expected to share the cost of employees’ salaries, has mounted further pressure and uncertainty upon business owners, employees and the HR staff responsible for employee wellbeing. 

Millions of employees will have to adapt to either several more months of being furloughed or working from home, while HR departments have had to become experts in new legislation overnight, guiding their organisation through uncharted waters and assisting leaders tasked with making critical decisions. 

Our physical health has been at the forefront of the government’s measures but the speed at which circumstances have changed is likely to have a huge impact on our mental health too.

In China, a study found that 53.8% of respondents had suffered moderate to severe psychological impact since the outbreak began. It is therefore vital that all businesses, big and small, take steps to protect the mental wellbeing of the whole organisation. 


Communication 

Businesses have lost vast amounts of revenue and many have had to make the difficult decision to furlough or let staff go, which has caused unease and concern for a large number of people.  

Regular communication through this period will be paramount. Leaders must be open and honest about what is happening with the business, the impact on employees and what measures the company is taking to handle it. Employees value leaders who act with integrity, honesty and transparency and leading by example and creating a culture of openness will encourage more employees to talk about how they’re feeling. 

If staff members have been furloughed, businesses should show empathy in their communications and ensure that the process is managed correctly. Furloughed employees may find the decision difficult to accept and an abrupt end to work can be isolating and create feelings of helplessness and anxiety. 

Conversely, employees who remain working may feel overwhelmed by the stress of a greater workload shared across fewer people, as well as the responsibility of keeping the business trading through this period.  

But regardless of who is furloughed and who carries on working, leaders have a duty to make sure all employees continue to feel a valued part of the team and committed to their job.  This means updating everyone about business developments, regularly checking in with them on a personal level to see how they’re coping and inviting furloughed employees to take part in social events such as virtual yoga, work quizzes or ‘after work’ drinks with their colleagues.  

While furloughed employees will not be able to work, employers can encourage them to use this opportunity to focus on their self-development and learn new skills, with various free courses available for this purpose.


Support network 

Leading a business through a challenging period can at times feel like a lonely place to be, so creating a trusted network of people to turn to is important. 

Connecting with people who have a shared understanding of the challenges and expectations of your role and who can provide a safe space to be open about your feelings and offer advice can be incredibly powerful for mental wellbeing.  

JourneyHR recently invited some of our HR friends to take part in a virtual gathering as a way of connecting people in a similar position. 

Ahead of our gathering, we asked everyone to fill out a survey focusing on how they were feeling and we repeated the same questions when we came together. It served as a reminder that we are not alone in the range of emotions we are experiencing and importantly, we must all remember to be kind to ourselves. 

A support network doesn’t need to be people within the same industry however, it can be anyone you feel can offer emotional support but the key is to be proactive in letting your network know what support you need from them so don’t be afraid to ask for help. 


Self-awareness

All of us, regardless of position, will be feeling a myriad of emotions. According to disaster experts, there are four key stages during a crisis; the heroic period (high levels of activity and heroic behaviour), the honeymoon period (community bonding and optimism), disillusionment (discouragement and stress leading to negative feelings) and reconstruction (rebuilding lives and adjusting to a new normal). 

However, this curve is not static and it’s natural to feel elements of all these different phases on any given day. Some people may have moments of being unable to concentrate on work and others may feel anger at events or in conflict between work and homelife but what is important is that we pay close attention to our own fluctuations in mood and recognise when we need support.

Fulfilling our basic needs is a crucial first step; eating well, sleeping and physical exercise. Encouraging everyone within the organisation to take regular breaks to exercise or practise breathing techniques and mindfulness can be helpful in reducing work stress and anxiety. But we also need to be realistic about what we can all achieve in the current environment. 

Leaders will feel tremendous responsibility to step up but there is no shame in showing vulnerability. In fact, it can encourage everyone within the organisation to be more aware and accepting of their own emotional wellbeing.   


Individual circumstances

As workforces adapt to a new style of working, businesses must be mindful of individual circumstances and the impact this may have on employees’ mental wellbeing. 

Some employees may be in a flat share, forced to work from a confined space with shared wifi, while others may be juggling home-schooling with work or caring for an elderly relative or unwell partner. 

A recent survey revealed that nearly 2 out of every 5 employees working from home felt stressed, anxious or experienced mental health difficulties due to their working situation and half of people felt isolated.

Employee attitudes towards work will, in many cases, have changed and businesses need to be understanding of the different pressures and offer greater flexibility and support. 

Managers should operate an open-door policy, reminding employees that there is help available and re-arrange teams or shift workloads where possible to help people who may have trouble coping.

It is important that managers have some form of mental health training to enable them to spot when someone is struggling and signpost help. Many organisations have employee assistance programmes in place, while there are also some fantastic resources available online. 

While this is undoubtedly a period of much uncertainty and anxiety, there is also a positive we can take from it. As we reach the reconstruction stage and normality resumes, leaders, HR and employees have a brilliant opportunity to redefine and reshape the way we work to create healthier, happier and more productive workplaces going forward.

 

A recent survey revealed that nearly 2 out of every 5 employees working from home felt stressed, anxious or experienced mental health difficulties due to their working situation and half of people felt isolated
— ACAS, 18 May 2020