Discover three ways to look after employees mental health in the workplace
With the world slowly recovering from Covid-19, we have witnessed the damaging consequences of the pandemic. In December 2020, over half (54%) of the adult UK population felt anxious or worried in the previous two weeks because of the pandemic. On top of that, over 1 in 5 (22%) of the UK adult population felt hopeless. Now more than ever, employers must proactively and intentionally promote employees’ mental-emotional wellbeing. Here are Three Ways to Look After Employees Mental Health.
Hybrid working
When employees were asked to work from home last March, there was a mixed response. Would they get bored working from home and not having a change of environment? Or, would they embrace the time and money saved on not commuting five days a week? Regardless of what people prefer, many firms confirmed a drastic change in mental health. According to research by Huawei, three-quarters (75%) of employees in the UK are happier working from home. In their survey of 2,000 office-based employees, they found that more than half of respondents (53%) report that choosing where they work has a positive impact on their mental health.
With the government now asking employees to return to the office, it’s also important for you and your employees to adjust to the workplace. In a recent LinkedIn poll, we saw that the biggest concern employees had when returning to the office was not knowing the company culture. Therefore, make sure that when employees are returning to the office, whether it be full-time or part-time, make the company structure and culture very transparent. In a nutshell, UK professionals seek more freedom and flexibility in working to support their wellbeing.
Regular check-ins
Talking to your employees can be more beneficial than it seems. Taking the time to make sure your employees are okay and listening to any concerns they may have can help them feel more confident in the workplace. It may also be a good idea to make mental health resources available for your employees in the office. That way, if they don’t feel comfortable talking to their employers about particular problems or issues, they can seek the relevant help and which organisation to contact for help or advice.
Check-ins allow bosses to actively support their team members. Managers can ask employees about the challenges they’re facing, identify the resources they need to be successful, and encourage them to reach out with questions or concerns. You never know what your employees are going through, so it may be best to sometimes give them time off. Employees who have mental health problems classed as a disability can get protection under the Equality Act. This means they can ask you for a change in work hours, reallocation of tasks, or even ask to just spend more time working from home.
Performance management and appraisal
The Covid-19 pandemic has severely damaged mental health and wellbeing worldwide, and the mental health crisis will likely not get better even when the pandemic ends. Performance management and appraisals can provide the opportunity to recognize and reward employees to ensure they feel valued for the work that they do. It can provide the opportunity for you and your team to have honest discussions about the workplace as well as address any mental health issues related to work. Simple and sincere acknowledgments can still go a long way towards maintaining employee engagement as well as wellbeing.
Employees’ feelings and mindset are so very valid. Paying attention as leaders and managers, it is important for you to provide support and training in order to provide ongoing support and counsel to your employees. Through more open, honest, and trusting dialogues, you as an employer can identify what you need within your organisation to create a wellbeing program, or personal development training at work that supports employee needs.
Overall, understanding the needs of your employees and helping adjust their work environment will immensely improve their mental health. Ensuring your employees know their worth and how much you value them will also improve productivity. Try to avoid a ‘perform-at-all-costs’ mentality, and instead make sure team members know that their health comes first, and provide flexibility and compromise.