COVID-19 has compelled millions of employees to work from home (WFH), raising serious concerns about employee wellbeing such as stress, isolation, anxiety and other mental health issues that could occur not just due to isolation but also due to uncertainty, stability and security in the coming times.
Due to the pandemic and its trailing impact anticipated over the coming months, there has been steep rise in the WFH which probably would become the new norm in the times to come. While the WFH can save a fortune for the employers to drastically cut down on the expensive office set-ups; it certainly drives the mandate to devise an efficient approach for employee stress management and their mental well-being. The traditional techniques of having company retreats, casual Fridays etc need to be replaced. The role of HR in employee well-being and motivation would become even more critical, as it changes focus from dealing with employees within the office premises to those who would be working remotely.
It is extremely critical that employers help their employees recognize what stress looks like and take pro-active steps to build resilience.
Identify the stress symptoms
Feeling irritation, anger, denial, nervous, anxious, uncertain
Feeling tired, overwhelmed, or burned out
Feeling sad or depressed
Lacking motivation
Having trouble sleeping
Having trouble concentrating
Identify factors that can add to stress during a pandemic:
Fear about being exposed to the virus at work or while travelling to work
Teething issues of getting into a productive WFH mode
Managing and balancing the workload (because it’s not just about the office, but also regular household routines which may add up ad-hoc)
Lack of knowledge of handling or accessing or trouble-shooting tools or systems
Feeling of inadequacy in contributing enough at work
Uncertainty about the future of your workplace and/or employment
Learning new communication tools and dealing with technical difficulties
Adapting to a different workspace and/or work schedule
Employers could introduce a well-being support desk as a Go-To support available in case an employee experiences stress symptom
Maybe it is time for companies to publish WFH manuals like these😊 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lego-group_the-build-instructions-you-never-knew-you-activity-6666227233671135232-1hGL
Emphasise on following tips like below to build resilience and manage job stress.
1. At office, communicate with teams about job stress, maintaining social distancing (at least 6 feet), washing hands frequently and following government advise.
2. Open communication with teams and HR personnel about the effect of the pandemic on specific activities and discussing possible solutions to overcome stress.
Reinforcing guidelines and solutions through constant communication with the relevant teams
3. Employers and HR team can communicate the available access to mental health resources in the workplace.
4. It could be good to encourage employees to reiterate and publish daily routine / meetings to colleagues over calls and on online calendars and other external members as applicable. This is to encourage regular breaks / time-offs / child minding on the schedule, which may probably help avoiding any work-related calls during those specific hours.
5. Employers could encourage employees to set up a regular time to end work for the day, if possible, to maintain a healthy routine.
6. Encourage creative things during non-working hours and sharing within teams to create common interest groups.
7. Share and discuss, “Know the facts about COVID-19” to be informed about how to protect self and others. This will help to build a common understanding of the risk and sharing accurate information with people around can reduce stress to help building strong connection with others.
Here is the google search list of digitally accessible solutions for employees to cope with stress
1. Snapclarity - Apart from stress, the app is useful for tackling anxiety, depression, insomnia.
2. Headspace - Headspace is a science-based mindfulness tool that suggests mini-meditation across the day. Headspace has teamed up with the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) to give all its employees free access to stress management aids.
3. Nemesysco - an emotion detection and analysis platform, built around its Layered Voice Analysis (LVA™) technology. In WFH scenario and with no managers present in person to read expressions or interpret gestures, Nemesysco could help to read between the lines and can help employees dealing with unacknowledged stress.
4. MoveSpring - builds micro-challenges around everyday exercise, complete with a leader board, gamified milestones, and digital stickers. It can help to build a digital community where employees can share their workout routines and encourage each other
5. Bitrix24 - Using Bitrix24, employees can measure their stress levels by merely placing a finger on their smartphone camera.
Hope this helps!
