As the world gets past another variant of COVID-19, and employees begin to join offices, the focus on mental health must not waver, warn experts. A recent article in Forbes says that companies should remain prepared for the fact that the workforce or at least a large percentage of it still may be dealing with anxiety, depression and stress.
A 2021 McKinsey survey found that, "While some employees may welcome the return to on-site work, one-third of respondents said their return to work has had a negative impact on their mental health. Almost half of those who have not yet returned anticipate negative mental health impacts."
The pandemic has made employees question their priorities and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of putting their personal priorities on the backburner for work. As a piece in Psychology Today noted, be they veteran columnists or millennial novelists, thought leaders are questioning the meaning of being ¡®productive¡¯ and if exhausting commuting, unhealthy peer dynamics and unsafe work environments are worth sacrificing mental health for.
Those who cannot give up their jobs may suffer from depression and anxiety as they return to offices while even those who may have enjoyed working in an office, may find that they prefer working from home. Others may suffer from pandemic related anxieties.
What complicates matters further according to the survey is that not all workspaces are free from the stigma associated with mental or substance-use disorders which may lead to many employees not seeking the care they need.
This brings me to the most important question of the moment; Can companies and employers make their employees feel safe post the pandemic? Psychologically? Physically? Emotionally?
Safety after all has many connotations. It could pertain to questions like: Is the workplace inclusive? Is it physically safe and compliant to post pandemic protocols? Does it make space for mental health issues without stigmatising them? Does it provide counselling to those who may need it?
The return to onsite work may be necessary for a large number of employees whose job profiles cannot afford them further flexibility. How can employers be more cognizant of the factors that may impact the productivity and well-being of their workforce? I feel, through additional services, more empathetic systems and practises, companies can build safer, happier workplaces.
Here are some of the things employers can do right away to reassure the returnees.
The June 2021 McKinsey survey says that over 49 percent of respondents believed that going back to work will have "somewhat or significant negative impacts" while of those who had returned on-site, 36 percent respondents reported negative mental health effects. Employers can address such concerns by engaging directly with returnees, making time to hear them out, not dismissing their fears and anxieties and offering them the help they need to overcome them.?
A company that is insensitive to the mental health struggles of its employees cannot expect optimum productivity from them. It is important to configure what employees need. If they need more time to focus on their health and if a hybrid work model cannot be extended to them, maybe they can be afforded more flexibility in their deliverables and schedules.??
As a leader, ask yourself if it is fair to expect pre-pandemic level of productivity from employees who may be recovering from a long bout of COVID-19, or are exhausted by caregiving duties or are anxious if they will catch an infection when they come back to work. On-site COVID-19 and antibody testing, air filtration systems, outdoor spaces, sanitation protocols to create a healthier and safer environment along with counselling can help your employees transition to on-site work more easily.?
In the Cornell Chronicle, Nellie Brown, director of Workplace Health and Safety Programs at the ILR School, has stated, "It (the pandemic) got people to think a lot more seriously about health and safety as a tool for organizing and for improving workplace conditions. While people might have had concerns in the past about health and safety, they just weren¡¯t as motivated to do something about it as now; suddenly there was the risk of a severe illness which could cost them their lives."?
This realisation she says has made employees and employers more aware of the importance of safety at all levels. A 2020 survey initiated by the website careerbuilder.in, revealed disturbingly that 55% of Indian workers are bullied at their workplace. Issues such as these also must be tackled proactively, especially if workers are already feeling less than motivated to come back to the office.
Nellie Brown and many health experts as well as social commentators have commented on the simultaneous pandemic of misinformation about COVID-19. In many parts of the world, there has been huge resistance to mask mandates and vaccine protocols at the workplace.?
In Ottawa, Canada, for instance, truckers are protesting against pandemic restrictions. Vaccine hesitancy exists in all spheres of society including in businesses dominated by white collar workers. If there are employees in your workforce who are hesitant about taking their vaccine shots or wearing masks, it may become necessary to communicate company policy to them for the safety of fully vaccinated employees who are abiding by safety protocols.?
Initiating a conversation and an information outreach strategy may also be required to ensure that employees are not getting all their pandemic related 'news' from just social media. Get an expert on board to address sessions, answer questions and soothe concerns about the pandemic, vaccines and other protocols.
The pandemic has impacted everyone differently. Employees have suffered acute isolation, burnout, the blurring of personal and private time, depression, musculoskeletal? injuries, an increase in substance abuse, unhealthy weight loss or gain. None of these issues can be overlooked as the workforce returns to offices. This is why it is necessary that employers do all they can to promote work-life balance, encourage and facilitate exercise as well as therapy, and draw a strong line between personal and professional time even for teleworkers.?
The idea is to create a supportive environment that makes people feel safe to address and solve their problems. The most important takeaway from this pandemic for team leaders is that the psychosocial and mental health impact of working during this time cannot be ignored.?
A study led by WHO estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year in lost productivity and these numbers may even have spiralled during the pandemic. At every level hence, it makes sense to invest in employees who invest their lives and health in their jobs.
WHO has outlined a few signs of unsafe workplaces and these include, "inadequate health and safety policies, poor communication and management practice, limited participation in decision-making or low control over one¡¯s area of work, low levels of support for employees, unclear tasks or organizational objectives."?
At a time when so many industries are suffering severe economic setbacks and are struggling to stay afloat, it may seem normal to overlook the concerns of the employees and the fault lines that create anxiety for them. But every little gesture of concern increases productivity and team spirit that are crucial to turning companies around. Creating programmes for career development, upskilling modules, recognizing and rewarding the contribution of employees, will help to not just alleviate their morale but also help companies to grow stronger in the long run.
Alok Bansal is the MD of Visionet Systems India and Global Head of BFSI Business. All views/ opinions expressed in the article are of the author.