Your staff is finally back to work post-lockdown. How do you keep them well?
Written by: Emily Heaslip
As Americans return to work following the COVID-19 lockdowns, many employees may feel tentative to show up at the office. Just as we were beginning to get relief from one crisis, social justice protests have caused additional stress, rage, and heartbreak in communities across the country. A move to “business as usual” feels further away — and less palatable — to more employees than ever.
A broad, two-month study by Qualtrics and SAP found that since the outbreak of the pandemic, 67% of people report higher stress, 57% are feeling greater anxiety, and 53% say they feel more emotionally exhausted. That’s before widespread protests and headlines covering police brutality gripped the country.
For many, returning to work increases those feelings of stress and anxiety. Many business owners are questioning how to best support your employees’ mental health during this period of intense uncertainty. How can companies help their workforces feel safer, less stressed, and less anxious?
Check-in and communicate regularly
Many companies see mental health as an “HR problem.” But, in reality, people list HR as the group they were “least willing to talk to” about mental health. It’s up to managers and senior leaders at the company to communicate compassionately and proactively with their team.
“Nearly 40% of people say their company has not even asked them how they’re doing since the pandemic began…People in this group are 38% more likely to say their mental health has declined since the outbreak of the pandemic,” reports Harvard Business Review.
Now is the time to institute an open-door policy and invite your team to share if they’re struggling. Take extra steps to regularly check in with your team about things other than work If you’re still working remotely. Schedule regular video calls with each individual to discuss morale and overall well-being. Encourage socializing through virtual happy hours or live working sessions to build team camaraderie and support. Remind your team to take regular breaks, get outside, and participate in non-work related activities. Your managers should also monitor and reach out to direct reports to make sure everyone is able to cope with current events.
Experts recommend asking deeper questions beyond “how are you?” during these employee check-ins. Try asking, “how has your transition been?” or “what kinds of support would be helpful to you?” Counsel your managers to be mindful of privacy policies. It’s important to be compliant with ADA. You cannot force someone to disclose a medical/mental health condition, so keep the conversation focused on impact at work.
Employees of color may be struggling a lot more than their white colleagues in light of George Floyd’s murder — but they may or may not want to process those feelings with their managers. Respect the range of emotional reactions your team may be experiencing. Ask these employees how you can help them during this time, and follow their cues.
Adopt a longer work-from-home policy
Gallup reports that 60% of US workers would prefer to continue working from home if they’re allowed. If working from home reduces stress, continue to offer that option for your team. Twitter and Square both announced permanent WFH policies this month, with plenty of other tech companies extending their telework policies until the end of the year.
However, be aware that working remotely comes with its own pitfalls. Employees may feel burned out faster, for example. Mitigate these risks by taking steps to proactively address your team’s mental health. Here a few ways to do that:
- Create a “boundaries agreement” with your team. A boundaries agreement allows each individual to clarify work hours, project flows, and communication norms. Set guidelines around how and when you use your communication tools: for example, Slack for quick questions and video calls for discussion.
- Encourage flexible working. Let each individual set their boundaries based on what works for them — and their mental health. For instance, working parents are often trading childcare shifts with a partner, working in between shifts or after the kids go to bed.
- Stagger your team’s return to the office. Some countries are mandating that offices reopen slowly. In South Africa, for example, only 30% of employees are allowed to return to the office in the initial reopening stages. Only bring back as many people as necessary to keep your operation running while maintaining social distancing between desks, employees, and customers.
Provide telehealth benefits
Mental health was a problem for many working adults long before the pandemic. In 2017, an estimated 11 million American adults had at least one major depressive episode causing severe impairment. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 11.3% of adults who describe themselves of more than one race have experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. COVID-19 and the protests for racial equality will trigger anxiety and stress for many workers.
To manage corresponding anxiety and depression, rates of opioid and benzodiazepine dependency are likely to grow. It’s estimated that 20 million adults in the US struggle with substance dependency, costing companies $21 billion in lost productivity annually. The opioid crisis may have been temporarily overshadowed by COVID-19, but the pandemic stands to deepen that crisis further.
Meanwhile, a new crisis in benzodiazepine usage is growing due to the pandemic. Early analysis shows that the number of prescriptions filled per week for antidepressants, anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia medications increased by 21% between February and March 2020. Benzos are addictive and share many of the long-term negative effects of opioids. The overdose mortality rate resulting from benzos in women ages 30–64 increased by 830% between 1996 and 2017.
There are plenty of mental health alternatives to pills, one of which is teletherapy. Telehealth benefits are something your company can, and should, offer to support employees. The CDC estimates that 20% of working-age adults report having a mental illness, yet many are unsure if their company offers comprehensive mental health resources. Lucid Lane is a good option to add to your company’s benefits program, in addition to employee assistance hotlines for substance abuse or suicidal thoughts. Offer mental health training to your managers to support mental health in the workplace. And, if it’s feasible, take a page from Starbucks’ playbook. The coffee chain is offering its US employees and each of their eligible family members up to 20 therapy sessions a year to support their mental health.
Create a safety net
Do your utmost to create a low-stress environment for your employees. Facebook, Microsoft, Lululemon, and REI are paying their hourly employees even if they can’t work their assigned hours. This won’t be financially viable for all companies, but where possible, try to reduce the stressors your team is facing — think longer deadlines, smaller workloads, and tasks that don’t require intense concentration.
There are some low-cost ways to create a safety net for your team. Waive any limits on sick leave or vacation days. Re-prioritize and re-assign work as necessary. Prioritize the tasks that must happen, versus what could be put off until later.
Offer job security as much as possible: Delta’s CEO is forgoing his salary for the year to try and diminish layoffs. Others are communicating new leave policies that cover leave for caregivers, PTO, and other emergency provisions. “Be generous as much as possible. Your team is relying on you and will remember your actions,” said one business leader.
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