The impact of COVID-19 has been felt by many of those around the world, some more than others. Many have lost family members and friends, others have lost their jobs, and some have continued working, but under a new environment and one that is likely more stressful. Our mental health is essential to focus on and to ensure it’s looked after. Leaders must be considering their team’s mental health now more than ever before.
Putting Mental Health Awareness Into Practice
Taking your employee’s mental health into consideration is undoubtedly useful for the operation of your business. One business leader found this when he considered mental health during the stay-at-home orders that were put in place by the government. He told his employees that they should think about their mental health as much as they are focused on the work they’re producing for the business. As a result, and the slow down of business in March and April, he instituted a Monday-Wednesday working week. He had a re-assessment on projects for Thursday and Friday. If the week was slow, then he’d cut the week short.
Not only that, but he introduced summer hours for his employees, which meant that they were able to end their workdays at 2 pm on Fridays. As a result, he saw more pickup in his business in May than he expected.
What Can Be Done For Employee Mental Health?
So what can you do for your employees during this challenging time? For many staff members, they’re likely to be working harder than usual. With their new work environment at home, home is not going to feel like a comfortable space, and so it’s essential to try and do what you can to ease any pressure. Introducing summer hours might be a good suggestion during this time and encourage your staff to try and take their annual holiday where possible.
For those staff who might be on furlough during this time, it’s good to keep up communication with them and be as transparent and honest as possible. There will be a lot of uncertainty for businesses at the moment, especially those who are at risk of going under. Ensuring your staff is made aware of any updates to this is essential for the sake of their mental health. Being lied to at this point is not something your team will want, and it’s vital you’re giving them the bigger picture, as well as the current situation now.
Sharing The Resources
There are plenty of resources available online that can be good for any staff members who might need support at this time. Whether they’re working or not, it’s beneficial for your business to ensure your employees remain happy. Happy employees mean that they’re more productive, and perhaps that could mean more positive outcomes as a business.
Hopefully, more businesses can come out of this pandemic at the other end, and many employees can retain their jobs and still be working. Do factor in mental health as being vital to your staff’s overall wellbeing.
