Working from home for long periods can seriously damage your state of mind, so employers must up their game on wellbeing, says Daniel Stander.
As we negotiate the gloomy winter months in the midst of a global pandemic, many businesses are grappling with the consequences of rising levels of remote working and increasingly disparate workforces. With that situation likely to continue for another six months or more, it has become clear that the mental health and wellbeing of employees has reached a tipping point.
A recent international study led by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Spain found that more than two in five of those surveyed in the UK felt down, depressed or hopeless about the future because of the Covid-19 crisis – putting the nation’s mental health at risk. It is thought that at least 10 million people in the UK will need some form of mental health assistance as a result of the pandemic.
Against that backdrop, employers need to prepare for what is coming their way. They must acquire the skills and tools to be able to spot the early signs and symptoms of a mental health issue developing, or of an existing condition worsening, so they can provide support and early intervention to their employees.
What to look out for
An individual who is experiencing a mental health condition may well be unwilling to share that information with their employer. They may even lack the necessary insight to realise that they are developing, or experiencing a worsening of, a mental health issue. So employers need to keep an empathetic eye open for potential concerns. Warning signs to watch out for include:
- The employee is regularly late or fails to attend scheduled calls and meetings
- The employee very rarely or never has their video on for Zoom/Teams calls
- Irritability, anger, etc
- The tone of emails changing – more negative than usual, or less co-operative
- Absenteeism, and also presenteeism
- Signs of alcohol and/or other drug misuses
Employers should also ensure they are signposting the internal and external support available, and participate in national or global mental health campaigns to help drive forward a more inclusive and open culture. This can demonstrate to employees that the organisation takes their mental health seriously, that they will be treated with empathy and that they can express any concerns without fear of stigma.
Just as a company has policies and procedures in place covering what employees need to do if you suspect someone is at risk (for example, where the first step is always to escalate for advice and support), we advise putting together a policy document to outline your organisation’s approach to MHFA.
Helen Price-Evans is an NLP Master Practitioner and a certified Mental Health First Aider at Starfish People.
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