Looking Out for Your Employees Mental Health While Working Remotely

By now, we are all deeply-attuned to the physical and financial ‘ripple effects’ that a global-scale health crisis brings. But what about the unspoken impact of these changes on your staff’s state of mind? A pandemic isn’t just about a physical health issue – it’s a mental health issue as well.

Not a single one of us has been untouched by this pandemic. A nation-wide stay at home order has forced us to cut all-but virtual social ties with friends, family and colleagues, leaving us with more time than ever to sit back and reflect.

While this may serve as a blessing to some, employees who are living with pre-existing mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety may find their conditions exacerbated by self-isolation.

Heavier feelings of stress and uncertainty as a result of pay cuts, financial hardships or difficult domestic situations can also trigger a drastic shift in a staff member’s mental health baseline – causing serious repercussions on their personal and professional relationships.

Maintaining your staff’s productivity and your business’ overall profitability during self-isolation is a give and take, especially when it comes to remote workplace wellbeing. Business owners need to establish a culture of openness around mental health while at home and build trust within your team to weather the storm together – even when you’re apart.

Here are some strategies you can implement to bring a conversation about mental health into your business while working remotely:

• Focus on remaining open and transparent about your business’ current situation and your plans to navigate the road out of lockdown. Give your employees a sense of control to help them stay positive by mapping out a clear and secure light at the end of the tunnel.

• Boost peer belonging and team bonding while you’re apart by sticking to weekly team meetings and one on one’s that you would normally conduct in the office, via video conference.

• Hold virtual team hangouts to stay social or host an online Q&A session to bring your workforce together, keep staff informed about business operations and reinforce their job security in these uncertain times.

• Be flexible. Understand that some employees may prefer messaging or phone calls to video calls, show compassion for working parents who are juggling stay-at-home children and encourage staff to be open about their challenges.

• Educate your team on how to stay mentally healthy during isolation by setting clear limits on start and finish times to maintain work-life balance. Reiterate to your staff that they are not expected to work beyond their hours and remind them to take regular breaks, get outside and clear their head for at least 30 minutes every day.

Start the Conversation

Mental health is an issue not often verbalised by employees in the physical workplace – far less the remote workplace. If you are not already engaged in a conversation about wellbeing in your business, use this period of transition to implement key support mechanisms and open up a discussion with your team.   

Supporting employee’s mental health when they need it most isn’t just the right thing to do – it will also increase their productivity, performance and longevity within your business.

Image Credit: KerkHoffTech