Ever since the dawn of humanity, pandemics have been a periodic occurrence. But as the present becomes past and tragedy become an anecdote, we forget about the carnage of every global cataclysm. In the future as well, there will be discussions on the mortality of the virus, the fear, the recession and the unemployment. But suffering, as is the human quality, will slowly be forgotten.
The pain of those who have lost their near and dear ones is heartbreaking. There are also many other problems that have emerged as a result of the Covid19 - people are struggling with inflation, redundancy, challenges of working from home etc. No one would have thought that getting to spend time at home without travelling and waking up early, being away from family, will be so taxing. Working from the comfort and safety of the home has still not raised the morale, which, not surprisingly, is not just because a terrible illness roams the street.
These are some facts that are true for employee mental health in the pandemic:
● Apart from the fear of infection and job security, employees are also worried about financial loss, stigmatization, exclusion (post-infection) and isolation.
● Healthcare workers have a higher vulnerability to develop psychological disorders than a worker in any other sector.
● Anxiety and depression have as much as doubled in some countries. In a global survey, workers who reported to be perfectly healthy in the year before the pandemic dropped from 45.6% to 31.8% in 2020. Additionally, the workers who were extremely challenged doubled from 6.8% to 14.4%.
● The mental health index in the US reported a 48% increase in employee risk of depression. Employee focus fell 62% since February this year.
Statistics points out that we not only need to take care of the unemployed but also focus on the employees, who are equally bearing the brunt of the current situation.
So how to go about it?
This is not something that can be achieved by one side alone; the employees and the management both have to lend a hand to unburden the ones suffering.
What can the employers do?
● Destigmatize -
The management should begin by being open to the employees about mental health issues, especially in such trying times. A lot of people still consider psychological distress a taboo; hence, it will motivate employees to speak up.
● Communicate-
This is extremely important. The employee should have a platform where she can put up her concerns and problems with the belief that she is in a safe environment and will be heard.
● Flexibility-
All employers should be flexible when it comes to employee health, pandemic or no pandemic. However, it has become an absolute necessity at the moment. The employer needs to understand that employees are in a state of distress, what with the fear of infection, financial burden and job security. To add to it all is a load of household chores. The deadlines for completion should be relaxed to avoid further distress, or at least a workaround should be fixed.
● Training-
The only way to deal with unforeseen circumstances is by preparing in advance for the next time. Now that the world economy has seen the devastating effects of a pandemic in more than one way, it is of the essence that sensitivity training should be part and parcel of employee responsibility. Be it the management or employee. All should have integrated training about depression and anxiety, emotional intelligence, burnout, communication and other soft skills. These are not mandated workshops in many multinational companies for nothing. These soft skills are tools that help in the effective functioning of any company, much like grease is used in an automobile.
What can employees do?
● Know when to stop-
It is no secret that a lot of companies overwork their employees. But a lot of times, the employees work themselves to a breaking point- they may be workaholics, trying to get a promotion or a raise, please their superiors or simply need the overtime pay. Whatever the reason may be, one should learn to say "no". Even if it is a necessity to do the extra work, nothing trumps a person's mental health. Additionally, an employee should also openly communicate about her limits with her superiors.
● Take break time and vacation-
It is important to take a regular break from work. Taking a proper lunch, going for a 5-minute walk, having a fixed screen time, taking the time out for socializing and taking vacations; all ensure a healthy work-life balance. Remember, taking a break does not mean insincerity towards the job or "cheating" the management; it is a way to ensure maximum efficiency and focus, which will ultimately result in peak performance.
● Learn to let go-
It is important to leave work at the workplace. This will include the boss yelling at an employee, dissatisfactory appraisal, disagreement with a coworker, or not getting to work on a beloved project. There are already a lot of stressors that will challenge the mental health of an employee, both personally and professionally; therefore, one must master the art of picking their battles and letting things go.
● Put yourself first-
A company functions only as well as its employees do; ergo, employee satisfaction is the basis on which accompany stands. Employees need to put themselves first in these small ways-
Talk to your superiors about what works for you in terms of the optimal environment to perform, like working hours, place of work, breaks, etc.
Set realistic goals and deadlines for yourself- don't overpromise or overwork yourself.
Know that there is a life outside of being an employee-find time to socialize, exercise and relax
Open a communication channel to your HRM about what your requirements and expectations are. Don't hesitate to speak up for what you need.
Never waste a crisis!
A crisis is an opportunity to challenge your comfort zone and grow out of it stronger than ever before. Use your emotional intelligence to build resilience, overcome imitations and emerge successfully out of the crisis.
REFERENCES
Hamouche, S. (2020). COVID-19 and employees' mental health: stressors, moderators and agenda for organizational actions. Emerald Open Research, 2.
Yu, J., Park, J., & Hyun, S. S. (2021). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees' work stress, well-being, mental health, organizational citizenship behavior, and employee-customer identification. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 1-20.
Boden, M., Zimmerman, L., Azevedo, K. J., Ruzek, J. I., Gala, S., Magid, H. S. A., ... & McLean, C. P. (2021). Addressing the mental health impact of COVID-19 through population health. Clinical psychology review, 102006.
Giorgi, G., Lecca, L. I., Alessio, F., Finstad, G. L., Bondanini, G., Lulli, L. G., ... & Mucci, N. (2020). COVID-19-related mental health effects in the workplace: a narrative review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 7857.
