The Coronavirus pandemic brought about a life in lockdown—people weren’t allowed to go out in fear of spreading the virus, employees had been furloughed, and home-schooling had become the norm. Undoubtedly, mental health issues like anxiety and stress in employees have exponentially grown this pandemic period.
In fact, the mental health charity Mind found that more than half of adults (60%) and over two thirds of young people (68%) said their mental health worsened during lockdown.
In a blog post, Frog Capital portfolio company Winningtemp, a leading employee-engagement software company, said that as the pandemic continues, employers must now concern themselves with the resilience and care of their people.
“Companies must invest in various programs and solutions that help people maintain themselves, get rest, and learn how to deal with this uncertainty,” said HR expert Josh Bersin.
“It goes to the real issues of public health and collaboration. People helping each other and people supporting each other, checking in and listening. A lot of the human skills that are needed in any kind of a crisis, that is what companies are going to have to do. Because people aren’t going to stay on high alert for two years, they just can’t, it’s impossible.”
To get a good grasp of your employees’ needs, the blog post gives one important advice: Compassion is key.
“Understanding your people and being able to display empathy over judgement, and kindness over frustration will be critical to your business. How your workers view you in times of crisis will undoubtedly have a direct impact on how your business is perceived in the good times.”
For employers, Winningtemp suggests that instead of resolutions, now’s the time to practice flexibility and sensitivity to support the new “normal.”
Read the full article here.
