Many of our recent blogs have commented about how challenging this year has been, but it bears repeating. COVID, social unrest, election stress and the trickle-down effects from all of these have ratcheted up our collective angst and threaten our mental health. Our employees are also affected and HR gurus have been sounding the alarm: Employers, take seriously workplace concern of mental health issues!
This recent article in HR Executive included a dialogue with the founder of a coaching organization that helps build employee resilience. He stated that absenteeism, presenteeism and burnout – all potentially devastating to employers, especially those bouncing back from closures and slow-downs – can go through the roof if we don’t take steps to mitigate the effects of stress. Some interesting issues were highlighted:
- Stress climbed 35% in the first six months of 2020, with extreme stress 18 times higher in women than men due to simultaneously balancing (or attempting to balance) remote work and their children’s remote learning.
- Poor self-care. We’re not getting the sleep we need and have lived a good part of this year in fight-or-flight mode. This spills over into all areas of our lives when we attempt to cope with stress by using band-aids like overeating, alcohol and couch-potato-ing.
- Spiraling anxiety and lack of control. The metaphor of 2020 as a marathon and not a sprint is not really applicable because, as the interviewee pointed out, we don’t even know where the finish line is! For all the assurances of temporary measures, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, which only feeds the vicious cycle of fear and exhaustion.
What’s an employer to do?
We have to start off by recognizing that although we can’t fix all the issues, we can ratchet down the mental scream by just being human. Managers who engage in a lot of transparency and open communication can greatly impact their staff by showing empathy. Honestly dialoguing about concerns and sharing vulnerabilities can go a long way in lessening some anxiety. Brainstorming life/balance ideas with your employees can help them feel heard and valued and may yield unique solutions to their particular family issues. Maybe you can add some schedule flexibility that will help juggling moms and dads better meet their roles with less guilt and stress. Sometimes a from-the-heart acknowledgement of the difficulties and gratitude for their efforts to get it all done are just the balm a beleaguered employee needs.
Finally, let’s not forget other tried and true HR tools, such as easy access to EAPs, mental health days, encouraging time off and other coaching-type resources. Having that ready tool bag will help managers meet and defuse some anxiety, promoting well-being in their employees for the betterment of all.