How to Protect Employee Mental Health in a Remote World
Remote working has become the new normal. Since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtually every employee who could work from home did so.
As a result, once-bustling offices were quickly emptied as chairs were vacated, laptops were taken home, and work was commenced from home.
90% of employees say more flexible arrangements would increase morale (source). People like the ability to choose where they are the most productive!
There has been a 78% increase in remote job posts in the last two years (source). This number is expected to rise significantly.
Research has found that 80% of remote workers experience less job stress (source) leading to better overall health.
However, despite the convenience of remote working and the flexibility it offered to many, mental health struggles were at an all-time high with roughly 1 in 5 Americans admitting to high levels of mental distress.
In this article, we will be sharing how you can protect the mental health of your employees in a remote working world.
The Effects of Remote Working on Mental Health
Given the numerous benefits of remote working, you might be asking why it takes such a toll on employees’ mental health? Working from home can have numerous psychological effects, from burnout and anxiety to depression. According to the Centers for Health and Healing, mental health can “significantly affect a person’s physical health and wellbeing.”
During the pandemic, when employees were experiencing pressures in all aspects of their lives, remote working had a number of negative effects on mental health, including:
Uncertainty and inconsistency due to lack of a set daily schedule.
The temptation to work over-time and check emails at the weekend.
Finding it difficult to switch off from work.
Lack of a healthy work/life balance.
Interruptions and stress caused by housemates, family members, or pets.
Feelings of isolation due to a lack of in-person interactions.
Burnout caused by too many meetings, unrealistic deadlines, lack of sleep, etc.
Feelings of depression and hopelessness.
As remote work has continued for many, despite easing restrictions, it is time we take employee mental health more seriously. Just because your employees work from home does not negate you from taking responsibility.
As an employer, there are numerous steps you can take to help protect the mental health of your employees so they can flourish in their roles and enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling career. Let’s take a look at these steps and how you can provide support.
Acknowledge the Challenges
The first step in supporting employees’ mental health struggles is to first acknowledge that your team may be struggling. Two-thirds of American employees have clinically measurable symptoms of depression and anxiety. So, it is important to acknowledge these challenges and show that you care.
We recommend hosting a team meeting where you acknowledge the challenges of working from home, ask your employees about the support they would like to receive and point out the resources available to them. Each one of your employees will be facing their own personal struggles and you need to be aware of this so that you can take appropriate action.
Set Clear Working Boundaries
One of the challenges remote workers face is a lack of clear working boundaries. In the office, there are clear working parameters. Employees must arrive at work and take breaks at certain times. This provides employees with a helpful structure that helps them to manage their time effectively.
However, since the transition to remote working, many employees have struggled with the lack of clear working boundaries. While they might have to be ‘at work’ at set times, there is less accountability. Below are a few ways you can set clear boundaries for your employees who are working remotely.
Clearly communicate and define work priorities.
Set weekly team objectives.
Dedicate time in each day for independent/uninterrupted work.
Align team working schedules for clear daily objectives.
Require employees to start and finish work at the same time each day.
Setting clear working boundaries for your remote employees is one of the most important ways you can protect their mental health and support them professionally.
Stay Connected with Your Team
Working remotely can be very isolating. Where employees used to meet on the morning commute, enjoy coffee breaks together, or chat at their desks during the day, remote workers can go an entire day (or more) without speaking to another person. This can have an extremely negative impact on employee mental health. Thankfully, however, there are steps you can take to help.
One of the best ways to show your support is to stay connected with your team. This could be through daily meetings, one-to-one phone calls, Slack messaging, emails, or remote collaboration tools like Stormboard.
Image Credit: Slack.com
Whatever method of communication you choose, it is important to prioritise team connectedness as much as possible. This will help your employees feel less alone, encourage contact with their colleagues, and will provide regular opportunities to offer any support they may need. The more available you make yourself to your team, the more supported they will feel.
Celebrate Your Employees
Many remote workers report feeling invisible. They often feel that their hard work and efforts go unnoticed by their employees and this can lead to worsening mental health issues as they struggle with feelings of self-worth. Taking the time to show that you care can make all the difference to employees struggling with their mental health.
Image Credit: LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
As an employer keen to support your employees, it is important to celebrate their achievements. This can be recognizing the hard work they put into a presentation to a morale-boosting email sent from a client. It helps create a positive employee experience and, according to Forbes, “positive employee experience will set your company up to be resilient, not only in the near term but through whatever shifts lie ahead.”
Recognizing and celebrating the hard work of your employees is a great way to help them feel valued and appreciated. It lets them know you see and appreciate their efforts and it helps motivate them to keep working hard. The more you let your employees know how valued they are, the more fulfilled they will be in their role and the longer they will stay with your company.
Create Wellness Action Plans
It goes without saying that the pandemic has affected everyone differently. From financial struggles through to family and health difficulties, there are plenty of things your employees worry about.
That’s why we recommend creating wellness action plans. A wellness action plan is a document that employees fill out. It includes important information such as whether they have any pre-existing conditions, whether they have any triggers that cause them to become unwell, and what keeps them in good health.
This document can be reviewed on a semi-regular basis and kept up-to-date during your 1-to-1 sessions. A wellness action plan will ensure you have all the information needed to support your employees if/when they need it.
Provide External Counselling Services
Sometimes, your employees will require support that you cannot provide. This is why mental health professionals recommend providing external counselling services. Counselling can assist your employees when they are struggling, providing the tools and guidance they need to navigate their mental health challenges effectively.
While you can provide counselling services in-house, many employees feel nervous about talking to other colleagues or assigned managers about their personal struggles. They fear their issues will be discussed with other team members or shared with management and that this might have an effect on their job security. As such, it is important to offer pre-paid counselling sessions that are offered externally to help preserve employee confidentiality.
If this isn’t an option for your company, you could share online resources such as Talkspace where employees can sign up online to receive counselling from a licensed professional.
Tools like these allow employees to request support as and when they need it.
Final Words
It goes without saying that the tips in this article are not an exhaustive list of your options. When it comes to mental health support, there are so many tools and resources available online that mean you are, quite literally, spoilt for choice.
However, we hope the suggestions in this article have helped you consider the steps you can take to ensure your employees feel supported and cared for in a remote working world.
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About the Author:
Chris Harley is a passionate mental health and wellbeing writer, focusing on sharing his experience and improving the lives of others. When Chris isn't researching the latest holistic and wellbeing therapies, he's spending time with his two cats, usually curled up on the sofa reading a book.
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