Ways to ensure employee well-being during the pandemic

The one secret that all big successful companies in the corporate world already know, is that running a business with unhealthy, and unhappy employees is like trying to drive a car with a bad engine. It may eventually get you where you want to go, but the trip will be difficult and you’ll waste time and resources.

There is no denying that the ongoing Covid-19 crisis has hit organizations very differently. But the one common factor for everyone is that life is infinitely more stressful.

In a world that feels like it’s changing by the hour, it’s critical to get a sense of how your employees’ well-being is changing, too. Hence, we have compiled ways in which you can ensure the well-being of your team-members.

1.Providing adequate mental, and physical health support:

Make sure your team-members are aware of where they can get mental health information, advice, and help in addition to your physical security measures. Keep lines of communication open to hear how workers are feeling and, more importantly, listen and react. Consider creating an employee hotline or central contact point, as well as internal networks and hubs to respond quickly to employee questions and concerns. Many organizations choose platforms that have digital training services to help people improve their mental health, interpersonal relationships, and sleep along with physical health.

2.Introducing a bookend to every working day:

While the daily commute was not without its drawbacks, it did provide employees with a defined start and end to their workday as well as a set time to think, away from the demands and distractions of home and workplace. Organizations are now promoting digital commutes, with users scheduling virtual commutes at the start and end of each shift. Instead of reliving crowded subway trips or highway traffic jams, in virtual reality - workers would be encouraged to set targets in the morning and reflect on the tasks finished during the day in the evening by the digital commute app.

3.Taking efforts to strike a proper work-life balance:

During the pandemic, many organizations that considered themselves to be proactive in helping workers with care-giving obligations — infant or elder care, care for relatives with illnesses or disabilities, discovered that they had major gaps in their knowledge of those employees' difficulties balancing work and life.

According to a recent study conducted in the United Kingdom, the demand for eldercare assistance is increasing among those aged 35 to 45. Many businesses have recognized such stressors that employees of this age group face in caring for both children and the elderly, and are trying to come up with ways in which they can help their team-members in order to  relieve a big source of stress.

4.Feedback is Fabulous:

Make wellness a part of the company's review process, whether it's done yearly, quarterly, or weekly. Take advantage of the opportunity to ask if employees feel cared about and for suggestions on how the organization supports their well-being.

A review isn't just a chance for managers to give team members personalized feedback; it's also an opportunity to learn if they feel respected, understood, and cared for as employees. This dialogue demonstrates to workers that the company cares for them, as well as helps the company to enhance and elevate successful well-being benefits in the future.

5.Understand the resources your workforce needs:

As soon as the pandemic struck, HRs began reaching out to staff to learn about their needs and gain insight into how employees were feeling through these trying times. Isolation and burnout were the two most popular themes discovered.

Isolation was understandable considering the need for social distance. Burnout was also a product of the new challenges posed by the need to create boundaries between personal and professional life. The only solution to these issues is to accept the situation and understanding what resources employees might need  (infrastructure, flexibility, support etc) to do their jobs to the best of their abilities in the current environment.

To conclude, some people are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccines become more widely accessible and some businesses prepare for their office returns.

Even so, the pandemic has left an impact on countless workers, which calls for immediate intervention in terms of deep yet strategic rethinking of mental health support, along with new ways to build team engagement through initiatives such as fun Friday games and other virtual events— both now and in the post-pandemic future.