How COVID-19 is Changing How Companies Tackle Employee Mental Health

Guest PostsEmployee EngagementHR Technology

By Sydney Wess Last updated Aug 7, 2020

Companies across the United States abruptly transitioned to a completely work-from-home environment in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many employees, especially those working in or around regional hotspots and virus surges, still have not returned to the office several months later.

Along with the stresses of navigating a pandemic, operating in a newly-remote environment for an uncertain amount of time has introduced challenges to the working world.

Typically, when we consider health during COVID-19, we’re thinking about physical health and flattening the curve. However, in the workplace, mental health and motivation have also become more and more relevant.

This article will highlight 3 key changes to factors affecting employee health. These changes provide insight into how COVID-19 is requiring businesses to innovate and adapt to keep employees productive.

Employees Feel Less Productive

The most notable and impactful difference businesses have experienced as work-from-home becomes the new normal is that employees aren’t feeling as productive as usual.

Since COVID-19 was named a pandemic in March 2020 and employees began working remotely, mental health has become an issue of importance in the workplace.

New research indicates that 39% of employees feel less productive in their new, remote environments. This may be the result of working through distractions caused by family members or roommates, who now share their workspaces.

Experts indicate that a lack of productivity and motivation may also result from a loss of in-office accountability. When your employees come into the office to work, they’re commonly speaking with those around them and reporting progress throughout the day.

As people, our behavior in public is vastly different than our behavior in private, largely due to the concept of accountability. The workplace is no exception to this rule. Without teammates working alongside each other and keeping track of progress, these productive behaviors are more likely to slip due to distractions or lack of energy.

Maintaining all of your in-office touchpoints in a remote capacity is essential to sustain employee accountability and engagement. In-person check-ins, performance reviews, and team deadlines should not fall by the wayside while employees are working remotely.

While it’s true that employees are feeling less productive while working remotely, companies can still leverage one-on-one meetings to keep them engaged with the company. That will encourage increased productivity on their end.

Companies are Offering Support for Employees

Businesses across the nation are struggling to adapt to unforeseen changes caused by the pandemic.

Companies want their employees to feel their best during the workday to inspire motivation and productivity. Without that positive energy, employees are likely to fall into burnout and exhaustion in roles that they previously excelled in.

This has encouraged companies to look for ways to offer mental and emotional support to their employees as they weather these challenges together. In fact, 57% of businesses stated that they’re offering their employees some sort of mental health resources.

Research finds that the most common services provided by employers are flexible scheduling and resources containing advice on working remotely.(Source: Clutch.co)

However, other companies have committed to increasing paid time off benefits and providing professional counseling services to employees who need them.

For instance, Starbucks committed to offering employees up to 20 free mental health counseling sessions each year to help navigate this crisis and others in the future.

Some human resource consultants feel that policies that take employee health into account bode well for favorable HR policies long after the threat from COVID-19 has passed.

COVID-19 is encouraging businesses to reevaluate and improve their treatment of employee health and benefits.

Employees are Maintaining Mental Health on Their Own

While individuals are able to take advantage of a wide variety of mental health resources provided by their employer, many employees are taking their own steps to improve their mental health as they work through the pandemic.

Many employees are enhancing their mental health by restructuring their idea of a work-life balance in a remote setting. It can be difficult for employees to mentally separate the workday from the rest of their lives when both are occurring in the same environment.

However, only 17% of employees are actively setting hard boundaries on their work schedules. This can lead to a lack of a work-life balance and burnout in otherwise content employees.

To counter this, about 25% of employees report keeping in better touch with loved ones, exercising, and taking regular breaks to simulate a regular workday. All of these activities can play a role in energizing employees and keeping them focused while they’re working.

In particular, psychological studies show that taking regular breaks goes a long way in making employees (and people in general) more productive. While this may seem counterintuitive to employers, taking breaks helps employees get more work done during the day.

As employers, it’s important to recognize and encourage the steps your own employees are taking to improve their mental health. That means encouraging lunch breaks, exercise, and a healthy work-life balance. You’re bound to see happier, healthier employees that way.

Employee Health is Essential to Continued Productivity

Healthy employees are naturally more motivated, focused, and productive. By taking steps to promote employee wellness during the pandemic through accountability and resources, you’re preventing burnout and frustration in the long term.