In the past 18 months, the corporate world has been turned upside down – and not just financially. The pandemic has led to a huge shift in perspective for both employees and employers, with uncertainty surrounding career prospects, happiness and the future of the company looming over most heads. The recent lockdowns in Australia have also put a spin on our workplace priorities, and with workers going back into the office again, anxieties surrounding COVID are starting to creep back in. Most of us know that general mental health has suffered greatly in wake of COVID, but what we’ve recently discovered is that the subsequent focus on improving wellbeing – namely in the workplace – is here to stay.
According to this article, 69% of Australians now say they would turn down a promotion if it means compromising their mental health. What this tells us is that caring for your co-workers and employees is more important than ever, or you risk them resigning for a more supportive work environment. If you are a manager, it’s crucial you foster a healthy workspace for your employees, and allow them to feel like they can come to you to voice concerns about their workload or experiences. Even if they don’t, it’s still important to check in on your co-workers, to confirm that all is well. However, often it’s difficult to approach them in the right way, especially when working from home. Here are my suggestions.
Recognise the signs
A few common signs of low mental health in the workplace could include:
- Decreased productivity or quality of work
- Low morale
- Greater level of sick days
- Fatigue or moodiness
Some signs of poor mental health can be hard to spot, especially if you don’t know much about their personal or social life. Keep an eye out to ensure their pain doesn’t go unnoticed.
Start regularly chatting
Before you launch into discussion of the personal lives of your co-workers, make an effort to be observant first to avoid overstepping.The level of friendship between co-workers can vary greatly, so if you have noticed someone you don’t generally talk to may be struggling, it could be a good idea to get to know them a bit more first. This could start with asking them what they got up to on the weekend, about their family, or discussing outdoor hobbies. This way you can work up to checking in on them, increasing the chance they will feel comfortable opening up to you.
Ask specific questions
It’s quite typical for bosses or co-workers to ask a simple ‘how are you?’ in the morning, which is generally followed by a half-hearted ‘good’. To avoid this, show a genuine interest in their lives by asking something specific such as ‘how is Oscar going with the home-schooling?’. This can help build a deeper relationship between co-workers and therefore healthier relationships.
Work to guide potential solutions
If the issue that is causing concern is in the workplace, often it can best be worked through with someone who also knows the environment. Assist your employee to talk about the issue with you or a suitable colleague then together, workshop strategies to deal with the issues – whether that may be having a hard conversation with a manager, or thinking of a different way to approach a project. If the problem is due to issues outside work, perhaps a supportive chat will guide your employee to get the right sort of support, possibly through your employee assistance programme or an external psychologist. In 2021, it doesn’t work to just assist your people with issues from inside the workplace. Home and work have merged and you may need to support them through other issues, if they are to remain a valued member of your team.
COVID-related anxieties
Whilst it may not be apparent on the surface, it is likely some of your co-workers are also experiencing anxiety associated with returning to the office after a long period working from home. This could either be surrounding the spread of COVID on public transport or in the office, or the social anxiety of being with many people after so long in isolation. Look out for signs of this in your colleagues, and check in if you think they are struggling. Ensure they have the right support to navigate returning to office life, including how they are managing their workload. It is recommended to allow employees the option of working from home 1-2 days a week to help with this adjustment.
Continue to check in
After your initial check in, it’s important to stay observant to ensure that your people are receiving the right help. Look out for the signs we talked about earlier, and every now and then ask them how their situation is going and if there’s any more you can do to help.
Working with or for someone who genuinely cares can make a significant difference to workplace mental health. In 2021, it’s more important than ever that you check in on each other, not just to avoid resignation, but because you’re a team and connection is what keeps a team healthy.
Armchair Psychology services a range of Sydney-based and Australia wide corporations. We offer a number of individual, testing, assessment and workshop style corporate psychology services for employers and employees. See more.
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source https://armchairpsychology.com.au/how-to-check-in-with-your-co-workers/
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