“A survivor mentality is emerging in a post COVID-19 world” – Evan Davidge, Total Reward & Wellbeing Consultant at The Wellbeing Leader.

There is something Darwinian about the mentality that recovery from the pandemic is survival of the fittest, is this really the case? Maybe this is true in relation to the financial recovery from COVID-19, as it is easy to get drawn into prioritising financial survival when looking at long term strategic plans.

However, employee wellbeing is now playing an even more vital role in the survival of a business emerging into the post-pandemic world. If we look at people in a business as cogs in a machine, then if just one cog is not cared for and working properly, then the whole machine can shudder to a halt.

This article outlines key considerations organisations should be making to put wellbeing at the forefront of our minds on the road to the new normal.

‘Am I at home or at work?’

For many, working from home sounded like a dream come true pre-pandemic – avoiding the stressful commute and saving money from daily Starbucks runs, as well as having the added bonus of spending more time with loved ones.

But now, 5 months in, is working from home still paradisiac, or is it having more significant effects on employee mental wellbeing than first thought?

The line between work and home has become blurred. We need to address the elephant in everyone’s dining rooms – redundancy.

A recent report found that a third of UK employers are expected to carry out redundancies in the upcoming months. In addition, with the furlough scheme beginning to wind down, and businesses are inevitably starting to cut costs, employees are feeling the pressure. Consequently, employees are working longer hours, through the weekends and annual leave, as to prove to their employer that they shouldn’t be let go.

As a result, employees could be putting themselves at risk of burnout and poor mental wellbeing. Is a case emerging where employees are prioritising financial security over mental wellbeing?

‘Or am I at school?’ Remote working also brings additional challenges concerning home-schooling and childcare responsibilities. For now, whilst schools are on the summer break, algebra can be put to the side (to the relief of many parents), and employees can focus on their jobs - thank goodness for Disney+ proving A* entertainment.

However, this time next month the new academic year begins – whether this means parents will need to put their teaching hats back on remains to be seen due to the unpredictability of the current climate. This uncertainty surrounding schools reopening and the fear of a second wave is likely causing working parents a great deal of stress and anxiety.

A fear of technology

As neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman points out humans are ‘wired to connect’ – so in a world where social isolation has been enforced, what are the repercussions of this?

Yes, technological advancements such as video chats have enabled social connection to a certain extent, but does social connection through a screen satisfy our needs? Having recently returned to the office, it is clear to me the value of team collaboration and physical teamwork and how this positively impacts productivity.

However, in these times, for some, it just is not viable to return to the office environment. Video communication is better than no social contact at all, but it is important to consider the problems that such forms of communication can bring in relation to employee mental wellbeing.

Firstly, the physical operation of apps such as Zoom, Teams and Google Hangout can be anxiety provoking –we have all heard the phrases “I can hear you but I can’t see you”, “I think you are on mute”, and “can you hear me now?” Such anxieties will affect all employees in various scenarios. Whether this is being used for daily team meetings, or for inter-business presentations, employees are feeling the strain of trying to continue as normal.

Video communications mean that we are working harder than ever to process non-verbal cues including facial expressions, tone of voice and body language, to avoid awkwardness and embarrassment. Silence in a face to face conversation often poses as a natural rhythm or a pause in the flow of conversations. However, when it happens on video chats, we are flooded with anxiety – ‘Did they not hear my question or did my WIFI drop?’ The dissonance when being technologically together, but physically apart, can be exhausting. This has been recognised and defined as ‘Zoom fatigue’.

With remote working staying for the foreseeable future, how can organisations manage the anxiety and exhaustion associated with video chats? One option is to actually think about whether a video call is the most efficient option – could shared files with clear notes and instructions work for the specific task? Or actually is the video meeting really necessary? Another option could be to consider whether employees can turn their camera off entirely or even point it to the side to remove the anxieties around processing non-verbal cues.

The role of personality

Personality traits are stable over time and can explain the complex connections between people’s differing thoughts, emotions and behaviours in the workplace. I recently completed a research project assessing employee personality and mental wellbeing and whether social support from managers and colleagues influenced this relationship. It was found that highly extroverted employees needed more social support than employees with either a conscientious or agreeable personality to ensure good levels of mental wellbeing. This has obvious implications for the varying degrees and types of support employees need in the current situation.

A hurdle to consider is whether video chats enable authentic personalities to come through – is an employee’s true extroverted personality reflected via Zoom? Some extroverts may be extroverted in physical face to face situations but may be more reserved during virtual communication. In light of the research findings, how many extroverts are slipping through the net and are not being fully supported at the expense of their mental wellbeing?

It’s not all about you

I fear that we will fall in a trap of focusing on the wellbeing of employees physically working currently. We must not forget the wellbeing of those who are on furlough.

A common assumption is that those on furlough are having a great time, seemingly enjoying a summer paid for by the government, but this is not necessarily the case. For some, especially those susceptible to mental health problems, the structure of the 9-5 job provides comfort, stability and a purpose, and without it employees may begin to experience a lack of motivation, leading to poor levels of self-esteem and self-worth.

Have these employees been checked on? It is also important to consider that if such employees have not received much communication from their employer whilst on furlough, how are these employees going to find returning to the workplace? Those that have slipped through the net may be facing a very dark world and the thought of now going back to work is daunting – coupled with the threat of a second wave.

Although we are now in month five of remote working and most employees will have finally worked out how to turn themselves off mute, it is very important to consider those employees who have been on furlough since April and are only now joining the new normal of using video chats in the remote working world.

Communication is key

An important factor underpinning all of this is communication, and its physical presence can minimise or eliminate the problems which threaten employee mental wellbeing as highlighted above.

In a time of such uncertainty, consistent and transparent communication from the top down will go a long way. It is important to note that communication within a business does not have to be something of significant information – it is ok to not have the answers yet, but just communicating this can be pivotal.

From an employee’s point of view, anxiety is relieved by just knowing that the organisation is trying to act. Such transparency will enhance employee trust and engagement, resulting in a happier and more cooperative workforce.

Simple communications such as signposting mental health support can go a long way. Some employees who are experiencing poor mental health may not want to disclose to their organisation that they are struggling in fear that they will be treated differently, or even fear that they will be sacked or forced out of the organisation. The latter is even more prevalent at the moment when employees are doing everything in their power to avoid facing redundancy. So, by signposting mental health charities such as Mind UK, employees can seek the help they need without feeling uncomfortable disclosing the information to the employer, whilst at the same time, the employer is seen to be considering and acting upon the wellbeing of its workforce.

A final mental note

The spot-light is on organisations to manage wellbeing appropriately in order to retain employees, avoid reputable damage and to ensure that the cogs keep turning and the machine gets back to functioning optimally.

It is easy, and almost automatic, to focus on the financial health of a business – however, it is essential that organisations consider the impact that the daily technological struggles, the blurred lines between home, work and in some cases school, and the role of personality on employee mental wellbeing during these times.

Contact us if you would like to explore how to balance these two key aspects and how the employee experience will change as a result of the pandemic.

Hattie Edwards, Junior Consultant at QCG – August 2020