For some UK businesses, their doors have been shut on & off for over a year. The leisure & tourist industry having been hit the hardest by the pandemic; is still suffering, as the UK economy cautiously & slowly begins to re-open.
For thousands of UK employees, having been furloughed for many months has, for the most part, had a detrimental effect on their mental wellbeing. More than half of furloughed employees have reported that this latest lockdown (2021) has affected them more than any other time in the pandemic.
A recent YouGov survey of 1,039 employees, commissioned by job site Indeed, found that 44% of all employees felt their mental health is now worse than it was when restrictions were in place in spring 2020. Only 15% felt their mental health had improved since then. (1)
Bill Richards, UK managing director at Indeed, said: “During the pandemic, flexible working has been highly valued by employees who have been able to work from home or adjust their working hours, and we know such flexibility can help to improve people’s mental health and boost productivity.
“It is therefore essential that, as people return to the workplace, employers continue to communicate with the employees about mental health and build a culture where workers feel supported and are comfortable finding out if their company offers flexible working options which could help them.” (1)
With this in mind, how can employers ensure that their employees are prepared & ready to return to work & what strategies could them employ to ensure staff are appropriately re-introduced to their place of work?
Communication
As employers prepare to open their businesses, bringing furloughed staff back on board is essential to their future success. However, for employees who have been furloughed for months on end, the sudden change to their routine, although a happy & welcome event, is also quite daunting after such a long time at home.
Therefore, as is hopefully the case throughout the pandemic & furloughed period; communication from employers & managers is crucial at this delicate point.
If staff are expected to return to work on mass, there should be clear communications about how the business plans to re-introduce staff to the workplace, what Covid secure protocols are in place & most importantly, that there is clear & concise expectations laid out for each employee upon their return.
Action plan for staff returning to work
After such a long time at home, expecting an employee to simply pick up where they left off, would be overwhelming & could cause some staff to feel anxious about performance & expectations. Having a clear re-entry action plan for all staff retuning to work & how as an employer you plan to support them; is essential at such a transitioning time.
There also needs to be some settling time allowed for staff returning to work. Expecting staff to be at 100% productivity in an environment they have not been in for many months, would be a step too far for many employees.
Employers need their staff to be productive, but also need to respect the needs of their employees after such a long time based at home & for many, having been inactive & confined by Covid restrictions for so long.
Shared hours
One method of re-integrating staff into the workplace might be a shared hours scheme in the first instance. For staff who might have been expected to undertake 12 hour shifts; perhaps a split shift approach in the first instance might be beneficial & would enable staff to be eased back into their working patterns.
If in an office environment & to ensure Covid secure & social distancing protocols are adhered to, there may still need to be a shared office space scheme in place whereby some staff work in rotating shifts at home & in the work place. This has been extremely effective to thousands of larger corporations, Government offices, Banks, etc during the pandemic.
Mentoring & buddy system
Another way to ensure that as an employer you can support your staff as they return to the workplace, could be to set up a mentoring & or buddy system. Allowing staff to have a go to person to talk through any concerns they may have & or if they feel overwhelmed as they return to work; could help employees feel less anxious about their return to work.
As an employer, you would need to seek HR advice as to how to ensure employees do not feel that this would be an information gathering exercise & employees would need reassurances that it is an impartial & confidential service.
We are all seeking ways to adapt to a future beyond the pandemic, but we all must be mindful of the long term effects that Covid19 will have on us all. With this in mind as we cautiously & carefully re-open our society; keeping our mental health & the mental health of those around us in check, is key to a brighter future.
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for & on behalf of Virtually Smart.
- https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/half-on-furlough-report-deterioration-in-mental-health/
