HEALTHCARE
Experts Warn ' Working from Home ' Can Strain Employees ' Mental Health
Interaction lowers stress
By Diane C . Walsh Acting Editor
Leading healthcare providers and insurers participating in a roundtable discussion concluded that the COVID‐19-motivated trend to “ work from home ” should be eyed with extreme caution because it is causing mental and behavioral health issues .
Dr . Robert Brenner , president of clinical integration and physician enterprises at Valley Health System , said “ guard rails ” need to be imposed to prevent employees from burning out as they stare into a computer screen all day in virtual meetings .
“ Should we stop at 50 minutes or 20 minutes at get a bio-break ?” Brenner asked rhetorically as the roundtable discussed workers ’ isolation and stress . “ We need to come through this with guard rails to increase engagement ,” the physician said .
When the pandemic struck more than two years ago , many businesses closed their doors and sent their employees home to stop the deadly disease from spreading . For the most part , technology enabled many employees to function remotely . But it comes at a cost .
“ You ’ re working more hours than you did in the office and you ’ re missing the interaction of co-workers – having lunch together , interacting over coffee , engaging . It ’ s an important
Dr . Robert Brenner piece that employees don ’ t have today ,” said Al Bowles , the vice president of health plans at Quest Diagnostic , a nationwide clinical laboratory . He said it is imperative to return to workplace engagement .
The Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey ( CIANJ ) invited Brenner , Bowles and other experts to share their opinions on COVID‐19 ’ s impact on workforce health and employers ’ response . The other panelists participating in the thought-provoking conversation were Michael Maron , president and CEO of Holy Name Medical Center , John Sarno , president of the Employers ’ Association of New Jersey and Joseph Vizzoni , medical director of AmeriHealth New Jersey .
All the healthcare providers were troubled by challenges of communicating and providing accurate information during the pandemic .
“ You ’ re working more hours than you did in the office and you ’ re missing the interaction of coworkers – having lunch together , interacting over coffee , engaging . It ’ s an important piece that employees don ’ t have today .”
Maron said “ the flow of misinformation was continual . Yet people were looking for absolutes . When it comes to medicine , rarely is anything absolute . We had to adapt , adjust and modify .” Brenner said the medical community was constantly grappling with the lack of information . “ We had to make decisions based on best judgment .”
Vizzoni said as a health insurance provider AmeriHealth found “ everyone made their own decisions about what was best of them and for their families based on their own unique circumstances and their risks .”
Working from home is not an option for everyone . Maron cited his hospital as an obvious example , but he conceded some functions , such as medical billing can be done remotely .
Michael Maron
In today ’ s tight labor market , working from home is often construed as a job perk . “ We have to help guide them through it . I don ’ t think we ’ ve hit bottom on this yet . People are doing a strong reassessment of what ’ s important in life and how they want to live their lives ,” the hospital CEO said .
Sarno said working from home is a privilege afforded to a small percentage of the workforce . There is also a “ generational component ,” he said . “ Most bosses are of a mindset that they need to watch you work , not to spy or surveil you , but as a boss I have a comfort level walking around and seeing people busy .”
Even though there have been calls for a hybrid work model , allowing employees to stay home a few days , Brenner said it should be approached with caution . He warned it could bring more stress and further erode the corporate culture that supports engagement .
In their discussion the panelists were all in agreement that COVID‐19 is now a part of the fabric of life . “ It ’ s something we ’ re going to be living with like the flu ,” Brenner said . Vizzoni noted that during the height of the pandemic preventive care was postponed but now as people are adjusting to the new norms , screenings and well visits have resumed .
Quest Diagnostics commissioned a study of more than 400 health plan executives and
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