The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 54: April/May 2021 | Page 16

STRESS AWARENESS MONTH

Mental Wellbeing : Caring for yourself and your staff post-pandemic

As we try to emerge from the pandemic in both a professional and a personal capacity , it is becoming increasingly clear that the psychological effects must not be underestimated .
For some , lockdowns , furlough and remote working may have brought benefits such as more family time , a chance to pause and reflect , and perhaps even an increase in business . For others it has been an extremely challenging time . Some of our readers may have seen clients disappear overnight , debts increase , or their businesses close completely . On top of that , the anxiety and uncertainty for employers and employees is still building ; none of us know how the pandemic will affect us in 2021 and beyond . Whatever the future holds , now is the time for employers to take action to ensure that mental health and wellbeing is properly addressed as we all seek out a return to normality .
BE PREPARED According to Mental Health First Aid ( MHFA ) England , many employers are underprepared for the longer-term effects of the pandemic . The organisation has noted a significant disparity , with some employers doing a lot to support mental wellbeing while others are doing nothing . MHFA ’ s survey of 2,000 employees , shows :
• Since the pandemic hit , one in four employees say they ’ ve had no wellbeing check-ins from their workplace .
• 29 % of workers never discuss their mental health in line management meetings .
• More than double the number of women ( 68 %) than men ( 31 %) say their workplace confidence dipped owing to the pandemic .
• More women ( 64 %) reported feelings of loneliness and isolation than men ( 36 %)
Mental ill health costs employers £ 2.4 billion per year and despite warnings of a mental
health crisis , many employers have failed to increase or even implement support for workers .
MHFA England CEO , Simon Blake , said , “ Covid-19 has increased the need for employers to support the mental health and wellbeing of their staff . As these statistics show , the pandemic has laid bare pre-existing inequalities , gender , race and economic , and in turn it has exacerbated them . This needs serious attention as we start to rebuild .
“ Workplaces are key to creating a society where everyone ’ s mental health matters so some employers must play catch up .”
WELLBEING A PRIORITY FOR CANDIDATES There is evidence to suggest that companies which do not prioritise the wellbeing of employees could also find recruitment and retention increasingly difficult .
Global jobs board Zoek surveyed jobseekers regarding their expectations of
potential employers - https :// zoek . uk Managing Director , Diana Campbell pictured above , said , “ We recently surveyed over 1,200 active job seekers to learn more about their sentiment regarding employers and the pandemic . We found job seeker priorities are changing , with 43 per cent of people now seeking work-from-home options and 20 per cent wanting to know if employers take mental health seriously .
“ Our findings also revealed employer reputation has become more important to job seekers , with only 4 per cent of
users surveyed saying they would work for employers who treated their employees poorly during the pandemic .”
STRESS AWARENESS MONTH Throughout Stress Awareness Month this April , The Business Exchange is sharing hints , tips and good practice from Wiltshire businesses in regard to employee wellness .
It is well documented that stress can lead to depression and anxiety alongside physical issues including heart disease , insomnia and digestive problems . In other words , our minds and bodies are connected with one impacting the other .
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