Mind matters: structuring an effective wellbeing framework

October 2020  |  FEATURE  |  LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT

Financier Worldwide Magazine

October 2020 Issue

Once viewed as something of a taboo topic, mental health is an issue now high on everyone’s agenda. The stiff upper lip, look the other way attitudes of yesteryear have made way for a society more open to discussing such ‘delicate’ matters.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has reinvigorated the debate. Lockdown orders have had profound implications for people’s wellbeing – mental and physical, both being intertwined – particularly for those working from home. With a recent McKinsey report – ‘COVID-19 and the employee experience: How leaders can seize the moment’ – revealing that 80 percent of workers believe the pandemic has “materially affected their daily work lives ‘significantly’”, the wellbeing of employees has perhaps never been so important.

“The impact of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing is likely to be extensive and long lasting,” says Gail Kinman, visiting professor of Occupational Health Psychology at Birkbeck University of London. “The uncertainty of the pandemic has led to considerable anxiety and distress about one’s own health and that of family members, continued employment and financial worries, curtailment of freedom to travel and meet, and fears about a second wave and a future lockdown.”

In the view of Renee Moorefield, chief executive of Wisdom Works and chair of the Global Wellness Institute’s Wellness at Work Initiative, our collective response to the crisis necessarily upended work, family and personal routines. “The business and world environment are not going to become less disruptive after this pandemic,” she contends. “If anything, this crisis has taught us that disruption is the norm.

“Leaders must use this opportunity to strategically reflect on what will foster sustainable effectiveness for their business, as well as the people who contribute to it,” she adds. “As a result, cultivating a culture where their workforce, including employees, freelancers and contractors alike, thrives is imperative.”

Structuring a framework

With the welfare of their employees a top priority, businesses need to establish a wellbeing framework that ensures staff are supported while they work remotely, as well as a smooth transition when (or perhaps if) they return to a physical workplace.

According to Ms Moorefield, a wellbeing framework must ensure that workers: (i) feel they are part of something meaningful, such as a shared purpose or a larger vision that transcends their day-to-day work; (ii) have positive relationships with colleagues, including their immediate manager; (iii) experience a work environment that values psychological safety, trust and inclusion; and (iv) receive support and encouragement to pursue a healthy lifestyle and grow professionally.

The British Psychological Society (BPS) report ‘Working from home: Healthy sustainable working during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond’, advocates a SHARE approach to creating healthy and sustainable homeworking conditions, with the five components of SHARE being: Safe homeworking, Help yourself and others, Adapt to change, Relieve the pressure and Evaluate.

“A flexible and creative approach will be needed to accommodate employees’ personal circumstances and help them do their best work,” says Professor Kinman, co-author of the report. “Organisations should be vigilant for signs of overwork – they should be aware that feelings of uncertainty and job insecurity may mean that some staff are working longer hours or working while sick. The risks of this should not be overlooked, as this is untenable over the longer term. Staff are susceptible to burnout and high levels of work stress, so they are likely to be more vulnerable to health problems.”

Envisaging the ‘new normal’

As lockdown measures are gradually eased and employees cautiously, perhaps reluctantly, return to the workplace, having a wellbeing framework in place that supports staff and boosts their ability to operate in a much changed world is crucial.

“There will be no ‘new normal’,” states Professor Kinman. “Organisations will need to be responsive and ready to adapt to the new challenges they face. A ‘whole organisation’ approach to supporting wellbeing at all levels is required, from individuals to teams to organisations. It is crucial that managers develop the competencies to manage people who are working differently. Flexibility and creativity in developing solutions should be encouraged.

“Policies for the most effective use of communications software, such as Zoom and Teams, should be developed, as these can be overused or used ineffectively,” she continues. “Above all, managers should be compassionate toward their staff and themselves. Self-care is extremely important and should be prioritised.”

The implications of COVID-19 on mental as well as physical health cannot be understated. The damage has been extensive and will likely linger. If there is a modicum of positivity to be had, it is the pandemic’s underlining of what we always knew: individually and collectively, in the workplace and at home, wellbeing is everything.

© Financier Worldwide

BY

Fraser Tennant