While the worst of COVID may be behind us, workers everywhere are still struggling with their mental health. Need proof? Searches for mental health strategies and support have increased 133% since the beginning of the pandemic two years ago.
Moving forward, managers and other leadership need to understand how mental health impacts their employees:
- The constant barrage of emails, texts, videoconferences, and calls are seemingly never ending. As a result, workers often feel like they’re running place and always running behind and trying to catch up.
- Lack of boundaries between work and home make it difficult for workers to “punch out.” Many feel like they’re always working and have no real work-life balance. Worse, they often feel like their employers don’t care about their need to have a life outside the company.
- Working parents are struggling to find childcare solutions, causing some to leave the workforce completely. Others are doing their best to juggle parenting and working; and they’re exhausted, stressed out, and/or financially strapped.
There are a few possible solutions employers can implement:
- Whole office shut-down. This may not be possible, but it is important to give everyone a break at one time or another.
- Cost-of-living adjustments. This can help workers deal with childcare costs, inflation, and other challenges.
- Message schedulers that prevent or discourage managers and other from sending messages to workers when they are off the clock.
