There may be light at the end of the tunnel, yet听for now听the UK听remains听in听COVID-19听lockdown, as it has for much of the past 12 months.听
The virus itself has left a devastating impact upon many of us, while government efforts to bring it under control has led to a sea-change in our daily lives 鈥� both in work and out.听
The change in behaviours听has听thrown up many challenges, with mental health 鈥� already moving up the agenda prior to COVID 鈥� brought into even sharper focus.听And the effects will remain听long-term, with remote working set to continue to play a huge part in the future of many businesses.听
With this in mind, five听figures from the tech sector听explain their approach to looking after themselves and their staff.听
How has COVID-19 affected people鈥檚 mental health?听
鈥�As a result of the pandemic, the lack of 鈥榥ormality鈥� and increase in personal stress have caused many to struggle with their mental health,鈥澨�Felicia Meyerowitz Singh, CEO of听Akonihub, a London-based dynamic cash management platform, tells听老九品茶Cloud.听
鈥�Stress–induced factors like worrying about COVID-19, national lockdowns and just general uncertainty have made coping with work demands far more difficult.鈥�听
Colin Hewitt, CEO of听Float, a cash flow forecasting tool for small businesses, agrees. 鈥�There鈥檚 no denying that the pandemic has been tough on everyone鈥檚 mental health. From adjusting to remote working and having limited human contact, to wrapping your head around the daily news, uncertainty and all the global politics – it鈥檚 never been more important to pay attention to your own state of mind.鈥�听
There has been a rise in mental health problems in the last year, according to听Sabrina Munns,听head of听people and听culture听at听absence management software firm听e-days.听
鈥�69% of people stated that听the reason for their low moods or heightened anxiety听were听down to the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� she says, describing the figure as 鈥渁larming鈥�.听
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How can businesses support staff who are working remotely?听
Shane Lowe听is CEO and co-founder at听Vitrue听Health,听a HealthTech which provides musculoskeletal AI analysis.听
鈥淚t’s important that employers look after employees’ wellbeing as well as their own in our WFH world,鈥� he says. 鈥淗aving a safe and healthy work environment is essential for wellbeing and productivity, but when we work from听home听we also lose some of the human connection, routine and equipment that make office life physically and mentally sustainable.鈥�听
Akoni鈥檚 Singh recommends regular check-ins with staff members. 鈥淓nsuring colleagues are not feeling isolated is really important to maintain productivity,鈥� she explains.听听
鈥淪chedule regular virtual meetings which are informal in听nature, and听make them aware of the support available.听听
鈥淭echnology is here to stay. For many听start-ups听and smaller companies, they already have the tools to work remotely. However, many larger organisations do not and therefore it can be difficult to support staff members and maintain productivity.听听
鈥淏y embracing digital platforms, this can make long-winded work easier.鈥�听听听
Look after your mind 鈥� and body听
鈥�It鈥檚 all too easy 鈥� whilst focusing on the bigger picture 鈥� to overlook how the environment employees work in can be impacting their health, happiness and productivity levels, particularly when working from home,鈥� continues Lowe.听听
鈥淎 poor desk set-up can impact workers’ musculoskeletal health, resulting in serious health problems and a huge drop in productivity, which can in turn contribute to poor mental health.听
鈥淚nvesting in employees’ remote working set-ups 鈥� just as they would in a traditional office 鈥� is one way to boost productivity and mental and physical health: ergonomic equipment, good lighting and strong internet connections will facilitate quality work.听听
鈥淓mployers must also ensure that employees are educated on the health risks involved in working from home, and understand how good behaviours such as regular exercise, breaks and communication with team members can make all the difference.鈥�听
Physical activity is also recommended by Float CEO Hewitt. 鈥淓xercise makes a big difference to boosting endorphins. Having a buddy to hold you accountable really helps, or you could try out investing in a personal trainer to help you get started.听听
鈥淎nd plan time off, even though it can feel like it鈥檚 not worth taking time off at the moment: extending your weekend by a day might be just what you need.鈥�听
e-days’ Munns adds: 鈥�Providing online resources, encouraging daily exercise and healthy hobbies are helpful, but what about moving your weekly team catch up via Zoom, to a group 鈥榳alking鈥� call, so that you and your team have another opportunity to get some fresh air?鈥�听
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Should I make working days more flexible?听
Tom Lawson, CEO at digital transformation specialist听Opencast Software,听suggests taking a flexible听approach.听听
鈥�Many employees will feel as if their lives are out control听at the moment, so businesses should focus on creating a culture of flexibility that allows staff to make sensible decisions about how they work听鈥撎�whether听that means starting and finishing a bit later in the听day, or working around their childcare responsibilities,鈥� he says.听听
鈥�Providing teams with this added flexibility will not only result in a happier and more motivated听workforce, but听will also encourage employees to deliver high–quality work that will help the company achieve its longer–term goals.鈥�听
Munns says that to protect teams and those leading them, it is crucial that absence is prioritised within the business.听
鈥淲hatever your level, you must be supported and encouraged to take time off,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he world of work has changed, but issues around managing absence and the impact to employees remain.听听
鈥淲e predict that despite working remotely, and employees being offered a more flexible work-life balance, that combating the thought process of 鈥榓m I too sick to work?鈥� will remain a challenge.听听
鈥淚f your junior execs see their C-suite taking time off to rest and look after themselves, it is likely they will follow this example too.鈥�听
Hewitt adds: 鈥淚n the winter I try to take a longer lunch and get outside in the afternoon before it gets dark. In the summer I鈥檒l try and finish up earlier to make sure I get the most听out of the lighter evenings.听听
鈥淢ore flexible working hours means the team can plan days with plenty of breaks and daylight to support their mental health.鈥�听
Where can people get help?听
鈥�No matter who you are, whether you are a founder, parent or completely alone, do not be afraid to ask for help or seek a service to help you cope,鈥� says Singh.听鈥�There are multiple ways to stay connected with services designed to support people during these times.听听
鈥�For founders, joining social media support groups can be very useful to tackle common issues such as burnout and staff retention. For employees, using external organisations designed to support individuals with their mental health are great resources. For example, the charity Mind UK.鈥�听
Leaders should also look to their teams for help, says Hewitt.听鈥淎sk for help if you鈥檙e feeling the pressure. You might not know what you need听鈥撎�but听your team might be experiencing something similar and might be able to help.听听
鈥�At Float we started using a Slack integration called Spill which provides remote mental health support to the team, whenever they need it.听听
鈥�From online video counselling sessions to downloadable resources, the service has been a big hit with the team.鈥�听
Mental health