There is no doubt that the global pandemic has continued for considerably longer than anyone could have expected. COVID-19 has massively changed the way in which we work and live and this undoubtedly is having an impact on wellbeing.
As practical HR specialists, we have been working closely with businesses throughout this challenging year, providing guidance to help actively support the wellbeing of their employees during this challenging time.
Here are a few useful steps for employers to consider:
Regular Communication
Communication in any organisation is vital however, in these challenging times, it needs to be at the forefront of any ongoing employee engagement and wellbeing strategy. Your workforce needs to know that they can approach their manager or HR Department to ask for support at any time, but communication always starts within team.
We would highly recommend that you ensure your managers are having virtual 1-2-1 contact with their staff or team meetings on a regular basis so that they can check in on their staff and try and alleviate feelings of isolation that can arise from working from home for long periods of time.
Focus on Wellbeing
The significant change in the way we interact with others and the restrictions that have been put in place will have had a large impact on many of your employees. As a result, whilst there is a need to ensure the organisation remains viable through the pandemic and drive results, it is important to remember that you need your staff to achieve these objectives and therefore, it would be advisable to engage with staff to also focus on their wellbeing.
Consider what current benefits you have – do you have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?
Are you promoting it?
What other additional benefits may come with these services that employees can access?
What about something more bespoke like creating a wellbeing programme that engages your employees?
It is also helpful to engage with your staff, through the use of staff surveys, to ask your employees what support they may be looking for and look at organising 1-1 sessions or group sessions on particular topics such as Managing Stress at Work and Wellbeing. They can even be more social such as virtual coffee mornings or catch ups. These don’t need to be management led and you should encourage staff to promote their own sessions and activities, you might have some keen sports fans who want to get together virtually and discuss the weekend results, just like they would have at work during their coffee break!
Manage your Remote Team effectively
The remote working environment is something that is new to a lot of people and it is important to remember that this can cause people stress and anxiety too. Here are some top tips for managing your remote teams:
- Make sure you have regular updates and contact with your team – Weekly team meetings help continue the line of communication staff have with each other and 1-2-1 contact with staff can help build up a trusting relationship.
- Set expectations and trust your team – Be clear on their short-term goals or activities, set your expectations on deadlines and trust them to get on with these without needing to constantly check up on them.
- Be prepared to be flexible with your team – Many have to juggle home life and work life in a different way than before, be flexible with your team and focus on their results rather than whether they are “online” or not unless it becomes an issue.
- Be Kind – Virtual conversations, particularly difficult ones, can be misinterpreted as it is harder to read body language, tone and other cues. Stay mindful of this and give your staff time to digest what you are saying.
For more information or assistance with any of the topics raised, please do not hesitate to contact us at Involve HR at info@involvehr.co.uk