HR — The saviour's story
We’re living in unusual times, and the last couple of years have put our resilience to the test in a variety of ways! We understand that there is a new reality that we will have to get used to for a long time. Work from home, distant team management, and social separation and confinement measures are all here to stay, and organisations must incorporate them into their operations moving ahead.
People, at all levels, are at the centre of this uncertainty and fundamental paradigm change! The pressures on leaders and people to balance their work and personal lives have been enormous. There has been a lot written about these difficulties, but where we are now simply goes to demonstrate how adaptable humans are. As a result, it’s critical that HR, working in unison with business leaders, plays a key role in assisting employees during these trying times and beyond.
How can HR assist?
Employees don’t feel detached because of consistent, clear, and frequent communication on the necessities: HR rules, systems, and processes. This is the nitty-gritty material that might cause undue anxiety and tension. Transparency is essential.
Keep an eye out for chances to foster a sense of belonging. The ‘water cooler’ chances, such as strolling across to a colleague or supervisor to speak or ask a question, are lacking since people are working remotely and alone. Loneliness can sometimes be accompanied with worry. Creating specific team building events such as conference calls, briefings, fun activities, team lunches, or coffee where individuals can chat about things other than work can keep the team chemistry intact.
Empowering team members to blow off stress by exploring something they are enthusiastic about may be a powerful stress reliever.
All of this is wonderful and necessary, but the new normal of functioning anytime, anywhere with no visible geographical, mental, or time constraints implies more work and being “on” all of the time. Employees are feeling overworked since their personal and professional responsibilities appear to be growing. All of this, along with worries about family members’ health, is causing a lot of stress, emotion, and worry, which might have a negative influence on employees’ psychological health and well-being in the short to long term.
HR should assess the prevalence of emotional and mental health disorders in the company so that necessary action may be taken before the situation gets severe.
HR must train managers and corporate leaders to be thoughtful, empathic, and supportive of workers’ individual concerns. Regular check-ins where employees don’t hesitate to open up to HR for help, even with personal difficulties, can be beneficial. It’s also critical for HR to establish trust and transparency with workers in order to break down barriers. This requires time, work, and the willingness to put in the effort. HR should serve as a sounding board for workers seeking counsel and comfort.
Employee support programmes, counselling services, and group therapy chances are all useful tools for addressing mental health difficulties in the workplace. Employees think that the organisation has their best interests at heart since these resources are readily available. There will be more awareness and employees will have an outlet where a professionally competent individual will address the difficulties if these services are offered and there is a campaign around emotional wellness in the business.
Being upfront and transparent about the resources available to workers who are dealing with mental health issues is a fantastic approach to foster a culture that values the importance of supporting employees’ emotional well-being.
Conclusion
Health isn’t only about our bodily well-being; it’s also about our emotional and mental well-being, so we can deal with whatever this or any future crises throws at us. To avoid productivity loss, all businesses must pay attention to their employees’ mental health.
Thank you.
- Swati Kewlani
