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Mental Health in the Workplace during the COVID-19 MCO

The Mind Faculty


The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our daily lives, changing the ways that we work and play.


As the Movement Control Order lifts, the way we work will change once again. Some of us may continue working from home, making it difficult to strike a balance between our personal and professional lives. Those headed back into work may be concerned about the social distancing practices put into play. Others may be worried about their livelihoods and job certainty.


In this period of fear and uncertainty, it's more important than ever for companies to help their employees to mitigate the potential of employee burn out and emotional distress.


Common Stressors for Employees during the MCO

By identifying these risk factors, employers can think about how to reduce them in order to help their employees feel safe and supported at work.

  • Employees returning to work may be afraid of catching and speaking the COVID-19.

  • Employees working from home will be concerned on how to balance work and family responsibilities.

  • Employees may feel isolated from their usual support system - whether it's from extended family or professional supports.

  • Employees may experience additional stress learning with new communication tools or suffering a lack of tools and equipment required to do the job.

  • Employees may feel anxious about their finances, job security and whether they can feed their family.

  • Employees may feel afraid of whether they can cope during this time.

Symptoms of Stress

It is important to recognise what stress feels like so you can reach out for help if you feel overwhelmed.

  • Experiencing mood swings such as anger, sadness or irritation.

  • Feeling indecisive or having trouble concentrating.

  • Lacking motivation or feeling unproductive.

  • Feeling tired and overwhelmed.

  • Feeling anxious, uncertain or something bad is going to happen.

  • Experiencing disruptions to your sleeping and eating habits.

  • If you feel that you are misusing a


Managing Job Stress

Companies can help their employees to manage their job stress by promoting an organisational culture that openly supports your employees' mental well-being.

  • Stay connected with communication and meeting tools: this gives employees a change to keep in touch and have social support during this difficult time.

  • Show empathy and be available: give your employees a space to voice their concerns and offer support as needed.

  • Support your employees to establish boundaries between work life and home life including clear start and finish times, and break times.

  • Be inclusive: gather feedback from your employees when designing the new workplace, and discuss the changing expectations.


The Mind Faculty offers Employee Assistance Program, which includes therapy for employees, corporate training and mentorship, as well as talks and interactive workshops. We can help you to identify and address any mental health challenges across your organisation, and promote a culture that supports your employees' well-being. Get in touch with us to find out more.



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