As we work through our third lockdown, it’s safe to say that lockdown stress is on the rise. The challenges that come hand in hand with the Covid-19 pandemic are continuing to take their toll.
With many of us feeling isolated, overwhelmed, irritable and facing high levels of anxiety and stress, lockdown is impacting all aspects of our lives. And, with no end date to the lockdown or crisis in sight, it’s important that you check on the welfare of your staff more than ever before.
This is where your HR representative can help.
Helping you to manage the stress levels of your staff during the crisis, your HR representative is always on hand to offer guidance and support.
Here are our top tips for dealing with employees that are feeling stressed and anxious:
Stay connected
Whether your staff are working remotely or in the office, it’s important to you stay connected as much as possible. People need support more than ever before and catching up with your staff on a regular basis will help you to identify if they are struggling or need extra support.
Discourage out of hours logins
Just because we are all stuck at home and there’s nowhere to go, doesn’t mean we should be working all the way through the lockdown. Staff should be encouraged to take frequent breaks and have their lunch away from their desks. Try to discourage out of hours working and make sure your team knows you don’t expect them to be available 24/7, just because they’re at home.
Always be open and honest
There’s no denying that Covid is dominating the news at the moment and, although it’s important that we remain in tune information surrounding the virus, it’s also important that employees don’t become overwhelmed.
With this in mind, you should make a conscious effort to be open and honest with employees about how your business is coping, and make them aware of any plans that could impact them. Your HR department can provide lots of tips on how to approach difficult conversations and how to communicate with your employees effectively.
Spot signs of stress
It’s important that all businesses know the signs of stress so that they can help to provide the right level of support before it results in your employees having to take time off work. From insomnia and headaches through to low energy levels and irritability, there are lots of signs to look out for. Make your staff aware that there is support there if they need it.
Encourage healthy habits
Encouraging employees to take care of themselves is extremely important and key to get through the pandemic. From encouraging your staff to exercise daily and eat well through to helping your staff to switch off, encouraging healthy habits is paramount to your staff’s mental health.
If you are looking for some specific advice supporting your business and employees through lockdown stress, please get in touch.
