One year after COVID-19 first reached the United States, many of us have taken time to reflect on the various ways that the pandemic has affected us.
According to Kaiser Family Foundation, roughly four out of every 10 adults in the United States have reported symptoms of anxiety and depression during the pandemic. This is a significant uptick from 2019, when that number was only about one in 10 adults. In that time, adults have reported difficulty sleeping, increases in alcohol consumption and substance use, and more.
In order to best serve our employees during this time, it’s important to prioritize their wellness and provide support whenever possible. Here are three ways we can make a difference in our team members’ lives at an otherwise difficult time.
Provide remote access to wellness resources.
With many employees still working from home, they may not know where to turn when it comes to their mental or physical health. Make those resources readily available by sharing those on your company’s intranet page, in your employee newsletter or in other easy-to-find places. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM) is a great place to start, offering crisis and distress hotlines with text messaging options, along with links to federal resources and educational tools.
Culligan Water is a strong example of an organization committed to its employees in a remote environment. This company is currently offering weekly self-care videos, 1:1 health coaching for employees and their spouses, manager well-being calls, weekly well-being communications, and more.
Engage your employees in challenges.
Workplace challenges encourage your employees to interact virtually, promote healthy habits, and can even improve job performance. Consider trying out one of our 40+ Corporate Health Challenges to support your team’s fitness, stress management, and overall wellness goals. This portal also provides incentives for employees who participate. According to Benefits Pro, “incentives can help reinforce healthy habits, keep employees motivated, and reward them for a job well done.”
For those companies focused on meditation and mindfulness, it may make sense to add a membership to Calm or another wellness-focused app to your organization’s benefits. In addition, you can share fun remote opportunities, like free fitness videos and other content that may benefit your team members no matter where they are currently plugged in.
Focus on mental health in your benefits package.
To help employees receive the help they need, you may want to include mental health coverage in your health care plan. Make sure your team members are aware of the resources available to them. Many organizations have an Employee Assistance Program, which is often underutilized by those worried about mental health stigmas, as well as those who don’t know the program exists. Encourage your employees to use the program and make it easy for them to do so by providing the information somewhere easily accessible to them. In addition, take a look at other resources offered by your organization’s health care provider, including online courses and other digital tools that may positively impact your team.
Promoting our employees’ well-being not only allows us to forge better relationships with them and become a more inclusive workplace, but it also has tangible financial benefits. Studies have shown a correlation between employee satisfaction and several firm performance metrics, including customer loyalty, productivity, and profitability. As the pandemic continues, it’s important to continue prioritizing our employees’ mental and physical health, and providing the resources they may need to get through this difficult time.
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