There’s more than one pandemic affecting our workforce.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we work, our daily routine and how we socialise. But for some, it’s also exacerbated the persistent ‘silent pandemics’ of domestic and family violence, racism and mental health. In the months ahead, business leaders need to ensure that employees struggling with cumulative stressors get the support they need.
When remote working isn’t safe
Domestic and family violence has been a national epidemic in Australia for many years. But COVID-19 has thrown up new problems. Social distancing, lockdowns and remote work have limited the options available for people experiencing domestic and family violence. According to support providers, as more workplaces required employees to work from home, the number of people reaching out for help fell. At the same time, reports emerged of new and insidious forms of violence, such as controlling the time people spend on devices and using the virus as a threat.
COVID-19 presents employers with a problem. How do they keep their staff working from home safe if it prevents those at risk from reaching out for support? How do they help without escalating violence?
Leaders can support employees experiencing domestic and family violence at this time by:
being open and authentic and encouraging teams to speak up without fear of judgement or stigma;
being knowledgeable about workplace policy and supports;
keeping access to offices open where possible, and making it clear that staff who don’t have a safe space to work at home can come into the office;
hiding support information ‘in plain sight’ by weaving support messages into everyday communications; for example, in e-signatures and team meetings;
providing confidential and non-judgmental support options for people who use, or are at risk of using violence; and
considering additional support over and above current policies, e.g. emergency accommodation, financial support.
Tackling a rise in racism
As too many of us know, racism existed long before the pandemic. But COVID-19 has exacerbated it, particularly for those with Asian cultural backgrounds. So much so, that the UN Secretary-General condemned the “tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scaremongering” unleashed by COVID-19. Between April and June, over 370 instances of COVID-related racism were reported by Asian-Australians. These included being shouted at on public transport and in supermarkets.
Racism in and outside of the workplace deeply affects employees and can cause severe psychological stress. The compounding impact of racism and the pandemic means staff may be anxious about using public transport to get to work, have less emotional energy to deal with work challenges or experience a change in performance.
Leaders can make a difference for employees experiencing racism by:
acknowledging the prevalence and impact of racism in all forms;
creating space for open and honest conversations on race and racism, and ensuring senior leaders show up and listen;
being an active bystander by calling out jokes and poor behaviours regardless of whether there was intent to cause harm, and encouraging employees to do the same;
providing support options to employees through an EAP or mental health leave; and
using their spheres of influence to push forward discussion and generate change.
Mental health matters
Ensuring employee wellbeing, including mental health, is more important now than ever before. The cumulative impact of stressors in 2020 - such as bushfires, Black Lives Matter protests, workplace sexual harassment revelations and COVID-19 - cannot be overstated. Employees are dealing with different pressures and will respond differently during this pandemic period.
After surveying our 8000+ strong workforce in our recent Future of Work Jam, PwC Australia saw that team members were experiencing blurred boundaries that eroded their mental health, and felt an implicit pressure to be ‘always on’. This was coupled with more statistics found in our future of work Thinking Beyond report where 32% of our people reporting a low ability to manage stress. Despite these challenges, our people are feeling more connected to their immediate team, with 51% saying that the company’s culture has changed for the better and 72% feeling confident about the future of work.
Care for employees should be the driving force behind mental health and wellbeing strategies. But it’s also good for business, and can lead to increased employee loyalty, productivity and retention.
Leaders can support a mentally healthy workplace by:
undertaking an organisation risk assessment to understand the current state of mental wellbeing, identifying both risks and strengths;
encouraging employees to develop a personal wellbeing plan and use team meetings to check in on how they are tracking;
developing a mental health strategy and associated provisions such as mental health days; and
normalising conversations about mental health and wellbeing, and upskilling employees to go beyond ‘are you okay?’
With so much of the attention on the economic impacts of COVID-19, leaders need to be careful they don’t overlook the wellbeing of their workforce. Our people are resilient, but their resilience also relies on the support employers can provide. How well leaders look after their people will determine how quickly businesses, economies and countries move towards recovery.
