In 2020 the workplace habits that employees took for granted changed in the snap of a finger. Most made a sudden shift to telework, without prior preparation or information about the duration of this new work model. Meanwhile, other employees found themselves working fewer hours, or having no job, due to the wave of layoffs caused by the pandemic.
This sudden and unexpected change could not happen without an impact on employees’ mental health and happiness at work.
Besides being a threat to their physical health and life, the pandemic has also weighed heavily on employees’ mental health. The prevalence of psychological distress, depression, and burnout has significantly increased, and employees’ happiness has been challenged immensely.
Employee happiness and well-being are key ingredients in organisational success
Well-being means feeling good physically, psychologically as well as socially, and functioning effectively as an individual. Happiness, meanwhile, refers to pleasant feelings, positive emotions, and purposeful experiences.
Both are sustainable conditions that help individuals to develop and to thrive. Healthy and happy employees contribute to the creation of a healthy and happy organisation and society. They help to optimise the productivity and sustainability of organisations in times of crisis and beyond, as well as supporting the country’s economic growth.
With so many human resource challenges emerging during the pandemic, here are some practical solutions that employers can adopt to promote employees’ happiness and wellbeing at work.
Sustaining communication and transparency
With Covid-19, fear, stress and panic set in. Individuals were exasperated by information overload, the intensity of media coverage, job insecurity, and the uncertainty generated by this pandemic. Working from home has widened the distance between employees and their workplaces. Employers should develop a clear organisational communication plan. In fact, presenting the organisation’s actions and their impacts on employees’ work is crucial to reduce employees’ uncertainty and fear of the unknown.
Employees should be involved in planning these actions, which will foster a positive attitude and reinforce team cohesion.
Preventing stigma
Covid-19 has increased stigma. Due to fear of contagion, a form of stereotyping has evolved toward the epicentre of the pandemic, confirmed patients and their relations, by avoiding them or blaming the pandemic on them. This can threaten employees’ well-being and happiness at work.
Employers should raise employees’ awareness of this risk, develop and reinforce a zero-tolerance policy towards stigma and ensure healthy social relationships at work.
Employee training and development
Employees should be trained to be able to adapt to the requirements of the new situation in terms of skills and to develop their resilience, as well as their capacity to cope with the new challenges. Managers should also be trained on how to manage, develop and support virtual teams.
Social support at work
Now more than ever, organisational support is needed by employees. It reassures them that their employer values them and cares about them.