Stress levels among employees appear to be at an all-time high, particularly in light of the pandemic. Companies, whether it be IT sector or other, should anticipate that employees will experience higher levels of stress as more businesses use remote and hybrid work schedules. Employees actually perceive hybrid work as significantly more draining than either wholly in-person or fully remote work.
In order to effectively assist their team in feeling less exhausted and stressed as a result of their work, managers can play a critical role in helping employees control their stress levels.
Here, let’s find out some tips for managing hybrid and remote employees to help support their mental health.
Understand and Support Your Workforce
Being sympathetic to their employees is among the best qualities a boss can possess. The impact of Covid-19 on employees’ mental health is undeniable. You might never learn the true struggles that your employee is facing with the hybrid workplace paradigm that is becoming the norm.
You can increase the productivity of your staff by being aware of their demands. It’s time for you to adopt a new leadership style, whether it involves giving your staff flexible work schedules or giving them the tools they need to step up their game.
Let Employees Self-Direct Mental Wellness
Giving your staff the freedom to manage their own mental wellness at that point may be the ideal solution, something that many businesses are able to do by providing a wellness stipend.
A wellness stipend enables your staff to invest in resources that better meet their individual mental health needs than the meditation app or therapist you recommended. Depending on what your business defines as an eligible expense, this can include- vacation expenses, meal delivery, backup childcare, home cleaning services, meditation sessions, etc.
Organize Team-Building Events
Loneliness has perhaps been one of the major problems we’ve all had to deal with during COVID-19. Your employees are cut off from their friends and coworkers because they work from home. This prevents people from interacting during lunch or at the water cooler. Team meals and hallway conversations are no longer a part of daily life, so teleworkers miss out on the ability to interact and mingle with their coworkers.
Your entire team, not just those with mental health issues, can benefit from team-building activities like in-person events like company parties, virtual coffee breaks, game nights, etc. where individuals may interact and find common interests.
Allow Them to Turn-Off Cameras When Needed
For employees, participating in several video meetings a day might be draining. Sending and receiving facial emotions and body language requires both mental and emotional effort. Consider allowing staff members to occasionally turn off their cameras.
While spending too much time in front of the camera might hurt teamwork and camaraderie, it can also be stressful for some workers. Opportunities for this could include regular team meetings where everyone gets acquainted.
Promote Healthy Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance suffered significantly when the old office model was replaced by the work-from-home (WFH) model. Employees found it a little challenging to balance family time with the stress of the job because the lines between personal and professional life have been increasingly blurred since the WFH model was adopted.
By allowing them to take breaks when necessary, you can further encourage staff members to establish boundaries. Days off from work and paid time off are still valid at home and are crucial for rest and recovery. Having a specified amount of work hours every day is also beneficial.
Give Your Employees Your Support
Employers have power over how they assist their employees’ mental health, which is important because it affects how well they perform at work. To boost employee productivity and improve their mental health, HR outsourcing service is more effective because you’ll learn how to manage your business more effectively.
The pandemic has changed how we work and live, posing new problems for organizations and new demands on managers to support their staff. The user experience is prioritized by the most successful digital transformation initiatives, and the people are prioritized by the most successful businesses.